Well, today in my semi incapacitated state (got a really bad cold this week), I solved the horizontal hole banding mistery.
Well, today in my semi incapacitated state (got a really bad cold this week), I solved the horizontal hole banding mistery.
As I'm sure you have picked up, it seems that the seams are somehow related to the banding we are observing, right? (it is especially noticeable how the bottom left half the large hole has banding, coincidental to the white dots in the slicer.
But let's go a bit deeper. This is a single layer of the print. We see nothing weird in there, right?
Look what happens when we review the layer itself, and the order and direction that the nozzle takes to print it.
There, do you see it?
To help understand the issue, I can tell you that the nozzle works on both squares in a clock-wise direction AND the rear of the right square printed alright.
So, the #Anycubic #vyper is a bowden printer.
And more importantly, it's a cheap bowden printer. There is nothing wrong with it, but it means one "critical" component is not as good as it could be.
I am referring, of course, to the teflon bowden tube itself.
What would happen if the settings of the retraction were wrong?
Yep, there would be slight extrusion upon starting the layer.
Playing with the settings, I moved all the initial points away from the holes themselves, and this slicing is what gives out the nice red piece in the first image.
Now that I know it is retraction related, I can stop messing with the mechanics, and start dialing in the extrusion.
Also note this is why some people claim that using a different slicer, "solved the problem", it did not, it hid it behind, either in internal paths, or in less visually critical sides.
I will be soon ordering a replacement "precision" bowden tube for the printer, so it makes it easier to dial the retraction settings.
I should actually try to design a piece and edit the G-Code to make a retraction setting finder.
Retraction time!
This piece is designed to reproduce the issue, take little to print (5 mins) and let me adjust values easily.
A single piece whoe G-Code could be adjusted for each test may become too complex, at least for now, so I'll be doing it this way.
Base test:
Retraction -> 6.5mm
Speed -> 25mm/s
A pair of thought that crept up tonight:
1: ow come that the use of dry filament ameliorated the problem? A dry condition would reduce the expansion inside the hotend, possibly leading to indeed reducing the issue.
2: If retracion is NOT enabled when traveling inside the piece, as per the travel option combing, it may lead to unrelieved pressure inside the hotend, and the extra material printed on start of the layer.
There you have it. Definitely NOT a problem solvable by just moving the start points, as it will happen anywhere.
This has to be fixed at the root, the extruder settings
13mm retraction is surprisingly good 🤔
Gonna test a larger piece.
Not perfect, but usable.
Will definitely need to wait for the precision bowden, and then spend some quality time nailing the config.
@Dgomn and it's not even expensive!
Will be ordering one soon, probably once I order the resin printer. (I was going to hold on that one if I was not able to pinpoint-repair the trouble.