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Messy First Layer

Eric1001

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 14, 2025
Messages
52
The first layers on my Kobra 3 Max printer are very messy. There are a lot of filaments (Esun PETG-HS) poop and not sticking for the first 10 layers. Then starts printing great, nice smooth walls.

Has anyone out there had this problem?
 
I had the same issue when I first set up my Kobra 3 Max! thought I ruined the bed! Turned out my Z-offset was way off and the bed wasn't level across the whole surface. I used a sheet of paper to manually check each corner, then ran auto-leveling again. Also, slowing the first layer speed helped a lot.
 
@Eric1001 yeah, I think everyone had been through this lol. this kind of PETG first layer problem is usually bcs a Z-offset issue. PETG hates being squished. Try bumping your Z-offset up by about 0.05 mm while it's printing those bad layers. You want the filament to lay down, not be scraped
 
The first layers on my Kobra 3 Max printer are very messy. There are a lot of filaments (Esun PETG-HS) poop and not sticking for the first 10 layers. Then starts printing great, nice smooth walls.

Has anyone out there had this problem?
yeah, PETG is notorious for 'oozing' and then sticking to the nozzle more than the build plate if you squish it too hard.
Try that 0.05 mm Z-offset bump, and also consider slowing down your initial layer speed dramatically. Maybe drop it to 10 mm/s or 15 mm/s.
Giving the PETG more time to settle without being dragged often fixes the poop problem
 
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