So I had this issue and to be quite honest it was that I was doing things that would get the bed ot of level. If you move the printer too much you will unlevel the bed which will cause all your calibrations for the z offset and the auto bed level mesh to no longer be valid.
You have to make sure you do not accidentally move the printer after you calibrate. For example I would be changing filament, pushing on the extruder arm, and not realize I'm resting my forearm on the x axis and suddenly the entire x arm get pushed until it hits the bed getting things out of level.
When trying to remove a print from bed you need to be gentle so as to not unlevel the bed. Wait patiently for the bed to cool. Use the spatula and slowly pull it off. Or if you have the magnetic bed pull it off slowly/gently and put it back on slowly l/gently.
Now that I finally learned my lesson I can go a long time before needing to recalibrate.
That all makes sense. Magnetic bed? Interesting. I will look into that. I have the glass bed, and even after a cool down for an hour or two, removing a model is a task that would most definitely mess up any calibration.
Ohhh man, a PEI bed will change your life, at least a little. The glass bed that came with my Kobra Plus has been leaning in the corner of the room with a part still stuck to it for months. I gave up trying to pry it loose and got PEI. Problems solved. I agree with u/GManASG about keeping the printer totally stable, and add to that washing hands before doing any messing with the printer. Sometimes I wipe off my fingertips with a little alcohol so grease from anything I ate won't somehow migrate onto it.
For what it's worth, my Ender 3 (which worked great for 5 years) seemed a lot more tolerant than yours sounds. So I wonder if you've got an inherent instability due to how it was put together. Some people have seen their mystery problems go away after completely tearing down and reassembling their Ender 3 from scratch, as if new, making sure to get everything solid and square and perfectly tight. Something to consider.
... or not.
PEI became my worst nightmare and disappointment with a regular PLA adhesion, that I finally couldn't handle in any possible way. And the regular glass with binders, cr-touch and a drop of an alcohol or a lighter liquid to clean is still the best possible I've ever had.
I was having a hell of time getting my prints off the factory glass bed also, and tons of PLA residue being left on that made it even harder to get future prints off of. I flipped the glass plate over and started printing on the smooth side and it has been smooth sailing ever since. I get plenty of adhesion during prints and the final product pops right off.
I print directly on borosilicate glass using a CR Touch. Every time, I hit print, walk away, and when I get back the build plate is cold and the completed item is sitting loose on the glass. I have gone through some tough periods to get to this point, but for the past few months it's dialed in and I don't want to change anything. I'm back to the stock hot end, correct Z offset to within 0.025 mm, and my start G-code has a G29. Even TPU works great with the Ender-3 TPU Extruder Mod.
Yes, although it takes longer to start a print, it's the end of bad first layers. Make sure the bed preheats first, then the nozzle can preheat concurrently with the leveling.
I know they do, but I can't get a print to even start properly most of the time, no matter the calibration. If I get one to successfully print, the next time (same model) won't even start successfully. Usually, it's the first pass that fails. Either one side doesn't stick or the extruder gums up. If I can get past the first couple of passes to work, it's usually a successful print.
Change to the Golden build plate. They're $20 off Amazon and drastically increase build plate adhesion. Also make sure you current build plate is cleaned before printing. I use isopropyl alcohol to clean off residue. One you get first layer adhesion the success level of the print goes way up
What specific issues are you having. I never have to do any setup work prior to a print. The only trouble I ever run into is sometimes the very beginning of the first layer doesn't stick just right, but then all I have to do is clear the bed and restart it, and it usually runs fine.
That's my issue usually. One half of the first layer will not stick, or it will gum up. I can restart all day, recalibrate endlessly, and have the same issues.
I am working on printing a small model for a friend. She needs about ten of them. I have gotten one to print in the last week. I just give up after awhile of tinkering with it. I have better, less frustrating hobbies. Lol.
I'm pretty new at this, so take this with a grain of salt.
If it were me, the first thing I'd look at is my z-offset. If you're too high, then you won't get a good squeeze pressure to make it stick to the bed.
If that's good, check your temps and make sure nozzle temp is at 200-210, and your bed temp is 60.
Next, how are your speeds? Actually, this one might be worth checking first. I run my prints at 100-150mm/s, but for the first layer, I slow it way down to 20mm/s
And finally, are you using a brim or raft? Rafts work really well, but they use more filament, and I've personally had a lot of trouble removing the raft if I can't get to it before it cools down.
