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I was curious if anyone had any tips or method to adjusting the flow for prints. I've got about 8 different rolls of filament and some print just fine at 98 to 100%, but I've got a few where I need to go down to low 90s and one particular black PLA that I need to print at 72% flow or it just extrudes like crazy. It leaves such ridges that it's knocked the effector off the magnetic arms on occasion.

I've taken the calipers to all my rolls over several meters to get an average width, my nozzle setting doesn't move in Cura, but they all seem to come out at a different rate.

When I'm starting a new print (depending on layer height; I've started to tag all my rolls for layer height and the temp and flow percentage to use for each), I'll print something with a decent sized flat bottom and while it's putting down the initial few layers, I'll tweak the flow until it's putting out enough filament to make the surface flat without any spiked ridges from additional filament extruding out the side from beneath the nozzle.

Does anybody else have a more "professional" way of calibrating their flow?

Am I missing something that requires me to change the flow or is it pretty typical. I'm kind of guessing the setting is there for this exact reason, but I'd like to be sure.

The only really useful way of calibrating "flow" is to print a test piece and measure the expected vs actual extrusion width, there is a calibration thread that describes the process.

FWIW the biggest difference between cheap crap filament and the "good stuff" is the consistency of the filament diameter, Ultimachines filament varies MUCH less in diameter than any other filament I've measured. I don't know how exactly they manage that, but at one point I looked at trying to sell high quality filament, but the samples I got back from several manufacturers all had 3-4x the variance of the Ultimachine stuff. It's now the only place I buy from.

It would be nice, but as somebody living outside the US, it's just way too expensive. It's already on the expensive side, but with shipping, duties, etc... it's a killer.

I recommend you switch to trimmer line nylon if you can buy it in large 3lb spools locally (or off some Canadian website). I've been printing almost exclusively with the blue trimmer line from amazon for about a year now, and the filament never varies by more than 0.03mm on the same spool. Nylon is better than ABS and PLA anyway.

Also consider getting or making your own filament extruder. It will pay for itself quickly if you print a lot, or if you have to pay import duties.

I posted a thread a while back about a filament draw-plate system that would take (theoretically) any filament and slightly reduce it's diameter to the size of the draw plate hole. You should experiment with that if nothing else works for you. I'll be prototyping it in the next few weeks.

Last but not least, reduce your filament extrusion rate so it's under-extruding. I found that with solid infill, under-extruded prints will still look good on the outside and be slightly weaker than over-extruded prints, which are all lumpy and useless.

Generic Default wrote:Also consider getting or making your own filament extruder. It will pay for itself quickly if you print a lot, or if you have to pay import duties.

I would really like to do that. It's just the up front costs that are difficult for me. It would definitely be worth it in the long run.

I just did a quick search and you can find .065" trimmer line that is made from "nylon components"
Seems the temperature needed is 245 for the extruder, too hot for the orion?

More info please.

precisionpete wrote:I just did a quick search and you can find .065" trimmer line that is made from "nylon components"
Seems the temperature needed is 245 for the extruder, too hot for the orion?

You wouldn't want to print that with the stock hot end on the Orion or the Max. At that high a temperature, you'll end up melting the PEEK section in the hot end. That's why a lot of people get the E3D hot end. It's all metal with nothing to melt inside and you're able to run things through it like Nylon.