Second - the print you posted. I don't know the item, but if Dr Wogz does and suggests re-orienting, then I won't disagree.
You got a lot of stringing. Could be the filament. Could be the settings. Printing little cross-sections close to the bed won't help.
When I get a new brand or type of filament, I do a number of little prints to help make tuning adjustments. Sometimes I don't know which to do first.
Temperature calibration:
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2729076
This is the one I like best. There are lots out there. Getting Cura to change settings with height isn't easy - but can be done. Google is your friend.
Flow/Speed calibration:
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3397997
I will print 5-9 of these with a new material. First, i manually calibrate the extruder stepping. That's outlined elsewhere. I'll have to track down the instructions i used - but I think they are included on the Creality SD card. Once that's done, changing the flow parameter in Cura is more predictable. I then print this object at the temp identified above and with a partial factorial design changing speed and flow. They interact, and with temperature, too, but you'll map out a range of flows and speeds that give the proper 2-wall thickness and good layer-layer adhesion. You use a micrometer for thickness and twist and squeeze to check for brittleness.
Stringing/Retraction calibration: Hmmm... It's not currently on thingiverse. Edit: now it is:
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4122878
Keep in mind, the whole topic is more important for PETG than PLA. The temp tower is ok. Benchy is ok. I hate the little two-pillar tests - as you've already found, printing small cross-section columns isn't easy. Unless well tunes, they come out blobby, if at all. The tips of nosecones will have the same problem. And that small cross section means a very short time per layer, which is an issue all by itself. I also have found that stringing depends somewhat on what you're printing. I find that one string avoidance method doesn't always work. So my stringing test matches what I tend to print - rocket parts. My test item is a mini-avbay meant for 24mm motor mounts and to hold a Quark or Eggfinder Mini - and my own design. It's essentially a straight 2-wall cylinder with internal pcboard guides. I vary the live-z, z-seam alignment, retraction distance/speed, coasting and sometimes flow. Z-seam alignment can tell you two ways - if you set it to put the seam in one place and it makes a ridge on the inside or out, you can improve tuning. If you set it to random and get little zits on the outside or strings across the inner diameter, you can improve tuning. If you watch the print and a little blob of filament builds up on the nozzle, you need more live-z/z-offset, and/or level with the paper looser. I think there's a firmware setting that limits the retraction speed, so I (and other people, based on youtube) find that setting a slower retraction speed can help. You'll see recommendations of 50-90. The shipped Ender firmware appears to limit it to 25 - which works fine. Coasting can help - it's an advanced, special setting in Cura,
