All Hope is Lost

[Zulfe]

If you saw my latest thread a few weeks ago, you'll know that I purchased a spool of mystery filament from MakerGeeks and received a lime green ABS. I think this was the worst thing I've ever done when it comes to my i3v. Ever since, I've had an unfixable issue with filament jams and the hobbed bolt tearing at other, quality filaments in the extruder block. I've taken apart the entire hot end 2 times now, soaking the brass pieces in acetone for 3 days on the latter time. No matter what I do, I cannot keep the filament from extruding a little, then f***ing up and getting chewed up, making an easy 4 inches of material useless. I've probably wasted 1/4 of a spool of quality MakerFarm filament just trying to fix the issue with various idler tensions and extrusion speeds -- nothing works. MakerGeeks' Chinese rebrand (my shipment box even had Chinese on it, c'mon MakerGeeks) trash wrecked my hot end.

I'm ordering an E3Dv6 Bowden and I'll have to somehow mount it so I can actually print mounting parts.

I'm welcome to any suggestions before I toss away my old J-Head 0.35mm since it's done. I'm not even worried about destroying it at this point.

[CalifDan]

Zulfe,

I don't know which filament you are using, but Makerfarm had a bad batch of 3mm too. It might be that one is following the other as a problem. I had trouble with it and a discussion or two with Colin about it. I believe that he fixed the supply issue and he did offer me a refund.

I am going to be adding a second printer soon and the next one is planned with the E3Dv6 and 1.75mm Bulldog. I have the extruder and Bulldog and am working on the mount before I order the printer. I probably will start putting it together in November. This one is going to be a slow build using some of the ideas I have collected from this great group here. Then, if that works well, I may go back and overhaul/change the 3mm Makerfarm with some of those same ideas.

[Zulfe]

I printed the first 1/2 of the spool just fine. It was only after I used the Chinese rebrand that I started experiencing these issues. If I'm remembering correctly, the MakerFarm white that I have was the fastest filament that I had ever gotten up and running. I had the tension perfect and it just run smooth and bonded nicely.

I like your ideas, though. I might move over to 1.75mm just to use a lighter extruder block and because the E3Dv6 offers the 1.75mm Universal, which would be useful for starting prints in direct, then moving to Bowden. Make sure to make a Thingiverse collection so I can print off and use your designed components!

[CalifDan]

Zulfe,

When I get it working, I will share all the files and build.

The problem I had with that last batch of 3mm from Makerfarm was in the last half of the roll. In fact, most of my problems seem to happen later in the roll of all the filaments I have tried and the reasons have varied. I had one roll that was simply wound poorly and I had to watch each print and make sure the filament was not looping over itself coming off the roll. That was a Makerfarm roll. I had problems with 1.75 taking a set as it got closer to the center of the roll that was so tight it was having trouble staying straight feeding between the feed bolt and extruder hole. Part of the problem there, I think, is that the extruder setup is designed for either 3mm or 1.75 and running 1.75 into the larger hole might be adding to the problem. I had a lot of jams that were just bent filament between the bolt and the extruder hole. I kept thinking it was heat, but I am not sure. That is the reason I went to 3mm and also the reason I am working on the E3D and the Bulldog setup.

I took the old 1.75 hex apart a number of times thinking the jam was internal. I am not sure it ever was, but managed to destroy it trying to get it to work. I have great hopes for the E3D.

[AbuMaia]

it was having trouble staying straight feeding between the feed bolt and extruder hole. Part of the problem there, I think, is that the extruder setup is designed for either 3mm or 1.75 and running 1.75 into the larger hole might be adding to the problem. I had a lot of jams that were just bent filament between the bolt and the extruder hole.

I think I unknowingly mitigated this problem by taking some of the PTFE tubing that came with my E3D v6 1.75 universal and stuffing it into the hole in the base of the Greg's Wade extruder, and having another length going from the top of the E3D down inside to the heat break.

[CalifDan]

AbuMaia,

I am not setting the E3D up with the Wades, but getting the PTFE with the E3D also caused me to consider what you did. I think if I were to set up the E3D with the Wades I would do the same thing. I can't see how it could hurt.

[jtice]

Did you try cleaning the nozzle out with guitar string?
I had some issues a while ago with filament extruding oddly out of the nozzle, if you had it raised off the bed it would curl badly to one side.
I ended up poking a guitar string down through the nozzle while it was hot, and I noticed some resistance the first few tries, then it popped through.
(make sure to measure your string/wire and make sure its a bit smaller dia. than your nozzle)

[Zulfe]

Did you try cleaning the nozzle out with guitar string?
I had some issues a while ago with filament extruding oddly out of the nozzle, if you had it raised off the bed it would curl badly to one side.
I ended up poking a guitar string down through the nozzle while it was hot, and I noticed some resistance the first few tries, then it popped through.
(make sure to measure your string/wire and make sure its a bit smaller dia. than your nozzle)

Using this method, I think I found why the hot end keeps jamming. When I ran it and the filament makes the clicking noise I get every time it stops working, I ran a guitar string through it and pulled out a wad of filament that looks like a slightly melted piece of filament, the shape is still very close to the original, unmelted filament. This might just be the filament melted in the tube, but that's what I keep finding when I run a string through it. Maybe the filament isn't melting fast enough? I'm running test extrusions at 100mm/min in Pronterface, but I've always run that without issues, both on my white MakerFarm filament and on my black IC3D filament. Still, though, when I run it I get the same issue as before, like nothing I could possibly do will fix it aside from fork out $80 for a hot end is better in the long run.