Nozzles  

RE: Nozzles

The nozzle is an important printer element. For this reason, I would not save money there. I bought a tungsten carbide. It is high quality, lasts forever and prints all materials. If you only print PLA ,PETG or similar, an E3D brass nozzle is sufficient. There are also high quality nozzles at aliexpress (trianglelab).

https://www.3dmakerengineering.com/products/tungsten-carbide-3d-printer-nozzle

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32835656952.html?spm=2114.12010612.8148356.17.d02541d1znIOlP

RE: Nozzles

Don't cheap out on nozzles! The cheapest nozzles are all drilled from the same blank. Better quality nozzles will adhere to the E3D V6 nozzle dimensions, which makes a big impact on print quality. The dimension of the neck around the opening is important. It should increase in size along with the nozzle opening diameter. This is what gives you the "squish" necessary for good inter-layer adhesion. Here's a good pic from TriangleLab showing the difference.

I've seen several instances of cheap brass shearing off during removal after long use. I like E3D's nickel-plated copper and P3-D's Apollo series for non-abrasive filaments. E3D's Nozzle-X are good, but are just nice coated hardened steel in the end. I haven't gone for any of the real exotics, but people do seem to like them.

RE: Nozzles

@karl-herbert

Ooo thanks. I'll probably pick up a pack of the trianglelab nozzles at least. I figure even if I use a high wear filament every once in a blue moon I can just swap the nozzle out afterwards and keep on trucking. 

Is there anything different you need to do/change while using Tungsten Carbide? 

RE: Nozzles

@bobstro

Yeah looks like spending a few extra dollars is definitely worth it. Glad to be seeing all these available options at least. I feel that with abrasive filaments though, I will feel less bad spoiling a $8 nozzle vs a $20 nozzle. 

Would you say the triangle labs are a suitable clone of the E3d?

RE: Nozzles

Posted by: @dragon1291

@karl-herbert

Ooo thanks. I'll probably pick up a pack of the trianglelab nozzles at least. I figure even if I use a high wear filament every once in a blue moon I can just swap the nozzle out afterwards and keep on trucking. 

Is there anything different you need to do/change while using Tungsten Carbide? 

No. The tungsten carbide from the above manufacturer has the same dimensions as the E3D. Thermal conductivity is about the same as brass, so nothing needs to be changed in terms of temperatures (unlike the steel nozzle).

RE: Nozzles

Posted by: @dragon1291

[...] Yeah looks like spending a few extra dollars is definitely worth it. Glad to be seeing all these available options at least. I feel that with abrasive filaments though, I will feel less bad spoiling a $8 nozzle vs a $20 nozzle. 

If you're printing with abrasives, you can easily destroy a brass nozzle easily before printing a full spool. You're not just risking the $8 nozzle, but also the $30+ spool of nice filament and your time when a print fails partway. Definitely use hardened nozzles if printing abrasives. It's cheaper in the end, less frustrating, and saves time. Well worth an additional few bucks, especially if in $20 nozzle outlives 4-5 $8 nozzles.

RE: Nozzles

Posted by: @dragon1291

[...] Yeah looks like spending a few extra dollars is definitely worth it. Glad to be seeing all these available options at least. I feel that with abrasive filaments though, I will feel less bad spoiling a $8 nozzle vs a $20 nozzle. 

If you're printing with abrasives, you can easily destroy a brass nozzle easily before printing a full spool. You're not just risking the $8 nozzle, but also the $30+ spool of nice filament and your time when a print fails partway. Definitely use hardened nozzles if printing abrasives. It's cheaper in the end, less frustrating, and saves time. Well worth an additional few bucks, especially if in $20 nozzle outlives 4-5 $8 nozzles.

RE: Nozzles

For anything not abrasive I really like the nickel-plated copper nozzles by E3D.  I've ordered them both from PrintedSolid.com and Amazon.

