this post was submitted on 16 Jun 2023
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Anyone who was able to print on a Prusa Mini with esun pla+? Is it just wet? (lemmy.world)
submitted 1 year ago by Gompje@lemmy.world to c/3dprinting@lemmy.world
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Last week I took the bait and bought some esun pla+ from an Amazon.de sale.

I normally print with Colorfabb of Prusament. Almost for 5y now and never had real issues, especially not with the Prusa Mini.

But now, I loaded a fresh rol and it just… was awful: under extrusion galore even in the first layer! A lot of clicking and clacking.. just 😒

I read somewhere their filament comes “wet”… pretty convenient that they also sell.. overpriced dryers right?!

Anyway I’m going to build a dryer now. Hoping that resolved the issues and this wasn’t all money wasted.. sigh

Anyway I was wondering if someone else had the same issues? Or experience with this brand? How can you know that it’s dried enough? Or can it really only be with testing?

I’m investing in a mk4 soon, this has a direct drive, instead of a Bowden. Will this be less of an issue? I mean I know about the quality issues I was just thinking about that it seems like it just cannot pass properly, through .. and I forgot how it’s named: the thingie that feeds the filament.

Anyway if anything: be cautious with that brand. I wish I had read some more before buying it, I trusted the reviews to much I guess

Anyway sorry for the long kinda rand post.. it has been.. a challenging week.. 🤟

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[–] solarbird@kbin.social 1 points 1 year ago

If the extruder is clicking, it's able to grasp the filament. It's that it's trying to move it forward, literally can't, and it slips and makes that click. That also grinds down the filament at the wheel as well.

I've printed fine with eSun PLA+ on an Ender 3 V2, it's a very straightforward filament in my experience. Not my favourite, but it's fine. (Their cleaning filament by contrast is excellent and I recommend it highly.) I would take apart the entire filament path and make sure it is incredibly clean, because this really sounds to me like a recurring clog issue caused by some particulate matter, which can include extraheated filament hat no longer wants to melt right.

[–] j4k3@lemmy.world 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

IME, most cheap Chinese filaments from the name brands are fairly consistent for the same exact material and color, but I need to do all the calibrations for each new brand and color. If you look up base material pellet suppliers there are only a few major companies in the USA and Europe for PLA. China has a ton of small production plants that all came online in the last 5 years. It is likely that the base material is different between any given brand, and that means lots of calibration needed.

[–] Gompje@lemmy.world 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

To be honest I just took the profile from Prusaslicer. I did tweaked a bit during the print but it was like the extruder could not grasp the material. the clicking came from there. When I took it out again there were gaps in the filament itself.

For the yellow I had a successful first layer, the green was a disaster from the start. I now made a dehydrator from a cheap food thing and I hope that it's not all wasted ..

[–] thenoseknowsall@lemmy.one 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Try increasing your print temperature and flow rate maybe?

But FWIW, when I had those struggles on my MINI last year, I had to take apart my extruder and clean out a bunch of filament flakes that were causing it to slip.

[–] Gompje@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

Thanks!

This must be the case then, given others can print fine with this brand and are saying the same thing. somehow this filament has more issues. It threw me off guard because the others where printing still very good. Therefore I blamed the one thing that has changed: the filament brand.

I will clean with cleaning filament first, and then, after the backlog is printed; test it again before I disassemble. Thing is, idk about you, but I kinda got so used that the "mini just prints everything correctly no matter what I throw at it" that it kinda threw me off guard. And I actually lost some insights! Funny how our brain works isn't it? 🤦‍♀️

[–] mycelium_underground@lemmy.ml 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I love esun pla+, I do dry all my filaments before using them and store them with large bags of desiccant (I bought it in bulk and use small zipper mesh bags that were sold for fish tank filter media) so I don't really know how it prints out of the box.

What's your hotend temperature?

[–] Gompje@lemmy.world 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

From what I remember it was 215 first and then 210 other layers. But I tried tweaking when printing and didn't notice a difference. It was like the extruder could not grasp the filament correctly. I even tested with the speed but it kept clicking, its like it couldn't grasp it

That said the yellow was good for the first layer, but then the green was a complete NO. I am now drying the yellow and hope it will print.

I never had to dry filament before. This is the dryest room in my home and we do not live in a "wet air" climate. EU, Belgium. at least not anymore, and not inside. Never had any issues .. except now with this Chinese PLA.

we'll see 🤞

That said I'm using the default profile for the filament from Prusa. Gotten so used to "it just works" I kinda forgot that .. well to tweak more. lol

What temps do you use?

[–] ottk3@discuss.tchncs.de 1 points 1 year ago

For the eSUN PLA+ I'm using 210°C for all layers and a consistent bed temp of 60°C.

Still using a 0.4 nozzle and a 0.2 layer height.

[–] metalpoetnl@lemmy.world 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I've not used that printer, but eSUN PLA+ is my goto filament! It's strong, affordable, high quality and produces good prints. I have found though it wants high temp printing. 225C seems to be the sweet spor on my sidewinder X2.

Try printing a temp tower because it's stringy as fuck or downright brittle at the wrong temps.

