Clog in top of Heat Brake
Hello,
I recieved my Prusa i3 MK2 kit yesterday, built it overnight, started calibrating the next day with no problems.
As I was about to start printing the Prusa logo, I started the Prusa to preheat for PLA. I then attempted to load the PLA, but the PLA wouldn't go in.
The extruder stepper motor started clicking due to the PLA not going down, so I quickly cancelled to prevent possible damage. I carefully inserted a piece of wire and found that it only went down 5CM from the top of the extruder housing.
Video of what happens:
Is the Heat Brake clog as I think it is? If so, what's the best method to clean it?
Re: Clog in top of Heat Brake
Makes me wonder if you are not having the same issues I got. It sounds exactly the same, incl. the final comment 🙂
My filamement never loads right and gets stuck on the PTFE tube not even entering the heat break. Try to load filament and once its stuck, unscrew the 2 tensioning screws and flip open the cover to see how far the filament got.
Things that help with this issue:
- make sure the brass pulley is aligned properly with the PTFE tube
- losen the tension of the 2 tension screws. The manual says 13mm is recommended. Try 14mm (while filamemt is loaded)
- cut filament at a steep angle so it has a pointy tip. When loading filamemnt, make sure the pointy end faces towards the inside of the tube and the angled side towards the outside. This way its easier to slide past the edge of the tube.
- i used a scalpel to smooth out the PTFE tube that got pretty chewed up in all of this. If you do, make sure no crumbs fall into the hotend, as you will end up with one heck of a clog.