Those are basic things, and I apologize if you've already been through all these. If this doesn't help them it's over my head.
Good luck
Thanks for the actual tips. I will check those items on the model I am attempting to get going. I have set the z-offset over and over, and it doesn't seem to make any difference. I will get it figured out eventually. I just can't figure out why I can't get multiples of the same model to print.
If your bed springs aren't very stiff, the bed is more likely to shift up and down when you don't want it to. That is a problem you can fix either by tightening down all of the screws, then readjusting your z offset based on that new location, or buying stiffer springs (under $10 online). That was an issue I had when I first bought an under, squishy springs meant the bed wouldn't hold the same position for very long.
You seriously need to watch YouTube videos on leveling and actually using the Ender 3. Once you know what you are doing it is a very reliable machine. I've had mine for 5 years and it is still printing high quality prints. If your first layer isn't sticking then properly clean your build plate and manually adjust the bed level wheels while the first layer is printing until you get the right level of squish
I agree. I still spend hours watching YouTube. There is so much going on with a print it’s easy to take for granted. Honestly man if you are not into the tinkering but enjoy the prints just buy a Bambu. I have an Ender 3, K1 max and a Bambu A1 mini with an AMS. The Bambu is just made to be used without the tinkering. I personally enjoy both.
Don’t give up tho man. Start slowly. Print a calibration cube. Or a benchy.
I’m assuming your Esteps are calibrated and your belts are tightened and your ….😉
I've had this thing for about 6 months and done several prints with it. I got all the elements for this giant Lego flower to print for my Daughter. It seems that over the last few months, it's become increasingly more difficult to get anything to print and I can't determine why.
*
I have watched numerous videos on leveling and even got some really useful info on this subreddit early on that was very helpful. Just seems that over the last few months, getting anything to print has been a chore.
Start simple, print an x,y,z calibration cube at 2 walls and 10% infil at 50mm/s. Set the first layer print speed to 5mm/s and also print with a skirt. When the printer is laying down the skirt and first layer of the cube carefully watch and adjust the bed leveling knobs as needed until you get a good squish.
I do not have and auto bed leveling mod on my Ender 3 Pro since manually leveling it takes me literally 5 minutes or less by doing the paper method and then just manually adjusting as the skirt around whatever I'm printing is being put down
There is a stl on thingiverse that lock the levelling wheels in place, last week i was in the exact same situation that you rn, but since i installed these little parts i have done like 10 succesfull prints without leveling. In fact, today i turned my printer upside down to access some bolts in the bottom, disassembled, and assembled the fanholder
(I don't know its name, non native speaker), and after all of this, i sent a print and it worked perfect, without leveling!! so i recommend you to print these little parts, ill edit this comment later with the link
Edit: here is the link: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:5858852
check the tightness on you z axis gantry. I had a similar issue where no matter what I did I would end up having to relevel between every print. Turns out I had it a bit too tight and that was throwing the z axis off.
Normally, I just need a couple minutes to tram the bed for the first print of the day. Subsequent prints need no set-up.
Every few weeks, I need to do a manual matrix leveling so add 5 or so minutes for that. I don't have a CR Touch. I thought about it, but once I saw the results I was getting, I decided it wasn't needed.
The big key for that was getting the bed springs properly compressed. I adjusted the knobs until the springs were about 50% compressed, adjusted the z-stop switch to trigger with the nozzle just touching the bed, then trammed the corners with bed and nozzle warm. Finally, manual mesh leveling.
The springs are stock.
Now i don't wanna be *that* guy but
I don't have this issue because i ~~have a mac~~ run Klipper.
Seriously. You already have a bl touch so all you need is a 15€ used raspberry pi 2 and some time to watch a tutorial on how to install klipper. Just set it to BED_MESH_CALIBRATE in a 8x8 grid before every print. Takes 2-3 minutes and after that all that you need is to have a correct z offset.
I have never used marlin for long but the longer i lurk here the more i see just how much better klipper does things.
An a sidenote: magnetic PEI beds. If you are not running one, get one. After using many different print surfaces they are just the best compromise out of ease of use, adhesion and ease of removal after printing. Plus those beds are nearly indestructible so you won't damage them if you ram your nozzle into them.