[–] Gompje@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

Thanks, will do.

After I clean things a bit. after live adjusting tons I to think that 225C will be the good spot. and maybe to 'quality' setting instead of 'speed'. The others have no problem with nice quality prints even on the speed settings, but what you said about the temp change and the reaction of the filament to this aka it being brittle and stuff like that.. maybe its not suitable for faster printing on the Prusa Mini. I will test it again when the MK4 gets here, maybe that will be better.

That said: I do not think I will buy this brand again. hmm and I in fact just did! for the cleaning thing recommended by solarbird! LOL

It just that.. I mean: I'm from the EU, which means the shipping from Prusa is affordable, and ColorFabb too. The last one is actually free for my country. The first was out of the colors I now asap need, the second still has a very very very shitty e-commerce site. but aside from a lot of frustration it kinda worked in the end. with a nice coupon to!

Although given the amount of people who are swearing by esun, maybe when I did dail it in I will change my mind a bit. It does have a good price point. I hope I get it good enough for certain prints and .. secretly hoping: maybe for all .. in a way that I do not have to think ;-)

[–] ottk3@discuss.tchncs.de 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I'm using eSUN PLA+ for some weeks now on a Voxelab Aquila X2 (Ender 3 V2 clone) and it's slightly wet resulting in some stringing I did not experience with other PLA.

You might be aware that it needs a higher temperature than normal PLA, I print with 210°C and overall I'm quite happy with the results.

[–] Gompje@lemmy.world 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

My first printer was an Ender v1, gifted it to my dad. I wish it wouldn't JUST have issues with printing (again) so I could try it in that one, but well .. it has been a .. challenging week. That printer is completely out of commission right now. I think the heatwave we have had last week took a victim. at least for now. It certainly not the weather to thinker with him.. and to be honest Idk if I will, given we will invest in an MK4 soon. Think the Ender had has run it's course 🫡

anyway let just hope the drying works. I had such different experience with the colours that I have some hope. I just wish I only bought 1 to start and not .. 5.. 🤦‍♀️

You guys saying "it works fine for me" gives me hope! :)

[–] ottk3@discuss.tchncs.de 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I hope that drying will help. I tested white and orange. Let us know if it worked or not.

[–] Gompje@lemmy.world 0 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

I tested blue today and this is what the printer sounds like: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1--GQhX2GFcpsEfimN5OlavTZ4QnUrfAd/view?usp=sharing if you look on the right you can see that he imho has no grip on the filament, the blue does not move.

the first layer was ok this time. I first thought it was the speed but when I changed that it's the same after a while. it's like the constant movement that is the issue. grip ? what do you think?

[–] ottk3@discuss.tchncs.de 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Are you sure that is related to the filament? Sounds more like the stepper motors or a some debris on the wheels.

[–] Gompje@lemmy.world 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I thought so first too, but then I tested with Colorfabb and that printed fine. This is what he does now: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1--gi48ZBEKtiFpS5eMzb4E33fSB9xVF2/view?usp=sharing .. perfect printing! I didn't do anything other than changing the filament.

yes it is the same model, but a different file. And I did test this file with the esun as well b/c this economic PLA needs some higher temps. same results.

[–] ottk3@discuss.tchncs.de 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

That's really strange.

What's the temperature you are printing the eSUN PLA+ filament? Maybe it's too low and the noozle scratches on the print?

[–] Gompje@lemmy.world 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I’m now testing with the yellow. That has been dried for 4h.

If I use the default preset from Prusaslicer the problem starts after the first layer. It then cools down from 215, 0 fan - to 210 with 84pt fan. I live adjusted these values, I think I found the sweet spot: it’s very high, I’m now printing at 230 nozzle, 60 bed, 100 speed and 84 fan. I tinkered with the fan some but decided to leave that and upped the temp.

It seems like it was a temp issue after all. I think I got so used to the very good profiles in Prusaslicer, and with the heat/shitty week I couldn’t think straight 🤪

Maybe it’s something with the mini as well that it cools down to quickly for this filament. Could have been a combination: a bit to wet, needing the higher temps, it has now been in the dryer for 4h I will leave the others for 6. (At. 45c) and see if that changes anything.

Either way I’m glad it does print now. Even if the temp to me is very high. That said I’m only used to normal pla and petg. My week already felt better and this tops it as well. Just the thought of the money wasted.. well things where learned so there is that 😉

I will let you guys now for sure! Just talking about this helped a ton! I’m a long time Reddit user but man, I so far I really do love the peoples that moved to Lemmy way more 🤟

[–] Gompje@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

So far I’m not a fan at all.. I don’t think the stock Prusa mini and this filament are a good match. I had to live adjust a bunch b/c I suddenly had overextension and then under again. I’ve read that others having issues as well, something about the hotend not able to keep up. Maybe it will print better on the newer mk4…

It “prints” now but it’s not the quality I’m used to with Colorfabb or Prusament. Guess I’m going to need to finetune this and use it for more rough, own use, prints. At least it does print now 😙

Let see what the drying of 6h+ will do