Just figured out my first layer was wrong for 2 months

I kept getting prints that would peel up on one corner or look super rough on the bottom, and I thought my bed was just warped. Turns out my nozzle was way too far from the bed because I was leveling with a piece of paper that was too thick. How do you guys check your first layer squish without messing it up?

3 comments

3 Comments

sams252mo ago

Turns out my nozzle was way too far from the bed because I was leveling with a piece of paper that was too thick." That's a classic mistake, but I actually go the other way. I use a thinner paper, like a receipt, and then live-adjust the z-offset while it prints a single-layer square. I start with the nozzle just barely touching the paper, then dial it down in tiny steps until the first layer lines fuse together without gaps. You can usually hear when it's right, the plastic makes a quiet hiss as it squishes.

dakota7872mo ago

Have you guys tried using a feeler gauge instead of paper? They come in precise thicknesses like 0.1mm or 0.05mm, so you're not guessing based on how hard you pull the paper. I picked up a cheap set on Amazon for like 8 bucks and it's way more consistent.

blakem8221d ago

Dude, nobody's talking about the actual first layer shape itself. I stopped obsessing over the paper trick and just started watching the extrusion pattern. If your first layer lines look like round worms sitting on the glass, you're too far. If they're flat and wide with little ridges on the sides, you're too close. You want them to look like a flattened ribbon that's just barely touching the one next to it, no gaps but no raised edges either. Also, try printing a calibration cube with a big brim and just watch the brim as it goes down, it's way easier to see the squish on a big flat area than a tiny test square.