MakerGear Forum

Both glass beds I have are a little taller near the center. I've been following Jim's advice and keeping the Z adjustment at .005". What I've been doing is setting the Z at the center of the glass at .004" since as the nozzle moves away from the center in any direction it ends up at .005".

My question is, would I be better off setting the center at .005" and letting it edge up to .006" as the nozzle moves further from that point? Reason I'm asking is that I am printing 8 identical pieces tonight and I'm seeing that the one's closer to the center are a little deformed as if possibly the layers there are getting too squished or something. I'll post a picture later today after the print is done, maybe someone with more experience can tell me what's happening.

005 is just a good starting point i think for most people. I alwayss tell people that because it is an actual measurement. I dont like the paper and business card thing because that can vary big time. I uave my z adjusent screw flipped around so the head is on the undetside and it threads up. Then i put a nylock nut on the very end of it half seated into the plastic so the nut contacts the switch. It allowes me to grab a tiny wrench and turn the nut to fine tune the height without messing with the bolt. 1/2 a flat is about .05mm. Another thing that can help here is to set your first layer height at about 150%. This will thicken the first layer for a build plate that isnt 100% flat. Usually on high areas where too much plastic is being extruded it will leave a rough surface and seems to make some noise as your printing these first few layers but once the infill starts, as long as its not 100%, it should straighten out.

Yes I've noticed the noise near the center, just barely though. The .005" works great, the trick is the high spot. So I think I will try setting the center at .005" and see how it does with .006" towards the edges.

EDIT: Jim I hope my first post didn't come across as criticizing your suggestion. My prints improved greatly after shooting for that number. Just trying to figure out how to compensate for the bump in the glass, .005 has worked great for me.