Nozzle coming out full of gunk on threads
Switching nozzles is something that i would like to do more often however i get constant annoying thermal runnway errors when switching. When i take out my nozzles they are usually full of gunk on the threads and i'm a bit afraid of reusing them cause it might cause some sort of damage.
Here are a couple of pictures of the nozzles and the hotend.
Is this something i should be worried about?
RE: Nozzle coming out full of gunk on threads
When I swap nozzles, I always clean the old one with the help of a heat gun and a brass wire brush. Look like new. If you swap nozzles a lot, it may be worth investing into a Dragon hotend or a Revo. I have the Dragon on all my Minis and Mk3s. The Dragon makes single handed nozzle changes possible and otherwise just works like the standard hotend. The Revo is the new E3D system for single handed swaps. I have one but have not installed it because the Dragon works great and I've seen just too many reports of issues with the Revo, not surprising given that it's new technology.
Formerly known on this forum as @fuchsr -- until all hell broke loose with the forum software...
RE: Nozzle coming out full of gunk on threads
Actually, gunk on the nozzle itself is normal but gunk on the threads indicate that they weren't properly installed. If nozzle and heat break are properly aligned and you hot tighten the nozzle at 280 degrees, there shouldn't be gunk on the threads.
Formerly known on this forum as @fuchsr -- until all hell broke loose with the forum software...
RE: Nozzle coming out full of gunk on threads
I always set the nozzle temp at 280 degrees and change them but I'm afraid that I will have to buy the proper tools to do so. For now a new hotend seems excessive but if this keeps going I'm going to seriously consider.
Do you think is there anything wrong with the hotend now or if I clean the nozzle and change it cleanly the issue disappears?
RE: Nozzle coming out full of gunk on threads
I'll second the Revo suggestion if you want to do frequent nozzle swaps. I have two (Micro in my Mini+ and Voron in my Trident). Swapping nozzles is as easy and foolproof as advertised. I never swapped nozzles on the stock hot end and really didn't want to deal with it, especially knowing the Revo was coming.
The Micro has about 350 print hours on it with zero issues. The Voron got about 20 hours and is now showing signs of a bad thermistor or wiring. I'm currently working with E3D to try and get a replacement.
Mini+ (kit) - Revo Micro | Antler Cooling | WiFi (4.4.0RC1)
RE: Nozzle coming out full of gunk on threads
Update: I have a replacement heater block on its way from E3D. 🙂
Mini+ (kit) - Revo Micro | Antler Cooling | WiFi (4.4.0RC1)
RE: Nozzle coming out full of gunk on threads
Clean the nozzle and put it back in. If you keep getting gunk on the threads take the hotend apart and reassemble it properly. It's not hard.
Somewhere between futzing with wrenches and spending the money on a Dragon or Revo is the Zcatch ( https://z-catch.com/product/nozzle-removal-tool-with-socket-set/ ). It's a nozzle removal tool that makes nozzle changes a lot easier. It grabs the heater block on front and back, not on the sides, so no interference with the thermistor and heater cables. It's also available from Amazon, PrintedSolid, etc.
I was a very happy user of it before switching hotends.
Formerly known on this forum as @fuchsr -- until all hell broke loose with the forum software...
RE: Nozzle coming out full of gunk on threads
Clean the nozzle and put it back in. If you keep getting gunk on the threads take the hotend apart and reassemble it properly. It's not hard.
Somewhere between futzing with wrenches and spending the money on a Dragon or Revo is the Zcatch ( https://z-catch.com/product/nozzle-removal-tool-with-socket-set/ ). It's a nozzle removal tool that makes nozzle changes a lot easier. It grabs the heater block on front and back, not on the sides, so no interference with the thermistor and heater cables. It's also available from Amazon, PrintedSolid, etc.
I was a very happy user of it before switching hotends.
Thank you for the suggestions. I'm will wait till the end of the month when I'm on vacation to reassemble the heatblock so I can have more time. To be honest it's a little daunting but I'm sure I can make it work.
If I still have issues I'm just gonna upgrade. Between keep spending to diagnose the issue and more tools for the job just seem smarter to resolve the problem at its source.
Thank you so much for the help