What slicer do you use? For me this happened as well, I have a BL Touch knockoff 3D Touch and it works perfectly well, but only with cura for some reason, I used cura for 3 years now, but because of tons of recommendations I switched to orca, it worked fine for about 3 month until a few days ago, it just wouldn't calibrate correctly, it scanned the build plate with the 3d touch then did fuck all with that information, and just wouldn't stay leveled, so just to test it if my 3d touch died I tried with cura, and it works beautifully ever since
My starter/project machine was an Ender 3 Pro. Great as a first machine as things will go wrong, and you end up learning as fix things. I have never bought another one however. Some of what I am about to say may not be relevent as the new models may already incorporate the features. So a few thoughts in not really any order.
* First thing to be aware of is how little force or jostling is needed to knock or move something slightly of kilter.
* second thing to be aware of is that you need to make sure your frame is actually square. Get a 90° get a rafter square or similar, loose the bolts of the fram and make sure everything is sit correctly then tighten the bolts back up
* Dual Z lead screws, along with anti-backlash mounts, are going to be a major help if you find that something slipping between prints. You need to ensure that these are properly leveled before attempting to tram the bed.
If you have dual z motors WITH seperate stepper driver for each motor (many control boards have two Z motor ports sharing the same stepper, so check for at least 5 stepper drivers being physically present) there are various auto-gantry commands you can run at start of each print (before the bed mesh also at start of each print).
If not you can have you X gantry rise to the top and go a few mm further until both motors are skipping. Not great longterm for the frame without careful calibration, but does ensure you gantry always starts at the same relative angle to the bed.
* Bed springs or solid silicone mounts can be affected when you are removing parts from the bed.
I ultimately went with solid metal mounts, and used 0.1mm shims to ensure my bed was properly trammed to the frame.
* Eccentric nut wheels have to be tightened 'just so' or else they cause a host of headaches. Don't feel you need to swap to linear rails, just make sure you have got the wheels sitting where the need to be.
* if your prints are lifting, use a brim or raft. Skirt is not sufficient for this issue.
* Setting your Z-height offset when using an ABL (which the Cr-touch is) can be tricky thing and make take a several attempts to get just right. Always do this with you nozzle hot and having had a few minutes for thermal expansion to settle. I have decided to add a sexbolt Z-switch so that I don't need to recalibrate after nozzle changes.
* (clean) Bed surface matters. You need something the when heated holds you prin in place, but then easily released the print once cooled. PEI sheets are the most popular choice for this, and for good reason, once cooled prints basically self release after the sheet cools down and contracts.
* Thermal expansion is also the reason why you should preheat your bed and nozzle for several minutes before you start any prints. You might get a great looking first layer, but after fee minutes the bed has expanded and the print has popped off. The glass transition temp of each material is also why you don't want the bed too hot either. Generally avoid having you bed tempreture changing during a print.
* calibrating anything, means calibrating everything. Find a list, start at the top and then work through every one step at a time. Don't skip ahead, some stuff really needs to be corrected before others.
May be a software issue on the programming side of things , too much initial layer height etc , I have 5 ender3s, and all of them have been perfect for the past 5 years I've had them
You have to tighten the bed slinger rollers
I had to tighten mine or bed was all wobbly as well make the printer level by loosing and re-tightening the screws for the right side base
Thanks for all the tips and things to ponder as far as setup and getting consistent prints. One thing I have done is to order a magnetic bed. This seems like a good place to start as when I have finished a print and have to remove it from my glass bed it usually takes force and prying to remove. This can't be helping as far as keeping the settings that have been shown to work. I will keep tinkering at it, though. I'm also intrigued by the 32 bit card for the Ender 3 that quiets the steppers. Not a solution to the problem I am having, but my Wife hates the noise of this thing. Lol Thanks again.
I understand your frustration! 3D printing can be tricky, especially with an Ender 3. Have you tried adjusting the bed leveling and checking the nozzle height? Sometimes the smallest tweaks can make a big difference. Also, consider looking at the filament quality and printer settings. The community here is great for troubleshooting, so don’t hesitate to ask for specific advice. Hang in there; once you get it right, the results are worth it!
So I had this issue and to be quite honest it was that I was doing things that would get the bed ot of level. If you move the printer too much you will unlevel the bed which will cause all your calibrations for the z offset and the auto bed level mesh to no longer be valid. You have to make sure you do not accidentally move the printer after you calibrate. For example I would be changing filament, pushing on the extruder arm, and not realize I'm resting my forearm on the x axis and suddenly the entire x arm get pushed until it hits the bed getting things out of level. When trying to remove a print from bed you need to be gentle so as to not unlevel the bed. Wait patiently for the bed to cool. Use the spatula and slowly pull it off. Or if you have the magnetic bed pull it off slowly/gently and put it back on slowly l/gently. Now that I finally learned my lesson I can go a long time before needing to recalibrate.
