Starry Print

Playing with G-code generated in Grasshopper

Software: Rhino 7, Grasshopper

Hardware: Ender 3D Printer

I modified the basic cylinder code to create a star.

My plan for this assignment was simply to alter each of the 4 pictured parameters (print speed, nozzle diameter, layer height, extrusion multiplier) so that I could better understand their functionality.

This was one of my favorite artifacts. I like the lace-like aesthetic and how flexible it is.

Throughout the print, the extruder/motor was skipping. We suspected this may be because the flow rate was too high, so we adjusted it from 100% to 90% to 40%, but nothing changed.

I switched to a different Ender to see if that would solve the extruder issue, but it did not. It must be something in my g-code, but I only modified the shape in Python. I am not sure why this was a persistent issue.

I intentionally paused this print, hoping to continuously stop and start it and create multiple globs. However, the Ender would not allow me to start the print again after pausing it, so I had to abandon this idea.

Also, despite not altering the gcode at all, my artifact was much stiffer with evenly distributed material. I am not sure why it no longer looked like lace.

I bumped up the layer height to 2.38 and lowered the extrusion rate to 1.13.

I stopped this print early because it very quickly lost its shape. It is clear the layer height adjustment was too extreme.

The artifact is very springy.

Lowered the layer height to 0.53.

The base of this print is a star, but the remainder resembles the springy aesthetic from the previous print.

Seeking the texture of my initial print, I tried 4 other prints, stopping each early when it failed to produce my desired results.

I increased the speed, extrusion and nozzle diameter throughout these prints. I lowered the extrusion rate to 1.11. I also did another print on the first Ender with my original code, all resulted in stiff stars with evenly distributed material.

For my 10th and final print, I increased my extrusion rate to 3.99, with all other parameters set to my original rates. This finally produced something lace-like and interesting.

This effect may also be related to the persistent extruder skipping that occurred throughout my tests. Although I'm over-extruding, the skipping seems to be producing an under-extrusion effect.