Answered Filament keeps getting ground up

So I just seem to be having a lot of bad luck with my printer this week. All week I've been trying to get it to stop chewing up the filament. At first I made it halfway through a print before it started to chew up the filament and now it can't even get the first layer done.

I'm printing in ABS plastic at 235C and using an oiler. I've tried different adjustments for the spring screws but I can never tell if it is too loose or too tight. Could it be a jam inside the nozzle that is causing this or should I just keep playing around with the screw tightness?

 

Does it seem to be difficult to push filament through? You could try higher, like 250

 

It's easy enough to push the filament through and I've had no issues in the past with printing at 235C with ABS. It seems to print fine and then suddenly jams up.

 

This can be a hellacious frustration. ABS shouldn't need an oiler. Its not likely your filament. In my experience, it has always been a clogged nozzle.

The clog has almost always been from messed up first layer printing too close. This causes the filament to get chewed up because it cant extrude against the weight of the extruder carriage. You'd think you'd get to the second layer, fix the filament and it would extrude... but no. 3 things (off the top of my head) happen. The filament kinks, disallowing it to pass through the extruder, the filament grinds up (also potentially loading your hobbed bolt) and the nozzle is either marred or clogged with whatever you're using as platform adhesive.

You can clear the filament jams easy enough, just pull it out, snip it off, (pushing by hand kinks the filament easily). But you have to change/clear the nozzle. Poke it with your favorite nozzle clearing device.
Some kinds of oil (actually all oil eventually) can clog your nozzle too.

For me, this clears up all my problems, all the time (knock on keyboard). Of course, if you don't solve the low extrusion problem, the jam re-occurs.
Of course, 99% of my "printing too close" has been a misaligned x axis causing the auto level to fail.

If you're not printing too low, similar problems can still exist. Once the nozzle is marred or partly clogged, it just becomes a pain in the butt. I keep a dozen nozzles around so I don't have to fuss over it. If it doesn't work great the first time, I just change it. Which is also why I keep hex shaped nozzles. That 2 flat side thing that hexagon uses is a pain in my butt as well.


There is always the chance that something followed the filament into the nozzle and is physically fouling it as well. It is a vertical hole waiting for junk to fall in.

 

just checked mine.. nozzle jammed due to wet filament and .1 print height not being quite right... dragging and popping... JAM.

same filament prints fine with my medium quality settings.

 

So I took the nozzle off and cleaned everything up. But lo and behold the nozzle ended up snapping when I put it back in. Now I've got to order a new heat block and nozzle and possible heat break if I can't manage to unscrew it from the heat block.

 

That is always what I worry about. Also why I keep a handfull of these things around. I think I pay 1.90 for 2 heater blocks.. 3 bucks for 6 ceramic heaters and negligible funds for thermistors. Heck.. nozzles are the most expensive part if you get away from hexagon... if you can. Few all metals out there. Just make sure to shop around. Some people make you pay a several hundred percent to drop ship from china for you or to switch parts to their label.

I don't know what the torque capabilities of a hollow brass tube are... but they must be somewhere below 1nm range.

 

and they're less than half the price... should be 30 bucks or so.

 

The E3Dv6 is like $70

 

maybe there's more than one? i see $24 without fan.

this not that?

same as hexagon just round and with a neato clamping heater block? Ooh.. and a removable heat break?

 

That's a knockoff from china. Don't buy those they're crap

 

I have run into some quality control problems with buying direct or.. maybe.. knockoff items. But in the case of a tube... I suppose the internal surface can be crappy and not much to do about it. I'd still try one. Its suspicious that they're using the actual "brand name" if it's a knock off. You expect that overseas, but not on american sites.

 

Yeah it's a trademark violation and eBay has been ignoring my reports.

Apparently these knock offs have a PTFE tube all the way to the nozzle like a J-head

 

some claim to .. yes.. some are "all metal". strange.. I mean, unless you're the trademark holder, Ebay wouldn't be interested in listening to you. They usually do pretty well keeping that stuff squelched

 

It shouldn't matter about who makes the claim IMO. A trademark violation is a trademark violation and keeping it up after reports encourages others to violate it all the same.

 

true but... If I own a trademark I needn't enforce it. Capitalism! Brings out the best in people.

 

Ordered the V6 and it should be coming in tomorrow. Hopefully I don't run into the same issue later down the line

 

Whats involved in switching from the onbe provided by RoBo and the E3D? Is there a tutorial available? Will it void my warranty to switch?