Prints getting wider toward the top

[st...@hovership.com]

I have been using the 0.5mm nozzle a lot lately. I noticed that most of my prints that have a straight vertical wall are not straight. They flare out and get slightly wider toward the top.

I am using Simplify3D creator, ~.3mm height and ABS with the 0.5mm nozzle. I have tried using the auto extrusion width and a manual override and get the same issue. 

Any suggestions?

[Gary Schwartz]

I have same issue using Creator any layer height.   I  have .35mm nozzle & 1.75mm filament. 

[jimc]

i rarely do anything tall but when i just did these valentines roses, the stems are pretty high and i noticed at about the 4" high mark the straight tube for the stem wasnt straight. it got kinda wavy. i was printing in the spiral setting so there were no start and stops to make the bed shake and it was printing extremely slow. all i can think of with this is the model is moving around due to the abs shrinking and cooling unevenly. it will bend the stem one way then slightly in another. i really dont know at this point and am guessing. it was basically a straight tube 3/8" diameter. im not even sure if this is the same thing as what the op was talking about or not. i dont think it has anything to do with creator though since i printed the vase in pet using the same spiral setting and it was flawless. i am assuming because the pet doesnt shink anywhere near what abs does.

to the op, just for the hell of it try pla with the same model and see if the same thing happens

[david b]

I just bought creator and have had this same problem where it gets wider at the top very noticeable also getting the zits all over the sides of the print. 

Im starting to think i made a mistake buying this software.

anyone figure this problem out?

[jimc]

The zits are blobs of plastic at either the start or end of your lines. That is all controlled through your ooze settings. Retraction, coasting, restart distance, etc.

[david b]

the zits are bearable its the parts getting wider at the top that are the real problem 

[Toby]

Just poking around creator I noticed under the "Layer" tab in the process set-up there is a radio button for "Outline direction" which has two options "Inside-Out" or "Outside-In".  The default is "Inside-Out" which may have a tendency to push the outer layer out in some way.  Might be worth switching to "Outside-In" and seeing what happens.

Another option I would try is slowing the print down.  The nozzle can't help but apply some force to the model as it lays down filament.  The higher you are the more torque there will be and the more unstable the print becomes.

Someone posted a testing methodology earlier that might apply here: design a test model and print it with different processes at different heights.  This allows you to see the effects of different parameters all in the same model.

I think you can safely assume that there is no mathematical error in Creator's slicing program.  The problem is likely a result of the material mechanics during the print.

On Thursday, February 13, 2014 6:22:34 PM UTC-6, st...@hovership.com wrote:

[jimc]

Sounds as though your are maybe extruding too much plastic? Especially if your at a solid infill. It just builds up more and more each layer and it can only go outward. I would double check filament diameter and reduce the multiplier a bit. See if that helps.

[Jin Choi]

I use outside in for models with no overhang and when I want a nicer surface. I use inside out for models with overhang to help give the overhanging layers something to hang onto. Best would be infill first then inside perimeters first, like slic3r has. Thanks to Ed Nisley for the idea.