Notifications
Clear all

Can't change filament  

  RSS
Matt Boyer
(@matt-boyer)
Estimable Member
Can't change filament

Want to change the filament (after a print).  UNLOAD FILAMENT - it heats up and retract the filament from the bowden tube but doesn't come all the way out.  Pulling hard on it doesn't do anything.

This is the first time using this printer in about a year.  It's a friend's Mini (not+ yet) that I borrowed yesterday. 

I am going to pop the back end of the bowden tube off, cut the tip and try to pull it through.  That's the plan.  How do I keep this from happening next time?  What's the correct menu path to change filament?

Posted : 24/03/2022 2:35 pm
Matt Boyer
(@matt-boyer)
Estimable Member
Topic starter answered:
RE: Can't change filament

Took the tube off but the filament is still stuck in the motor.  Won't move either direction even with the motor moving.  On the MK3 I'd open the little door and grab it with needle nose.  No door on the Mini 🙁

Posted : 24/03/2022 2:47 pm
fuchsr
(@fuchsr)
Famed Member
RE:

No, but it's an easy disassembly: https://help.prusa3d.com/en/guide/how-to-access-and-clean-the-extruder-pulley-mini-mini_126457/

Posted : 24/03/2022 5:03 pm
TitPrus
(@titprus)
New Member
RE: Can't change filament

Ce qui peut aider quand il y a un blocage au déchargement , avant de démonter , c'est de faire un chargement puis un déchargement , ça marche la plus part du temps

Posted : 25/03/2022 10:30 am
Grandpa Joe
(@grandpa-joe)
Eminent Member
RE: Can't change filament

I am having the same issue.  It happens when there is supposed to be a filament color change when printing layers.  If I am there when the extruder is ejecting the filament and can grab it to finish pulling it fully out of the extruder, then loading the next color seems to go well.  If I am not there, the extruder ejects the filament, but not all the way. When I try later, the filament will not come out.  I know that disassembling the extruder and cleaning the gears seems to be the way to take care of this, but I am in the middle of a print and not wanting to disassemble the extruder at this point - can’t turn power off, because then the print has ended and I will need to start over. 

 At this point, I answer no to “has it fully ejected?” And am told to open the top door and pull it out.  This does NOT work.   I have some success leaving the stuck filament there.  I then unscrew the PTFE tube from the extruder and feed a short piece of filament to the extruder. Now I tell it that the filament has been ejected and choose to load the next color.   It tries, doesn’t load, because the filament is stuck, tries “purging” at the hot end, which doesn’t produce anything since the filament hasn’t advanced. It will ask if the color is right. At this point I feed a short piece of filament backwards into the extruder and choose “retry”.  The extruder then thinks it has more filament to eject and takes the short pice of filament into the extruder and ejects it which pushes the stuck filament out.   Reattaching the PTFE tube and then trying to load the next one properly will sometimes work.  

Later, after the job has completed, I have taken the extruder apart to try to clean things out properly.  Sometimes the steps that have been discussed work, sometimes they don’t and the disassembly and cleaning has to be repeated.

Posted : 06/05/2022 2:49 pm
Grandpa Joe
(@grandpa-joe)
Eminent Member
RE: Can't change filament

Are you talking about taking the PTFE tube off that is  used to supply the filament to extruder?  IF so - how is that done.  I can’t seem to find anything that will allow me to take this supply tube out.  

Posted : 06/05/2022 2:52 pm
Share: