Help: Prints stop extruding and fail. (12" i3v)

I built my i3v about a year ago and have been printing successfully for quite some time. Just in the past 2 months though I have had issues printing.

I can get maybe 1 in 20 to finish correctly.

Problem: Prints no longer finish. They print perfectly up to a certain height and then it sputters some filament out and then stops. (see attached photo).

<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/plackslayer/28244105465/in/dateposted-public/" title="20160711_103812"><img src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7572/28244105465_8b1d2a54b2_k.jpg" width="2048" height="1536" alt="20160711_103812"></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

I have rebuilt the extruder and seated the Z axis (X and Y are still perfect). Everything so far should work but it just doesn't and I'm absolutely lost.

I have tried these filaments and successfully printed using them in the past:

PLA Pro+ Red
PLA Glow in the dark
PETG green/blue/orange
ABS Black

Multiple different companes (HatchBox, eSun, etc.).

The hobbed bolt seems to pick a time to eat into the filament and then it ends. I have cleaned it as well as varied the screws holding the filament to the bolt.

Help! :D

Thanks in advance,
Plack

p.s. yes I have googled and tried multiple things - nothing has fixed it yet.

https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7572/2...1d2a54b2_k.jpg

Simplify3d has a good guide for this. They have a whole section on the hobbed bolt chewing into your filament. One thing they don't mention is: how difficult is it to feed filament into the extruder? I had this issue before building a better spool holder that eases the spools' ability to rotate and thus feed filament. I noticed as the X axis would move (especially during retraction), it wasn't able to pull enough filament down and the filament would essentially get "stuck" and the hobbed bolt would chew a crescent shape and stop extrusion. Some people have gone as far as to add bearings to their spool holders, but I haven't found this necessary as of yet. The wooden spool holder was creating too much friction on certain spools, and adding a carriage bolt through a double ended brass hose fitting (I happened to have laying around) in place of the stock wood holder fixed this issue for me.


https://www.simplify3d.com/support/p...iddle-of-print

I'll check that guide out.

Filament feeds into the hot end/extruder quite easily. I have modified my spool holder by simply replacing the wooden top bracket with a bic pen. It works wonders for letting the spool move as well as replacement. Also the pocket clip on the pen fits into the notch and holds it in place :)

Could the quality of the filament be giving a clue also? I hadn't noticed until I just sat down with this piece that it changes texture and clarity the higher up on the failed piece I go. It goes from really nice and clear at the bottom to less clear and almost whiteish (air bubbles?) up top.

https://c8.staticflickr.com/8/7509/2...de93e2c4_k.jpg

FWIW, here's a post that is a composite of what people have said caused extrusion to stop on their MakerFarm printer - Extruding Problems

Thank you - I'll be attempting some of the things there tonight.

Doing a lot of tinkering I still cannot get it to print past a certain height.

I printed three pieces - all of which worked perfectly, then figured I had it worked out... printed the tall piece that has been plaguing me for quite some time and boom - failed again.

It is cutting a notch into my filament - could this be heat creep? I have felt my extruder motor and it feels fine, not hot at all.

I'm still just frustrated and lost.

Have you run any cleaning filament through your extruder? It could have a bit of melted pla lodged in there somewhere that could be causing snags if your filament tolerance is off a little (ie in wider spots). The same variation in filament diameter could be causing just enough friction to stop your print, this happens to me often at lower layer heights. For example, I can print pla all day at 200C at .2mm but 205c or higher must be used for .1mm with the exact same filament and STL. I am no engineer, but I believe the higher temperature makes the filament softer and allows it to flow through the nozzle easier preventing the grinding issue you are experiencing.

TL;DR: try increasing temps by 5-10c or running some cleaner filament through :)

Also, is that yellow print in PETG? I have a translucent red that exhibits that exact same behavior. I ended up with a super light opaque pink that looks like it's full of air bubbles at 220c,but at 250c (and no fan) and higher layer heights (.25mm) it keeps that deep translucent color. If it's PET, try printing without a fan and slow way down (I have to print pet at 15-30mm/s for good prints) also I try to use the fan only for bridges or fine detail/overhangs

Quote:

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Originally Posted by dustmann

Have you run any cleaning filament through your extruder? It could have a bit of melted pla lodged in there somewhere that could be causing snags if your filament tolerance is off a little (ie in wider spots). The same variation in filament diameter could be causing just enough friction to stop your print, this happens to me often at lower layer heights. For example, I can print pla all day at 200C at .2mm but 205c or higher must be used for .1mm with the exact same filament and STL. I am no engineer, but I believe the higher temperature makes the filament softer and allows it to flow through the nozzle easier preventing the grinding issue you are experiencing.

TL;DR: try increasing temps by 5-10c or running some cleaner filament through :)

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I just attempted at 5 and 10 deg hotter. Still a no go.

I have not tried cleaning filament but I have removed the hot end and cleaned it out with acetone.

This is an orange PetG but I'm having most my problems with eSun's PLA Pro+ Red.

I think it is heat creep. I ran into this a while ago when i brought my printer to the garage. It printed fine in the house, and then when summer rolled around it started to fail. PLA and PETG. I was a random pass, but I finally figured it out. heat creep and when the filiment would do a retraction it would buldge at the nozzel and get jammed up. I can print when the temp drops to about 75-80.

I am in the process of making a machined part to add water cooling. I'll post if it works out well