Flashforge 3D Creator forum.

[JClegg]

Hello,
recently I purchased a flashforge creator and so far it's been great. I have been wondering, however, would it be possible with the replicatorG software to use one extruder to print support material and the other to print the object? Thank you.

[Petmagnet13]

As I was disassembling my extruder, I seemed to have lost both of the small spacers. Are these important for printing? If so does anyone know what size they are?

[Dave Bodnar]

As I was disassembling my extruder, I seemed to have lost both of the small spacers. Are these important for printing? If so does anyone know what size they are?

I also lost one when working on my extruder - the spacer is important as it allows you to tighten the bolt that holds the fan without distorting it. I made a replacement from a piece of brass tubing - It is about 10mm long. Any diameter will work so long as it fits the bolt.

Of course, I found the missing part after reassembly!

Good luck!

dave

[Petmagnet13]

I also lost one when working on my extruder - the spacer is important as it allows you to tighten the bolt that holds the fan without distorting it. I made a replacement from a piece of brass tubing - It is about 10mm long. Any diameter will work so long as it fits the bolt.

Of course, I found the missing part after reassembly!

Good luck!

dave

Thanks for the advice!
After I posted the message, I continued to look deeper and found that one of them had fallen into the bottom of the printer. When I went to retrieve it, it seemed there was another one the same size being used to hold on the board for the buttons, so I replaced that one with a hand-cut one and took the exact match, that way I knew it would work.
Now I'm just having troubles reassembling it... The screws don't seem to want to go back into the stepper motor...

[Dave Bodnar]

Thanks for the advice!
After I posted the message, I continued to look deeper and found that one of them had fallen into the bottom of the printer. When I went to retrieve it, it seemed there was another one the same size being used to hold on the board for the buttons, so I replaced that one with a hand-cut one and took the exact match, that way I knew it would work.
Now I'm just having troubles reassembling it... The screws don't seem to want to go back into the stepper motor...

It is a bit tricky to get the screws into the stepper motors - pull the fan & heat sink back a bit to get the threaded hole in the motor visible - once you get one in the other is a snap.

dave

[Dave Bodnar]

As I was disassembling my extruder, I seemed to have lost both of the small spacers. Are these important for printing? If so does anyone know what size they are?

A quick update - I measured the piece that I have yet to reinstall (the brass is still in there!) and it is 9mm long, 7mm in diameter with a 3mm hole in the center.
dave

[Geoff]

As I was disassembling my extruder, I seemed to have lost both of the small spacers. Are these important for printing? If so does anyone know what size they are?

The Small spacers are simply to stop the screws for the fan going in too far, without the spacers I feel you may not be able to get the tension required to keep the stepper motor in place.

As for the build plate - trust me, Kapton tape is the absolute best for this machine. If you are not able to print raftless and get a nice shiny surface and have it stick 100%, your build plate is still not levelled properly.

[Petmagnet13]

It is a bit tricky to get the screws into the stepper motors - pull the fan & heat sink back a bit to get the threaded hole in the motor visible - once you get one in the other is a snap.

dave

Thanks again!
I got it all put back together but may have to take it apart again.
The reason I took it apart in the first place was because I had problems printing. I just got PLA for the first time and so I tried printing with it, but far too often the gear stops gripping the filament. Any recommendations? It gets halfway through a print before it stops grabbing hold, which is a bit frustrating.
Again this is my first time with PLA so I'm really a noob at it hahaha
Thanks again

[Dave Bodnar]

Thanks again!
I got it all put back together but may have to take it apart again.
The reason I took it apart in the first place was because I had problems printing. I just got PLA for the first time and so I tried printing with it, but far too often the gear stops gripping the filament. Any recommendations? It gets halfway through a print before it stops grabbing hold, which is a bit frustrating.
Again this is my first time with PLA so I'm really a noob at it hahaha
Thanks again

You may want to remove the nozzle (careful! You need to hold the heater still with one wrench as you remove the nozzle or you can twist the temperature sensor wires & break them!) - I had some plastic restricting the small plastic tube that runs through the extruder. Once I cleaned that it prints well with PLA.

dave

[Petmagnet13]

You may want to remove the nozzle (careful! You need to hold the heater still with one wrench as you remove the nozzle or you can twist the temperature sensor wires & break them!) - I had some plastic restricting the small plastic tube that runs through the extruder. Once I cleaned that it prints well with PLA.

dave

I thought I read somewhere you should remove the nozzle when it's heated up to temperature. Is this true? Or can I talk it off cold?
And how do I clean the nozzle? With ABS I just let it soak in acetone over night, but now this is PLA, and I'm not sure what has the same effect.
Thanks again for all your help