Guides
3D printing tips from the Shorts
Each page is one clip plus the steps: what to do, what wrecks the plate, and the replacement habit.
Tips & Tricks Stop using a metal scraper on your PEI plate Don't scrape a hot PEI plate with a metal putty knife. That coating is thin. One gouge and the next first layer copies the scratch. Cool the sheet, pull it, bend it. Print a plastic scraper for leftovers. Prusa and Bambu both put cool-and-flex first.
Tips & Tricks Why your prints won't stick (it's your dirty bed) Don't wipe a peeling print with IPA and call the bed clean. On textured PEI, alcohol can spread oils into the grooves. Wash it in the sink: warm water, plain dish soap, scrub, rinse, dry, edges only. Water should sheet, not bead.
Tips & Tricks Wet filament is ruining your prints (and you can't see it) Don't crank retraction first. The spool can look fine and still be wet. Moisture turns to steam in the nozzle, then you get stringing, holes, and rough surfaces. Dry the filament at the right temp for the material. Store it sealed. Open air can soak it again in a few hours.
Tips & Tricks · Slicer Settings Stop putting supports everywhere Don't paint supports on every overhang like they are free. They cost filament, add time, and scar the faces people see. A surface on the bed is clean. A surface over supports is not. Reorient the model, or split it, before you hit everywhere.