Can't figure this out can some one help

[zx3focus43]

Have a printrbot simple metal I have two. First one works great second one trying to figure it out. I always use a raft I use simplified 3d software. My raft prints fine but my item I'm printing won't stick the the raft well for first layer. I've messed wIt's the z off set a little bit. Will finish the print and the rest will look good.

[Mooselake]

Why are you using a raft? They're a leftover from the early days and we're an attempt to solve print bed issues that have since been figured out. These days they're mostly a waste of time and plastic.

Kirk

[zx3focus43]

Print warps with out it. It's not a heated bed.

[Mooselake]

Print warps with out it. It's not a heated bed.

Try cleaning the blue tape with alcohol or acetone. A lot of people have trouble with it sticking too well, warping means it's not sticking well enough. One reason I gave up on tape pretty quick is that it stayed on the printed object and ripped off the bed, and was a mess to clean up. However, that was on a heated bed.

Good stick has been covered many times, but basically you want the first layer plastic to be a bit "squished". Not so much the nozzle is plowing it out of the way (that's called bulldozing), and not so little that you're getting round strands of plastic. Use the Z offset to move the nozzle closer in small steps until it sticks well. Try using 0.05mm increments, then adjust the size until it just works. If you can try manually adjusting the bed to minimize the amount of autoleveling needed. Get it good enough and you don't autoleveling (neither RJ or I have a probe...) but that may be difficult with the cantilever design of the simple. However the closer you can get the better your first layer will be.

If you're unable to get a good first layer stick then try an additive. Not wanting to start another "mine is better" argument, but I use Elmer's washable school glue stick (goes on purple, dries clear to white). Others use hairspray, white glue, thinned abs, etc, etc). I've tried an awful lot of things in the past (kapton, pet, blue tape, floor finish, hairspray, clean glass, sandblasted glass, stuff I've forgotten) and found gluestick to work well and be the easiest.

If all else fails (it shouldn't) then add a brim, an extended first layer around the object. I've found it handy for tall stuff without a lot of area touching the bed. That'll save most of the time and plastic used by a full raft.

Kirk

[Mooselake]

I was just poking around on Ultimaker's site looking for info on Nick Seward's (student's) cubic infill in Cura, and stumbled across pictures of what your first layer should look like. Not sure they're the best pix, but HTH (URL edited by RJ)

Kirk

[zx3focus43]

The weird part is the raft sticks really well. I can't get the object to stick to the raft. It's like the raft is so slippery. Sticking to the bed is no problem.

[Mooselake]

I've never used S3D, but if you look here you can find the relevant options (please post them, I'd like to see what you're using). I'd take a good look at the raft separation distance and perhaps try adjusting it.

Also note their comment on raft vs brim

Kirk