CTC Clicking when loading filament..

Hello all,

My CTC printer has always had this clicking when loading filament or when printing a raft. I figured it was a combination of the cheap filament that came with the printer and not having a spring loaded block. However, I recently upgraded to a spring loaded block and purchased filament from Hatchbox and PolyMaker. To my dismay it still clicks. I have finally gotten around to upload a Youtube video that demonstrates this: https://youtu.be/0JXe3XhbJs8


The filament being loaded is from Hatchbox PLA, but it also happens with Hatchbox ABS and Polymaker PLA. The clicking sound is audible during loading of filament and when printing a raft. it quiets down after printing a raft. I was thinking it could be that the nozzle was to close to the build plate, but It happens when printing in air (as demonstrated in the video). Increasing the speed doesn't seem to help either.


Also, the spring loaded block came with a new drive gear that has much stronger teeth than the stock part.




I would love to get everyone's idea about what it could be and steps to correct it.

It is probably too low current being supplied from the stepper driver, you can probably tweak it a bit. It may also be your temperature too low either because you are setting it too low or maybe the temperature feedback circuit is reading high. First step is to turn up your print temperature and see how that goes.

Spring loaded extruder isn't really an improvement or an upgrade, it is just different for different uses. Do not lose your old bits, you may need them.

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Originally Posted by adrianq

Hello all,

My CTC printer has always had this clicking when loading filament or when printing a raft. I figured it was a combination of the cheap filament that came with the printer and not having a spring loaded block. However, I recently upgraded to a spring loaded block and purchased filament from Hatchbox and PolyMaker. To my dismay it still clicks. I have finally gotten around to upload a Youtube video that demonstrates this: https://youtu.be/0JXe3XhbJs8


The filament being loaded is from Hatchbox PLA, but it also happens with Hatchbox ABS and Polymaker PLA. The clicking sound is audible during loading of filament and when printing a raft. it quiets down after printing a raft. I was thinking it could be that the nozzle was to close to the build plate, but It happens when printing in air (as demonstrated in the video). Increasing the speed doesn't seem to help either.


Also, the spring loaded block came with a new drive gear that has much stronger teeth than the stock part.




I would love to get everyone's idea about what it could be and steps to correct it.

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Failing any of Mjo's suggestions, My CTC came with some very old and bad plastic in the nozzle, one worked, the other didn't.

I took the fan off, unplug the stepper motor, take that out, turn the heat on the extruder and then use an E guitar string to poke UP through the tiny hole and out through the top, you will see the gunk come out with that out of the pipe. Then pull the string up through and out - not back down again this will just put the gunk back in.

God knows what they put in there to test it but it would not even melt with a lighter under it - once I cleared it out it's worked fine since.

It can also be when the extrusion speed is too fast, so the filament is getting pushed into the hot end faster than it can be extruded. Try slowing down the raft printing and see if this helps.

what temperature is your preheat set too ?

If you're trying to push plastic through at too low a temp it will click.

For pla - your preheat should be around 215-225c - I have mine set at 220.

When loading different filament don't forget to change the preheat temp to suit the new filament. Pla can be unloaded up to 250c without any issues.

Switching from pla to xt recently the preheat was set at 250. These days I only ever use the load part.
Clip the eisting filament where it enters the extruder and load. when the existing stuff stops coming out load the new one.

Quicker and much easier than trying to unload.

Whatever your printing temp is - try upping it by 10c.
For pla these days, I print at 215 or 220.