<p>I'm not claiming this is the definitive answer but I made a successful print with these changes.</p>
<p>There were several things I did that may have helped but I don't think solved the problem. I eliminated the elephant's foot compensation. I brought up the flow ratio to 1.01. Even though I had indicated no cooling on the first layer, I unchecked the box that indicated fan <strong>Always on</strong>.</p>
<p>The real solution I believe, increasing the nozzle temperature to 230 °C and bed temperature to 70 °C for the first layer and afterward dialing it back to 210 °C and 60 °C respectively.</p>
<p>I've had rolls of PLA for a long time. Perhaps the formulation has changed over time but I didn't have to go through such steps before, nor print so hot on layer one.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-09-30T12:55:12.227Z
2023-09-30T13:36:05.200Z
2023-09-30T13:36:05.200Z
Nolan Robidoux
<p>I have been printing on and off for years. Generally, I have had no issues until recently. Upon thinking back I don't think I used the Z-offset at any point and only manually leveled my Ender 3 S1 Pro.</p>
<p>I'm not sure if it's material or me, or both.</p>
<p>I have to learn this. I bought a new, expensive printer which is ABL only. No knobs, only Z baby-stepping in software. The card reader in my S1 broke so I bought a new board and discovered I needed to do this process again. Since I purchased a Sonic Pad, I changed over to Klipper and printed TPU for 2 weeks fine.</p>
<p>I bought a spool of Overture PLA, it's been a disaster. Before trying to dial this in last night the spool had been drying at 45 °C for 12 hours. Doesn't seem to print any differently.</p>
<p>Instead of the config steps, after manually leveling and getting the mesh, I made a one-layer print of concentric squares with a solid 1&quot; box in the center. I'm baby stepping trying to find the sweet spot and think I do. I begin printing my model, 5 copies, layer 1: 1 - doesn't stick; 2 - sticks; 3 - sticks; 4 - sticks. I stop and clean the bed with IPA. Copy 1 - sticks; 2 + 3 - doesn't stick. Stop printing, manually level, and find no resistance with paper. Re-level manually only, print, skirt doesn't lay down right.</p>
<p>Tried the Creality &quot;BuildTak&quot; bed first, and worse.</p>
<ul>
<li>Printer: Creality Ender 3 S1 Pro - Sonic Pad (Klipper)</li>
<li>Nozzle: 0.5 mm Hardened Steel @ 215 °C</li>
<li>Bed: 60 °C PEI and &quot;BuildTak&quot;</li>
<li>Layer Height/Width: 0.3 mm 0.5 mm</li>
<li>Filament: Overture PLA Highlight Yellow</li>
<li>Speed: 25 mm/s</li>
</ul>
<p>What's the process? 1) Manual 2) Probe 3) Mesh? Does the order of 2 and 3 matter?</p>
<p>Mesh and manual are easy enough. I won't be at my printer until 7 pm Central be eager to read any advice during the day. I have Googled this also; obviously, I missed something.</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/NUpIJ.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer" title="Photo of a series of models on the buildplate with only the second, third and fourth sets printing reliably"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/NUpIJ.jpg" alt="Photo of a series of models on the buildplate with only the second, third and fourth sets printing reliably" title="Photo of a series of models on the buildplate with only the second, third and fourth sets printing reliably" /></a></p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/E466k.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer" title="Photo of only the first set in a series of printed models printed reliably"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/E466k.jpg" alt="Photo of only the first set in a series of printed models printed reliably" title="Photo of only the first set in a series of printed models printed reliably" /></a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-09-28T13:50:33.603Z
As I was z-baby stepping down with my concentric boxes, I assumed when it not sticking well or looking good the z-offset was too high. When looking good it was okay. And continuing down, it started to come off the bed in some areas... I assumed to low. But this seems to allow the paper when manually levelling to have zero resistance under the nozzle.
Nolan Robidoux
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-09-28T13:57:17.770Z
Elephant's foot compensation, could this be the problem? It was at 0.1 mm and now at 0.05 mm. Leave it at 0?
Nolan Robidoux
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-09-28T14:12:05.240Z
I printed a temperature tower beforehand: 190-230 at 5 degree increments. It broke off the bed during 195. All overhang areas severely curled up.
Nolan Robidoux
<creality-ender-3><adhesion><automatic-bed-leveling>
First layer disaster: auto-leveling the bed. Need guidance
Nolan Robidoux
# First layer disaster: auto-leveling the bed. Need guidance

(Asked by: username_0 on 2023-09-28)

I have been printing on and off for years. Generally, I have had no issues until recently. Upon thinking back I don't think I used the Z-offset at any point and only manually leveled my Ender 3 S1 Pro.

