Warm weather causing extruder clogs.

3d Printing / Slicers / Setup / Problems
101

Push through the Bowden tube or the nozzle (manually extrude the filament)?

It would also help to know the type and brand of the filament, print temperature, speed, and layer height.

Also, does your extruder make a clicking sound when the print fails?

Sorry for all the questions. I’m a bit perplexed about what is going on here!

Cheers

102

You are not more perplexed about what is going on than I am. I have been using a lot of Ereone filament because it is fantastic. Wghen it works it is so beautiful.

103

I think your filament has absorbed too much water (my emphasis added):

"The main reason for brittleness of filament is due to moisture absorption. ABS, PLA, and other common filament materials are mildly hygroscopic, so they will readily absorb moisture from the air. This is especially true if you live in a humid environment.

Symptoms

Below are the some of the most common symptoms that your filament has absorbed some moisture.

  • [B]Brittle and break easily[/B]
  • [B]PLA filament swell and cause your hot end to jam. In worst case jams require hot end replacement.[/B]
  • Trapped moisture inside the PLA filament, becomes stream inside hotend which then interfere with the flow of plastic
  • Printed objects are weak
  • Makes a rough/grainy surface on finished prints
  • Filament is making a popping/cracking/hissing sound
If your filament is making a popping/cracking/hissing sound, or makes a rough/grainy surface on finished prints, your filament has probably absorbed some moisture. ABS, PLA, and other common filament materials are mildly hygroscopic, so they will readily absorb moisture from the air. This is especially true if you live in a humid environment." (Full article here.)

Off to the oven, MacDuff!

Cheers

104

I have been drying my PLA for days and it doesn’t seem to make a difference. I have a food dryer set between 40-45 C. under my desk and ran it a lot.

105

I have 3 rolls of ereyone in gold silver and copper ‘silk’ and Geektech white and a roll of Geektech black. I usually print at 305 or 210 C. Creality ender 3 pro stock extruder. I have an upgraded. LEOWAY Ender3 Upgraded Replacement Dual Extrusion, Aluminum Dual Gear Extruder Upgrade Kit.

106

Ok, so it is not moisture. Maybe try switching from the Eryone to the Geektech(sp?) and see if the part prints ok.

Good hunting!

107

All of them are giving similar results. I’m beginning to think it will be better when I update my Marlin. I just successfully printed the same cable chain link that failed yesterday so I decided to print another and twice in a row it gave me an error message. Heating failed please reset printer. Now it is printing again. I am waiting on TH3D to get back to me on my arduino error message so I can flash my board.

108

I just relized that I was wrong when I said that it successfully printed the cable chain link. I just didn’t notice that it had been printing in the air before it finished. Again the print is quite beautiful with perfect layers until it suddenly plugs and quits laying down plastic. I am going to try it again and see if the heat shuts off by watching the nozzle temperature.

109

Also watch the Z axis and the extruder itself to see if they misbehave.

110

I’m doing another link in Geektec white and I put a brand new nozzle on. It’s really boring watching the nozzle go round and round waiting for it to fail. I think my printer has brain damage just like me.

111

Something interesting happened, the link printed beautifully till the end and I selected it again on the TF card and got heating failed please reset printer twice in a row so I let it sit for awhile and I am just now trying this again.It seems to be starting filament is coming out, let’s see if it prints now.

112

The second link started out ok so I turned my back on it and the nozzle clogged again so it was waving around in the air when I looked back. I forgot to check the nozzle temperature like an idiot.

I guess I will unblock everything and try again.

113

What is your process for unblock the hottend? I’m wondering if there is a gap between the PTFE tube and the nozzle.

114

I am not getting any plastic at all oozing out at the nozzle. This is what I did for my nozzle with a variation, Simple HOTEND FIX for Creality Ender 3, CR-10 - YouTube I couldn’t get the ring that they make to let my bowden connection screw in. But it seems quite good. I do get this (as per supplied photo)

bowden meets capricorn.jpg

115

Please notice the screw job the filament gets way above my hot end.

116

I take off the nozzle and unscrew the bowden to hotend connection. I have the plastic jammed way up the bowden so I either push or pull or both to get it out of the bowden. I can unscrew the nozzle usually without heating. The plugging seems to be way up there and the spiral indentations you see are really spiral. I do wonder if I have amazing 'heat creep, but the fan is working.

117

I’ve mentioned it before, but I think you should do this: [LIST=1]

  • heat up the hotend to normal PLA temp (e.g. 190C);
  • unscrew the nozzle 1 full turn;
  • push the PTFE down into the hot end as far as it will go;
  • tighten up the nozzle; not too hard of course, but snug for sure. [/LIST]
    • 118

    Please read my post on what I have done. as per Simple HOTEND FIX for Creality Ender 3, CR-10 - YouTube with my little change. Perhaps that is screwing everything up.

    119

    I was printing plastic crap like mad til suddenly I had a problem.

    120

    I’ve seen that video before. I believe you said you didn’t include the compression ring that he put in. I assume you did install the compression fitting that normally is mounted to a hotend:

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