New Ender3 Neo 3D Printer Issues

[amstilost]

I purchased an Ender3 NEO 3D printer and it was delivered 5 days ago. This is my first ever experience with a 3D printer. After putting it together I printed the gcode Rabbit that came on the Micro SD card. It came out perfect. I had to use the putty knife that came with the unit to get the rabbit 'loose' off of the base plate. It didn't take much at all to get it loose. All is good. I moved the unit down to the basement and set it on a future staging yard that makes a great workbench at the moment. I was wondering how the cooler basement would affect the printer. We keep the house 69* and it is probably 63-65 in the basement. I then started the other test print on the SD card, the boat, and it was doing fine. I checked it's progress 3-4 times and took some pics of the inside lattice/bracing. Pretty cool. The 5th time I went down to check on progress the print was 75% complete but it had 'broke' loose from it's starting position on the base plate and was bumped to the side and I had lots of 'stringy's' hanging. I stopped/aborted that print and tried to troubleshoot. Again, first time user with 3D printing. My first quest for info involved bombarding Sumner with a 100 questions. I told him I would start this thread to try and give him a break and see if maybe others have had this issue. Anyway, with 1 print complete and a 2nd print 75% through the build before an issue arose I am figuring it is a parameter adjustment that I just don't 'know' yet. I tried getting ahold of Creality and left my phone number but no return call yet, Chinese New Year you know. That was the reason I was given that no one was available to help me. I was able to get on a 'chat' but she was no help. I have what looks like 1.2GB of info on the SD card but it won't open on the computer. Usually stuff will automatically open in a PDF file but not here. When I tried to convert it it said it couldn't read it. Trying to explain this to the Chat person was beyond frustrating. I tried 'leveling' the bed numerous times and nothing will stick to the base plate to start a print. I reset the "Reset Safety Value" and the first print, the rabbit again, was sticking pretty well on the outer layer. When it moved to the inner solid layer I could see that it was 'loose'. I aborted that print and took it off. This was the first print to stick at all since my problem arose, but this print looked too 'squished" and flattened out. At this point I looked at what the Z Axis Offset was and it was -2.1mm. At least now I think I have a starting point. I raised the offset to -1.5mm and tried the print again. Again, the outside 3 layer wide beads stuck. When it started in the middle of that no filament was sticking to the base plate. It was all balled up around the nozzle. I adjusted the Z Axis Offset again bringing it back down to -1.75mm. That did good on the perimeter and the diagonal 'fill in'. But again, the nozzle knocked the print loose off of the base plate. Any possible solutions/parameter changes would be greatly appreciated. I was able to find a NEO Pro User Manual, the girl in the Chat sent me the link but the machine and the software appear quite different. I don't have the same menu options as what the Pro manual shows. Pretty sure this is a novice issue. HELP

[amstilost]

The one advantage to being a complete novice in this endeavor is the willingness to learn. Hopefully with a nice easy sloping learning curve without any expensive spikes in that curve. So far so good. After looking through Creality dozens of assembly and tutorial videos I came across this one, Ender-3 Neo Assembly and Tutorial Video from Creality After-sale site. At 8:25 into the video I seen something that was not in the Quick Start Guide, not in any of the Assembly videos that I seen. The clips were taken off of the build plate and the sticky paper was peeled off. Joy, rapture this could be the possible solution to my non-sticking of the first layers problem. Obviously, I felt like an idiot, but again, why would I 'assume' I should remove something that there were no concrete directions for. After leveling the bed again and checking the Z Axis Offset. It was set at -1.50. This must be the default 'Safety Value" I restored earlier today. I went back down and started to print the rabbit with black PLA. First 3 were still coming loose on the build plate. I slowly lowered the Z Axis Offset in .063 increments. Even though the 2nd print also came loose, it was better. I continued to lower the Z Axis Offset until I arrived at -1.750. It still looked like it 'might' come loose but the print is now 30% through the process and it looks great. Does anybody have a particular setting for the Z Axis Offset?

[Sumner]

I didn't look much further but looks like the following might help.

https://www.google.com/search?client...3+neo+z+offset


Looks like you are moving in the right direction. Keep tuning on that first layer. You have to have it for the print to stay attached to the build plate.

Sumner

[amstilost]

I downloaded a CHEP level printer print and made the seven or eight squares each getting smaller toward the middle and I let it run through the whole process. I guess it was probably six or seven layers High. Could be used for an N scale fence Maybe🤔🤔 I dialed the printer down some more on the Z axis offset I went from -1.75 to -1.8 for that print and then I went to my next item. A single limit switch Servo mount from Sumner's page. I'm hoping I can get the picture in since I'm on my phone right now and I don't have a edit device on my phone. Nope, I has afraid of that. I'll have to wait till I download them on my computer and go that way. But I have me a Servo mount for a single limit switch sitting right in front of me. It worked rather well it came off the plate very loose I didn't have to use any force at all so still thinking I might have to dial down a little more on the Z Axis Offset. Definitely some progress👍👍

[amstilost]

Here are some pics of the Level Test Print from CHEP's Youtube page and a Servo Mount and a Cutting Jig courtesy of Sumner's page. It seems like the printer is really humming now. Just that one little oversight. I am blown away by the ability of the printer to make holes in a vertical position like it is in.

[Sumner]

Good deal. Are you back to using Cura? If not I'd get there as it works great and is so widely used there is good support. I print those servo brackets on 'Standard Quality' and they come out great.

Also I switched to gray filament and like it the best. If I'm going to paint something I usually use a gray primer so if I miss coverage in a spot or two it doesn't make much of a difference. I've settled on Hatchbox for my PLA and will only use it. I get ( THIS ) and am on the 9th spool (lots and lots of prints).

Sumner

[sid]

i can second the hatchbox its the best so far,. the colored spools take some tweaking with temps every color seems like you need to change temps either up or down depending on color . But with the grey its a steady go. i dont even know how many spools ive been through i got five extras with my second printer. i buy use cheap. Mostly because im going to modify them any ways so a lot of parts get tossed in the ender scrap pile. i suppose any good brand wood be good you just have to set up your printer for that brand and then stay with it. i too like cura.

[amstilost]

Good deal. Are you back to using Cura?

I will be now that I know for certain the issue I was having was self-inflicted.

Also I switched to gray filament and like it the best. If I'm going to paint something I usually use a gray primer so if I miss coverage in a spot or two it doesn't make much of a difference. I've settled on Hatchbox for my PLA and will only use it. I get ( THIS ) and am on the 9th spool (lots and lots of prints).

yes, the spool I purchased was Hatchbox-Black. I got mine at the same place. I can see gray just being an all around good base color. It's in the cart.
Holy smokes, 9th spool. That is awesome. Thanks again for all your help. I printed a #4.5, #6, #8, and still need to print a #10 frog jig. A fellow MVNS Club member printed some type of track alignment print for the ends of his NTrak modules. He got away before I could ask him about them. They looked like they did an amazing job of lining up the five track ends for each module. He didn't have the normal 'filler' rerailer. Just a sliver of a gap between the modules. Looked really slick. We have a train show in St. Charles, MO this weekend.

[amstilost]

i too like cura.

I don't know one from the other........yet. It was very easy to use from the start, I just had a false start and the process of elimination should have started in front of a mirror. But for what I am starting with it just seems to make sense to stick the the proven inexpensive stuff for the time being. Thanks again for your input.