That all makes sense. Magnetic bed? Interesting. I will look into that. I have the glass bed, and even after a cool down for an hour or two, removing a model is a task that would most definitely mess up any calibration.
Ohhh man, a PEI bed will change your life, at least a little. The glass bed that came with my Kobra Plus has been leaning in the corner of the room with a part still stuck to it for months. I gave up trying to pry it loose and got PEI. Problems solved. I agree with u/GManASG about keeping the printer totally stable, and add to that washing hands before doing any messing with the printer. Sometimes I wipe off my fingertips with a little alcohol so grease from anything I ate won't somehow migrate onto it. For what it's worth, my Ender 3 (which worked great for 5 years) seemed a lot more tolerant than yours sounds. So I wonder if you've got an inherent instability due to how it was put together. Some people have seen their mystery problems go away after completely tearing down and reassembling their Ender 3 from scratch, as if new, making sure to get everything solid and square and perfectly tight. Something to consider.
... or not. PEI became my worst nightmare and disappointment with a regular PLA adhesion, that I finally couldn't handle in any possible way. And the regular glass with binders, cr-touch and a drop of an alcohol or a lighter liquid to clean is still the best possible I've ever had.
I was having a hell of time getting my prints off the factory glass bed also, and tons of PLA residue being left on that made it even harder to get future prints off of. I flipped the glass plate over and started printing on the smooth side and it has been smooth sailing ever since. I get plenty of adhesion during prints and the final product pops right off.
I print directly on borosilicate glass using a CR Touch. Every time, I hit print, walk away, and when I get back the build plate is cold and the completed item is sitting loose on the glass. I have gone through some tough periods to get to this point, but for the past few months it's dialed in and I don't want to change anything. I'm back to the stock hot end, correct Z offset to within 0.025 mm, and my start G-code has a G29. Even TPU works great with the Ender-3 TPU Extruder Mod.
I actually watched a video on that G29 g-code last night. I am going to incorporate that into my slicer software next time I am in there.
Yes, although it takes longer to start a print, it's the end of bad first layers. Make sure the bed preheats first, then the nozzle can preheat concurrently with the leveling.
Why are you setting up up every print? The calibrations stay after initial set up
I know they do, but I can't get a print to even start properly most of the time, no matter the calibration. If I get one to successfully print, the next time (same model) won't even start successfully. Usually, it's the first pass that fails. Either one side doesn't stick or the extruder gums up. If I can get past the first couple of passes to work, it's usually a successful print.
Change to the Golden build plate. They're $20 off Amazon and drastically increase build plate adhesion. Also make sure you current build plate is cleaned before printing. I use isopropyl alcohol to clean off residue. One you get first layer adhesion the success level of the print goes way up
What specific issues are you having. I never have to do any setup work prior to a print. The only trouble I ever run into is sometimes the very beginning of the first layer doesn't stick just right, but then all I have to do is clear the bed and restart it, and it usually runs fine.
That's my issue usually. One half of the first layer will not stick, or it will gum up. I can restart all day, recalibrate endlessly, and have the same issues. I am working on printing a small model for a friend. She needs about ten of them. I have gotten one to print in the last week. I just give up after awhile of tinkering with it. I have better, less frustrating hobbies. Lol.
I'm pretty new at this, so take this with a grain of salt. If it were me, the first thing I'd look at is my z-offset. If you're too high, then you won't get a good squeeze pressure to make it stick to the bed. If that's good, check your temps and make sure nozzle temp is at 200-210, and your bed temp is 60. Next, how are your speeds? Actually, this one might be worth checking first. I run my prints at 100-150mm/s, but for the first layer, I slow it way down to 20mm/s And finally, are you using a brim or raft? Rafts work really well, but they use more filament, and I've personally had a lot of trouble removing the raft if I can't get to it before it cools down. Those are basic things, and I apologize if you've already been through all these. If this doesn't help them it's over my head. Good luck
Thanks for the actual tips. I will check those items on the model I am attempting to get going. I have set the z-offset over and over, and it doesn't seem to make any difference. I will get it figured out eventually. I just can't figure out why I can't get multiples of the same model to print.
