The100
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Small Details matter....
🕑 Added 2025-03-31 15:28:02 +0000 UTCOver the past week, I focused on enhancing the resolution and quality of fine details in certain prints. Printing Minatures on an FDM Printer is hard. You're facing issues like:
Cooling: Precise cooling is crucial to quickly solidify each extruded layer, preventing deformation.
Pressure Control: Maintaining consistent pressure inside the hotend is essential to avoid issues such as underextrusion or overextrusion.
Gantry Stability: The gantry must exhibit high rigidity to prevent flexing, especially noticeable when printing very small details like a 1x1 mm dot.
Now Imagine you do this x8 faster that you should ;-)
To thoroughly investigate these factors, I printed over 20 different test models during the last week. Throughout these experiments, I varied print temperatures, adjusted printing speeds, and conducted comparative prints using my Voron 350 to benchmark against a standard high-performance printer.
The attached video showcases a worst-case scenario print executed at maximum speed. Observations include noticeable stringing and a rough surface finish on finer details. This particular print utilized a 0.6 mm nozzle, which is typically not ideal for highly detailed miniature models. However, given that all my current print profiles are optimized for a 0.6 mm nozzle, I have decided against initiating a separate tuning project for a smaller, 0.25 mm nozzle at this time.
Below is another smaller-scale print that clearly replicates these same issues, though with reduced filament usage:
These tests were performed using my current quality-speed profile, which has proven highly effective for the majority of my prints. Out of more than 60 different models printed, only three exhibited quality issues significant enough to fall below my established quality threshold.
Now Im debating with myself to stop here with my miniature tests since the level of detail on normal prints is fantastic and those who are into miniatures would normally use smaller nozzles or a resin printer.
What's your opinion? Let me know in the comments!
Comments
Matt the Printing Nerd
360mm/s at 70k on a 0.1mm layer height
Michael Fuchs
For a 0.6mm nozzle, this looks really awesome! And, yes, these small things are resin-land. Maybe try later with a 0.25 profile? But for now you're building a fast printer, not a detail printer, I guess :D
frozenpl95
What speed and acceleration are used for printing the outer layer in the video? I've had great results with 20k acceleration using a 0.4mm nozzle and 0.1mm layer height. With 40k acceleration, I can manage a 0.14mm layer height with my T250.
