Official PK Poll: Most Common 3D Printing Challenges

Despite its many benefits, 3D printing comes with its own set of challenges. Which of these common issues have you encountered during your 3D printing journey? Feel free to share your experiences in the comments section.

There is what I call an "apprenticeship" or rite of passage when first starting 3D printing. The first test in the apprenticeship is a frustrating one and that is bed adhesion/first layer issues. It's the number one source of frustration for newbies. Experience through observing the first layer and adjusting it is IMO the only way to learn, but it is useful to follow some of the good online turorials on how to calibrate a new printer.

For one of the best guides there is on tuning printers please see
https://ellis3dp.com/Print-Tuning-Guide/articles/index_tuning.html

It is suitable if you have Klipper, Marlin, or RepRap Firmware on your machine

Some newer printers may do most of the tuning for you e.g. the Bambu X1C takes care of most of the tuning but if you really want to learn then seting the printer up manually is a worthwhile experience.

For the Bed adhesion it also helps to follow a proper cleaning procedure. Whether you use a PEI plate or some other build surface the best way to clean is to use common dish soap and water follow by drying, either with a clean piece of kitchen roll or allowing the plate to dry naturally. The most important thing is DO NOT TOUCH THE SURFACE WITH YOUR FINGRS AFTER CLEANING! Yes I shouted that out as it is the most common mistake people make.
Some use IPA (IsoProphylAlcohol not IPA beer!) to clean the plate. This is useful if the plate is very greasy or contaminated but IPA itself often still leaves traces of contaminants behind. If you clean with IPA then also follow up with soap/water.

IMPORTANT - dont wash your build plate with soap and water when it's still on the printer, bad things can happen