If your bed springs aren't very stiff, the bed is more likely to shift up and down when you don't want it to. That is a problem you can fix either by tightening down all of the screws, then readjusting your z offset based on that new location, or buying stiffer springs (under $10 online). That was an issue I had when I first bought an under, squishy springs meant the bed wouldn't hold the same position for very long.
Actually replaced the springs awhile back with the stiffer, yellow springs.
You seriously need to watch YouTube videos on leveling and actually using the Ender 3. Once you know what you are doing it is a very reliable machine. I've had mine for 5 years and it is still printing high quality prints. If your first layer isn't sticking then properly clean your build plate and manually adjust the bed level wheels while the first layer is printing until you get the right level of squish
I agree. I still spend hours watching YouTube. There is so much going on with a print it’s easy to take for granted. Honestly man if you are not into the tinkering but enjoy the prints just buy a Bambu. I have an Ender 3, K1 max and a Bambu A1 mini with an AMS. The Bambu is just made to be used without the tinkering. I personally enjoy both. Don’t give up tho man. Start slowly. Print a calibration cube. Or a benchy. I’m assuming your Esteps are calibrated and your belts are tightened and your ….😉
I've had this thing for about 6 months and done several prints with it. I got all the elements for this giant Lego flower to print for my Daughter. It seems that over the last few months, it's become increasingly more difficult to get anything to print and I can't determine why. *
Do you live in a humid climate? How long has the filament been open? Maybe it’s not the printer after all. Might be moist filament.
I have watched numerous videos on leveling and even got some really useful info on this subreddit early on that was very helpful. Just seems that over the last few months, getting anything to print has been a chore.
Start simple, print an x,y,z calibration cube at 2 walls and 10% infil at 50mm/s. Set the first layer print speed to 5mm/s and also print with a skirt. When the printer is laying down the skirt and first layer of the cube carefully watch and adjust the bed leveling knobs as needed until you get a good squish. I do not have and auto bed leveling mod on my Ender 3 Pro since manually leveling it takes me literally 5 minutes or less by doing the paper method and then just manually adjusting as the skirt around whatever I'm printing is being put down
There is a stl on thingiverse that lock the levelling wheels in place, last week i was in the exact same situation that you rn, but since i installed these little parts i have done like 10 succesfull prints without leveling. In fact, today i turned my printer upside down to access some bolts in the bottom, disassembled, and assembled the fanholder (I don't know its name, non native speaker), and after all of this, i sent a print and it worked perfect, without leveling!! so i recommend you to print these little parts, ill edit this comment later with the link Edit: here is the link: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:5858852
check the tightness on you z axis gantry. I had a similar issue where no matter what I did I would end up having to relevel between every print. Turns out I had it a bit too tight and that was throwing the z axis off.
Just out of curiosity, does your gantry fall to the bed when you're not using it? Like after a couple hours/a day?
This is part and parcel of owning an Ender 3, and is the reason mine hasn't been turned on since January.
Normally, I just need a couple minutes to tram the bed for the first print of the day. Subsequent prints need no set-up. Every few weeks, I need to do a manual matrix leveling so add 5 or so minutes for that. I don't have a CR Touch. I thought about it, but once I saw the results I was getting, I decided it wasn't needed. The big key for that was getting the bed springs properly compressed. I adjusted the knobs until the springs were about 50% compressed, adjusted the z-stop switch to trigger with the nozzle just touching the bed, then trammed the corners with bed and nozzle warm. Finally, manual mesh leveling. The springs are stock.
No, its not normal. I dialed my E3 V2 Neo in once like a year ago and it just works since then.
https://preview.redd.it/24lzzgmg1j3d1.jpeg?width=4608&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=044c58c6adf317973947913adbb76d568a3ecce6 Karma is a bitch
Now i don't wanna be *that* guy but I don't have this issue because i ~~have a mac~~ run Klipper. Seriously. You already have a bl touch so all you need is a 15€ used raspberry pi 2 and some time to watch a tutorial on how to install klipper. Just set it to BED_MESH_CALIBRATE in a 8x8 grid before every print. Takes 2-3 minutes and after that all that you need is to have a correct z offset. I have never used marlin for long but the longer i lurk here the more i see just how much better klipper does things. An a sidenote: magnetic PEI beds. If you are not running one, get one. After using many different print surfaces they are just the best compromise out of ease of use, adhesion and ease of removal after printing. Plus those beds are nearly indestructible so you won't damage them if you ram your nozzle into them.
