Plowing on 0.15 layer for some areas

I’m using the Planetary gear model as a reference (http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:23030/#files), specifically the part at scale 150% which holds the 3 planet gears in place with 3 thin shafts. When printing at 0.15 layer height the base comes out beautifully but as it comes to the thin shafts it appears to spit out a too much filament then proceeds to plow the head through the excess plastic.

I’m using all the slic3r configuration files with the same results. It still happens with default slic3r settings with 0.3 layer height but it’s less obivous.
I have tried to reducing solid and top solid infil extrusion width to prevent the extra squirt on the fine shaft, and increasing the distance in my Z end stop to give it some extra space to the point where the first layer hardly sticks on the bed.

What other options do I have besides printing at 200% scale?

I’ve added some photos and this video where it seems to be too low https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dCkghZ8BHU
1x_stage_part_config200s_jason.gcode (636 KB)


I tried with 0.2 layer height and reduced all speeds down to 30mm/s and I’m no longer getting plowing. But now it’s not extruding anything and the hobbed bolt is starting grip deep into the filament, almost chewing it.

I’ll try to find a middle ground with these settings tomorrow or am I on the wrong track?

You will need to find a balance between the speed at which you are printing, the layer height, your first layer height (Z axis endstop adjustment, and your tension on the extruder idler. How far apart are the two washers on the two screws on the extruder body?

The gcode file attached above had a rather small infill extrusion width, of 0.15mm. Would you mind posting your Slic3r config (Slic3r > File > Export config) and the gcode file you generated, printed and photographed?

The two thumb screws on the idler are 10mm from top of screws to the plate they first meet. I followed this from the manual -I think.

I’ve attached the Slic3r config (config-200s_jason) for my first print in the photographs. I reduced the infill width thinking it would prevent the excess plastic on the fine shafts, maybe there is a better way?

The second Slic3r config (config_02) doesnt plow but doesn’t extrude either, I’m guessing it because I reduced the infill width to 0 :unamused:

Thanks for your help. With all these settings lost trying to troubleshoot this.
config_02.ini (2.83 KB)
config-200s_jason.ini (2.88 KB)

Printing a few on a plate to allow it to cool more will help for fine “spire” like parts.

Printing a few on a plate to allow it to cool more will help for fine “spire” like parts.

Do you mean print 3 or 4 together so that by the time it comes back to the first part the previous layer would have cooled a little?

I Played with some settings and getting some straighter shafts on my last print. There were still some plowing which I think caused the roughness or gaps. Looking at the photos can anybody tell me if this is acceptable at 0.15 layer height? How much better could I expect on these shafts considering they are 10mm high and 4mm wide?

(Slic3r config attached)
I changed Infill every 2 to 5 layers.
Advanced Extrusion width:
extrusion width .315 to .2,
first layer .315 to .2,
infill .3 to .2
Solid infill 0 to .2
top solid infill .3 to .2



config-200s_jason3.ini (2.87 KB)