Setting for dual color filaments?

Filament Print Advice
1

We have been running into issue with printing with the MatterHackers Quantum Dual-Color PLA (2.85mm) when it comes to prints that have a lot of details.

My co-work had been trying to print a print in place lizard from Thingiverse for her daughter (Red-Eyed Crocodile Skink - Articulated - Reuploaded by Trejager - Thingiverse) and as soon as it tries to do the layers on the tail at about the spikes, the filament fails and no longer extrudes. We have tried adjusting the retraction speed before to see if that helps and changing temps, but the results are still in about the same area and the filament gets chewed up.

The printer we are using is the Taz6 with the original tool head, although we have replaced the 3D printed cogs on it at least once. We had no problems printing the filament in the dual printer with this dual hedgehog (Two Color Hedgehog / Dual Extrusion Print! by AndrewSink - Thingiverse), having the Quantum Dual-Color PLA being with the spikes and the rest of the model with glow-in-the-dark. Those settings were just the defaults for the dual toolhead for pla settings and there were no issues.

So what settings would be recommended for the MatterHackers Quantum Dual-Color PLA to avoid the filament getting chewed up?

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Lots of things going against you for heatcreep-induced filament stripping here.

  • 2.85mm PLA
  • Taz 6 Single Extruder
  • Lots of retractions
  • Retractions combined with very short extrusions with a lot of travel

The hedgehog has most of those things, but since there’s less time between each extrusion, the hot filament is still getting pushed out again soon instead of sitting in the extruder while the printhead moves to the next spot to lay down a tiny spec of filament.

Do a retraction tower test - put about 5-6 of these on the print bed when testing, not just the one - and reduce retraction length until quality gets too bad (I’ve gone as low as .3mm before and been ok with results). Then reduce the temps to help keep creep down as well. Don’t waste time on another skink until you’ve tuned those retractions.

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