Another idea is to get something like the E3D nozzle pro pack ( https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CYYB99D ), which allows you to explore nickel-plated copper and steel nozzles as well as sizes other than 0.4mm.

RE: Nozzles

Is there a European source (producer or distributor) for tungsten carbide V6 nozzles anyone would recommend?

RE: Nozzles

... and if there is no other option than purchasing directly from the US, can anyone tell me what kind of hidden costs, if any one has to expect when ordering from the EU for orders less than 100USD? I mean, tax, customs etc?

RE: Nozzles

EU:  How baout 3D Jake or directly from e3D?

https://www.3djake.com/e3d/v6-plated-copper-nozzle-175mm?sai=7205&ctry=US

RE: Nozzles

@cwbullet

Neither 3D Jake nor e3D do sell Tungsten Carbide nozzles though, do they?

RE: Nozzles

@thejiral

I'm was rely to the copper above.  I must have missed the word tungsten in your post.  You are going to pay the premium because I am not tracking a vendor in Europe.  

RE: Nozzles

ThisTungsten nozzle is sold out of China.  i have nto tried it but you might.  

RE: Nozzles

That's a "Tungsten Alloy" though, not Tungsten Carbide. I don't know much about those exotic nozzle materials myself. I suppose that above link to a US producer is the safest bet then.

I just thought the features described for Tungsten Carbide sound interesting and compared. Compared to a Ruby it is also still well priced and I would assume also less fragile.

But maybe a Plated Cooper Nozzle would do just as well. How durable is it with abrasive materials and does the better heat transfer compared to bronze mean one has to tweak print settings for it?

RE: Nozzles

Posted by: @thejiral

[...] But maybe a Plated Cooper Nozzle would do just as well. How durable is it with abrasive materials and does the better heat transfer compared to bronze mean one has to tweak print settings for it?

Plated copper nozzles are not as hard as hardened steel. P3-D's are coated and are somewhat harder than brass, but still nowhere near as durable as hardened steel. They're great for everyday printing with non-abrasive filament and are less likely to wear from occasional rubbing against infill and such abuse. If you intend to print abrasives, definitely look into hardened steel (e.g. P3-D Hercules, E3D Nozzle-X, or the Tungsten Carbide options).

RE: Nozzles

@bobstro

I would agree with that.  To be bluntly honest, I have not found a great reason to use the Tungsten nozzles.  They works and last longer but I can get a bronze nozzle fro less than $10.  Tungsten nozzles cose 5x the amount.  The Tungsten does not last 5 times longer nor print 5 times better so I am not seeing a benefit other than not having to swap them out when the abrasion opens the bore.  

RE: Nozzles

@thejiral

I bought the tungsten carbide nozzles here because I have not found a comparable good quality in Europe or anywhere else.

One piece costs about US$40. I ordered 2 pieces and paid 142 euros for the package (including all taxes and customs duties) to Austria.

RE: Nozzles

Posted by: @cwbullet

[...] To be bluntly honest, I have not found a great reason to use the Tungsten nozzles.  They works and last longer but I can get a bronze nozzle fro less than $10.  Tungsten nozzles cose 5x the amount.  The Tungsten does not last 5 times longer nor print 5 times better so I am not seeing a benefit other than not having to swap them out when the abrasion opens the bore. 

I came to the same conclusion. The tungsten carbide nozzles are great but are a solution to a problem I'm just not having yet. I'm getting good results with the plated/coated copper nozzles for non-abrasive prints, and have a few Nozzle-X/Hercules nozzles on hand if I do print abrasives. 

If it were just one nozzle, I'd probably jump in, but I regularly switch between 4-6 different nozzle sizes. Now with the 2nd printer requiring yet-another type, the costs do start to multiply quickly.

I suppose this echoes the advice on buying tools: Buy less expensive tools. When you wear one out, replace that specific tool with a higher-quality one. If I start burning through nozzles, at least I know tungsten carbide is a good option.