This is a strange one for you experts out there. After a many hours of great prints my Endor 3 pro has started to stop extruding filament. After about 1-2 hours of starting to print the printer keeps going but the filament stops extruding and it clogs the nozzle. I cleaned the clog and the bed from the initial start and started again. Again after about 1-2 hours it stopped kicking out filament again. I then started to change and replace the things listed below hoping for a different outcome but after a few more tries I stopped to write this (help). I have a direct extruder.
Same Filament (Tried same filament)
New Filament (Tried a different filament)
New Nozzle (put in a new nozzle)
New tubing (replaced with new tubing)
Tried and true file (In fact I printed the same planter just before I started again about a day later)
Cleaned feeder teeth again.
I have not replaced the filament feeder (ie...Cog with teeth, not sure what to call that)
I see a few potential errors I had with my printers.
a) The extruder spring needs more tension. Springs loose their springiness over time.
b) There is filament inside the heater block. And you are not screwing the nozzle against the heat pipe, but against crusty old filament inside, which causes clogging. (Nozzle needs to be change while hotend is hot)
c) thermistor is loose and not touching the heater block and therefor reporting lower value due to air cushion, which causes the printer to over heat and burn filament.
d) the small nozzle tube, which you have replaced, so not your problem here.
What did the tubing look like? Did it look burnt? When you had the nozzle out and the tubing removed did you use a round wire brush or similar to clean out the channel (while the heater block is hot)?
Ender5r - Nothing was burnt but I did not use a brush so I will go back and do that for sure.
Geit - I will definitely go back and check those items listed and replace the spring just to be sure.
Thanks very much for the information. I will let you know how it turns out.
There is usually a way to tension it. e.g. a screw or some washers you can insert. Usually such spring lasts a few years till the loss of springiness has an effect, but - well - there is always a chance of getting a broken one.
I had a lot of trouble on long prints especially in the summer with ‘heat creep’. I am getting better prints now than I ever have since I took the guy from TH3D’s advice and changed the nozzle fan, I bought it from them. I will tell you in the middle of next summer how well it works but for now I am pleased.
I put a Copperhead Heat Break in my Ender 3 v2 and now when it clogs I just replace the nozzle and it’s good to go. I did need to run a. Auto PID tune on the hotend after installing it.
I also have one on the way to use on my Ender 5 to print PETG. Due to the high temps I run, the PTFE tube tends to get burnt at the nozzle end and start clogging. Hope it works.
Anybody that has one, any advice on setting it up and parameters that might need changing in your slicer?
I had the same experience with the stock Ender 5 hotend. Too bad, either the Copperhead Heatbreak wasn’t available, or I was unaware of it. I likely would have tried it before anything else if I’d known.
I must get brave and try my roll of PETG and TPU one of these days. I’ve let them age now for two years so they should be ready. All I’ve ever printed on my Ender 3 pro was ordinary PLA so it will be interesting to see how it does. I would like to be inspired to make a project that require them. I’m an old cheapskate and don’t want to waste expensive filament on projects I can print with cheaper stuff. Filament is sure not getting cheaper!
I haven’t had any issues with my Copperhead Heat Break. I did notice in Octoprint that the temp was fluctuating a couple of degrees. I contacted Slice and they suggested doing an AutoPID tune. That did the trick. I also ordered the heat sink paste they recommend too.
The thing I would worry about is mixing PLA and PETG. IOW, printing PLA then swapping to PETG, then back again. In my experience, I’ve had trouble mixing them. The higher temps needed for PETG seemed to cause the PLA left over in the nozzle to get too hot and end up clogging. Since I needed PETG for things to be used outdoors I decided to stick with PETG only.
That could change if I got a hotend with easily changeable nozzles, such as the new E3D Revo. I could then dedicate nozzles to PLA and others to PETG or even ABS. If I can get the Artist D working properly I can do the same thing with its nozzles.
I replaced the nozzle, installed the heat break and cleaned everything. First print seemed to go well. I did a bencky (Ghost Ship) for fun. Tonight I will start something far more difficult. Fingers crossed. Thank you guys for everything.