I'm not sure if it's material or me, or both.

I have to learn this. I bought a new, expensive printer which is ABL only. No knobs, only Z baby-stepping in software. The card reader in my S1 broke so I bought a new board and discovered I needed to do this process again. Since I purchased a Sonic Pad, I changed over to Klipper and printed TPU for 2 weeks fine.

I bought a spool of Overture PLA, it's been a disaster. Before trying to dial this in last night the spool had been drying at 45 °C for 12 hours. Doesn't seem to print any differently.

Instead of the config steps, after manually leveling and getting the mesh, I made a one-layer print of concentric squares with a solid 1" box in the center. I'm baby stepping trying to find the sweet spot and think I do. I begin printing my model, 5 copies, layer 1: 1 - doesn't stick; 2 - sticks; 3 - sticks; 4 - sticks. I stop and clean the bed with IPA. Copy 1 - sticks; 2 + 3 - doesn't stick. Stop printing, manually level, and find no resistance with paper. Re-level manually only, print, skirt doesn't lay down right.

Tried the Creality "BuildTak" bed first, and worse.

* Printer: Creality Ender 3 S1 Pro - Sonic Pad (Klipper)
* Nozzle: 0.5 mm Hardened Steel @ 215 °C
* Bed: 60 °C PEI and "BuildTak"
* Layer Height/Width: 0.3 mm 0.5 mm
* Filament: Overture PLA Highlight Yellow
* Speed: 25 mm/s

What's the process? 1) Manual 2) Probe 3) Mesh? Does the order of 2 and 3 matter?

Mesh and manual are easy enough. I won't be at my printer until 7 pm Central be eager to read any advice during the day. I have Googled this also; obviously, I missed something.

[![Photo of a series of models on the buildplate with only the second, third and fourth sets printing reliably](https://i.sstatic.net/NUpIJ.jpg "Photo of a series of models on the buildplate with only the second, third and fourth sets printing reliably")](https://i.sstatic.net/NUpIJ.jpg "Photo of a series of models on the buildplate with only the second, third and fourth sets printing reliably")

[![Photo of only the first set in a series of printed models printed reliably](https://i.sstatic.net/E466k.jpg "Photo of only the first set in a series of printed models printed reliably")](https://i.sstatic.net/E466k.jpg "Photo of only the first set in a series of printed models printed reliably")

**Tags:** creality-ender-3, adhesion, automatic-bed-leveling

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: As I was z-baby stepping down with my concentric boxes, I assumed when it not sticking well or looking good the z-offset was too high. When looking good it was okay. And continuing down, it started to come off the bed in some areas... I assumed to low. But this seems to allow the paper when manually levelling to have zero resistance under the nozzle.  
> **username_0**: Elephant's foot compensation, could this be the problem? It was at 0.1 mm and now at 0.05 mm. Leave it at 0?  
> **username_0**: I printed a temperature tower beforehand: 190-230 at 5 degree increments. It broke off the bed during 195. All overhang areas severely curled up.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_0 on 2023-09-30. Score: 1 | Accepted answer

I'm not claiming this is the definitive answer but I made a successful print with these changes.

There were several things I did that may have helped but I don't think solved the problem. I eliminated the elephant's foot compensation. I brought up the flow ratio to 1.01. Even though I had indicated no cooling on the first layer, I unchecked the box that indicated fan **Always on**.

The real solution I believe, increasing the nozzle temperature to 230 °C and bed temperature to 70 °C for the first layer and afterward dialing it back to 210 °C and 60 °C respectively.

I've had rolls of PLA for a long time. Perhaps the formulation has changed over time but I didn't have to go through such steps before, nor print so hot on layer one.


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