Solved PLEASE READ - Hotend Jam/Clogs? - Seasoning and an Oiler

Hay, there's two sides to every story.
I don't use oil, It's to messy for me. There is an exception however.
I just rebuilt the all metal hex after my first hot head jam.
I reamed out the finned cooling tower, and heat break with a 5/64 drill.
Next, I caned the nozzle and added a new one ( they cost less than $2 ).
I then poured Mobile 1 synthetic motor oil thru the extruder. I then blew it out with about 15# of air pressure.
So far I have run about a reel of ABS and about 1/2 reel of PLA thru it.
I think that Mobile 1 just hangs on in there and I don't have to fool with the messy oils.
Just my thoughts, Frank.

 

I have the e3D V6 and simplfy3d.. odd when i get to about 275 degree's I loose USB connection...it says its still connected but it doesn't respond to anything.

 

I do but it seriously sucks for navigating around to find stuff like that.. much easier to click on the PC interface in simplify3d for a heatup/extrude test.

I'll try that.. though I think i may have it working now.

 

I cant wait to try this- i ruined a tray full of prints this weekend that looked great until the last 1/8" of thickness where the tip appeared to clog. Sucks after waiting all day... I need to play with the setting on Matter Control too. Thanks!

 

Well I finally had to put glue stick on my build Tak.. nothing i tried was getting rid of my over oil non stick problem. glue stick works for now hopefully after enough prints with no oil it will work itself out?

Edit: nevermind still wont stick.

 

Having trouble with the extruder it appears. I thought it might be a clog so I heated up to 230C (Black PLA 1.75mm), it seemed to help a little. I carefully cranked the large extrude gear an ran maybe 100-200 mm through manually. I removed filament, dipped end into canola oil, inserted and ran another 200mm. Did that twice (I want to print the oiler out, but cant get a good print for anything right now).
I raised the extruder head 3" off the surface and watched filament feed coming through at 230C. It feeds good and then seems to hit a flat spot on hobbed gear where the filament feed slows down, then speeds back up again.

When I try to even run a calibration box, the line goes thin and then thick again, then skips and disappears on the fill in random areas. Cant even get one nice layer whereas before it ran beautifully.

I havent had this printer for long - is it customary for the hobbed gear to have a bad spot so early? Is there a default setting for the 2 screws that adjust tension to the filament - I have tried tightening and loosening in small increments with no success.

Very frustrating.

I am using Matter Control - have downloaded a free reptilier with slicr/Cura, but if I cant get the filament to feed - it isnt going to matter.

Suggestions??

 

I opened up the clamp section to clean and check, carefully cleaned each tooth with a micro screwdriver. I did not see any evidence of a flat spot, but it sure acts that way. I did get two more springs with a bit more tension as per an earlier post I saw on the forum. I will try to condition extrusion head again maybe at higher temp like 300C and check again...

 

Thats what I have downloaded, but I hesitate to set it up when even the stock calibration box isnt printing correctly? Matter Control had an upgrade - I wonder if their upgrade is what has caused the glitch?

 

FIXED!!
OK, so I opened the hobbed bolt area by removing the two screws/springs. Carefully cleaned the hobbed gear with a tiny screwdriver and paper towel with alcohol. The cleaned any possible oil contamination on the clamp pulley with alcohol.
Next, I opened Matter Control (yes I know the despised software), and heated up extrusion head to 275C (wouldnt stay at 300); Once hot, I left the clamp gate opened (no screws and springs yet), and dipped the end of black PLA in Canola oil and carefully pushed it through the extruder tip manually. There was some smoke as it burned off - ran maybe 200 mm through it. Once tip was treated, I reassembled with existing springs, but added 2 more washers on each to add tension.
Cleaned everything up and now running a calibration circle which is best it has run since last set of parts were destroyed.
Once she is running well for sure- I will print out the oiler.

 

Thanks Mark. Matter Control is only temporary...I can live with the 275 until I switch to Repetier..

 

Pretty sure he meant the firmware that sits on the Arduino in the printer, not the software on your computer.

Sent from my One Plus One. Don't be evil.

 

Yep I own 15 pieces of cast iron cookware. Wagner, Griswald, Lodge.

By the way from the Tech support the gentleman by the name of Jon said use a little veggie oil only the PLA like a half inch or so and then run it threw that way.