First layer height measurement

thingiverse

I've been fighting elephant feet forever because i can't get my first layer height right. It commonly gets in my way when i am making pieces that mate together or some other fit or function. The best way was to get rid of it was iterative, which was basically print a cube, check for elephant foot, adjust a little bit, and repeat. to use this model (see photos for additional information) 1. print model (takes about 20-30 minutes) 2. find the part on the edge where the elephant foot disappears 3. read the graduations on the printed part 4. you know your first layer height, and can now adjust your printer accordingly! This specific design is for a single extrusion width of 0.45 mm. If you are using a thinner extrusion width, you will likely undershoot, e.g., the print will indicate you are 0.054 mm too low, but really you are closer than that. For a wider extrusion width, you will be farther away than indicated.. A version with more built in instructions is available at: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3324030 (~30 minutes print time) A version with no bells or whistles is available at: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3324022 (~5 minutes print time)