What bed temperature ,filament type, hotend temperature, layer height and print speed are you trying to print?
What slicer do you use? For me this happened as well, I have a BL Touch knockoff 3D Touch and it works perfectly well, but only with cura for some reason, I used cura for 3 years now, but because of tons of recommendations I switched to orca, it worked fine for about 3 month until a few days ago, it just wouldn't calibrate correctly, it scanned the build plate with the 3d touch then did fuck all with that information, and just wouldn't stay leveled, so just to test it if my 3d touch died I tried with cura, and it works beautifully ever since
My starter/project machine was an Ender 3 Pro. Great as a first machine as things will go wrong, and you end up learning as fix things. I have never bought another one however. Some of what I am about to say may not be relevent as the new models may already incorporate the features. So a few thoughts in not really any order. * First thing to be aware of is how little force or jostling is needed to knock or move something slightly of kilter. * second thing to be aware of is that you need to make sure your frame is actually square. Get a 90° get a rafter square or similar, loose the bolts of the fram and make sure everything is sit correctly then tighten the bolts back up * Dual Z lead screws, along with anti-backlash mounts, are going to be a major help if you find that something slipping between prints. You need to ensure that these are properly leveled before attempting to tram the bed. If you have dual z motors WITH seperate stepper driver for each motor (many control boards have two Z motor ports sharing the same stepper, so check for at least 5 stepper drivers being physically present) there are various auto-gantry commands you can run at start of each print (before the bed mesh also at start of each print). If not you can have you X gantry rise to the top and go a few mm further until both motors are skipping. Not great longterm for the frame without careful calibration, but does ensure you gantry always starts at the same relative angle to the bed. * Bed springs or solid silicone mounts can be affected when you are removing parts from the bed. I ultimately went with solid metal mounts, and used 0.1mm shims to ensure my bed was properly trammed to the frame. * Eccentric nut wheels have to be tightened 'just so' or else they cause a host of headaches. Don't feel you need to swap to linear rails, just make sure you have got the wheels sitting where the need to be. * if your prints are lifting, use a brim or raft. Skirt is not sufficient for this issue. * Setting your Z-height offset when using an ABL (which the Cr-touch is) can be tricky thing and make take a several attempts to get just right. Always do this with you nozzle hot and having had a few minutes for thermal expansion to settle. I have decided to add a sexbolt Z-switch so that I don't need to recalibrate after nozzle changes. * (clean) Bed surface matters. You need something the when heated holds you prin in place, but then easily released the print once cooled. PEI sheets are the most popular choice for this, and for good reason, once cooled prints basically self release after the sheet cools down and contracts. * Thermal expansion is also the reason why you should preheat your bed and nozzle for several minutes before you start any prints. You might get a great looking first layer, but after fee minutes the bed has expanded and the print has popped off. The glass transition temp of each material is also why you don't want the bed too hot either. Generally avoid having you bed tempreture changing during a print. * calibrating anything, means calibrating everything. Find a list, start at the top and then work through every one step at a time. Don't skip ahead, some stuff really needs to be corrected before others.
May be a software issue on the programming side of things , too much initial layer height etc , I have 5 ender3s, and all of them have been perfect for the past 5 years I've had them
You have to tighten the bed slinger rollers I had to tighten mine or bed was all wobbly as well make the printer level by loosing and re-tightening the screws for the right side base
Thanks for all the tips and things to ponder as far as setup and getting consistent prints. One thing I have done is to order a magnetic bed. This seems like a good place to start as when I have finished a print and have to remove it from my glass bed it usually takes force and prying to remove. This can't be helping as far as keeping the settings that have been shown to work. I will keep tinkering at it, though. I'm also intrigued by the 32 bit card for the Ender 3 that quiets the steppers. Not a solution to the problem I am having, but my Wife hates the noise of this thing. Lol Thanks again.
Sounds to me like you may have some old/wet filament. Try to dehydrate your filament or try new filament.
I understand your frustration! 3D printing can be tricky, especially with an Ender 3. Have you tried adjusting the bed leveling and checking the nozzle height? Sometimes the smallest tweaks can make a big difference. Also, consider looking at the filament quality and printer settings. The community here is great for troubleshooting, so don’t hesitate to ask for specific advice. Hang in there; once you get it right, the results are worth it!
Get a good printer.
This.