Two Settings to Change When Supports Won't Come Off
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In short
When supports bond to the print and will not come off, switching to tree type and lowering the density alone reduces the contact area enough to peel them away without losing finish quality.
The short version
Set supports to tree type, and lower the density. Those two things.
What happens
Support material holds up the parts that float in mid-air (overhangs). Print with normal supports attached without thinking, and they bond to the print and will not come off cleanly.
Force them off and you damage the part. This, I think, is where people most easily lose heart when starting with a 3D printer.
Fixing it
① Switch to tree supports
They support at points, like branches, reducing contact with the print. Dramatically easier to remove.
② Lower the density
The contact area shrinks further, making them easier still to peel. Unless the shape needs strength, modest density was plenty.
Those two all but remove the stress of “the supports will not come off”. And the finish stays clean.
The slicer itself is not hard
OrcaSlicer is a free slicer that converts a 3D model (STL and so on) into print data the printer can read.
There are a lot of settings, but it prints rather nicely on the defaults. The barrier is lower than the impression “slicers look difficult” suggests.
If you are about to start
- Try tree supports plus lower density first
- Whether supports are needed at all depends on the overhang angle. Checking in the preview where supports will attach before printing reduces failures
On where the difficulty actually sits
Looking back, the hard part was not operating the slicer but the step after it.
Faced with software full of settings, the first instinct is “I have to learn how to use this”. What actually stopped me was after printing finished, at the stage of removing supports.
With 3D printing, pressing print is only halfway. Taking it out, removing supports and finishing it is one cycle, so choosing settings with “can I get this off afterwards” as the criterion gets you comfortable faster.
Frequently asked questions
Q1Why do tree supports come off more easily?
They support at points, like branches, so contact with the print is reduced. Normal supports bond across a surface, and forcing them off risks damaging the part itself.
Q2Is the strength enough with lower density?
Unless the shape needs strength, modest density was plenty. A support only has to hold during printing, so there is no reason to make it denser than necessary.
Q3Can supports be avoided altogether?
It depends on the overhang angle. Design the slopes steep enough relative to the 45-degree rule and it prints without supports. Checking in the preview where supports will attach before printing reduces failures.
What this article is based on
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