Clogged Nozzle Cleaning and Thermal Paste Suggestion
Hello All,
I recently got some PLA jammed in my heat break. I put it in the oven and gently used a piece of bailing wire to push the soft filament out, but there is still a little left in there. Are there any methods you all have found useful to clean PLA from a heatbreak? Also, could anyone suggest a product that would allow me to clean the extruder while still mounted/assembled?
Additionally, what brand of thermal paste should I buy for reassembling the hot end? No one has found anything online, and E3D doesn't suggest a brand. Any help is appreciated.
Benjamin
Re: Clogged Nozzle Cleaning and Thermal Paste Suggestion
Benjamin
I just use regular CPU thermal paste, but make sure it is not one that sets rock hard when heated over extended periods.
With regard the the filament jam; you need to determine what caused it and ensure it doesn't happen again!
Peter
Please note: I do not have any affiliation with Prusa Research. Any advices given are offered in good faith. It is your responsibility to ensure that by following my advice you do not suffer or cause injury, damage…
Re: Clogged Nozzle Cleaning and Thermal Paste Suggestion
Benjamin
I just use regular CPU thermal paste, but make sure it is not one that sets rock hard when heated over extended periods.
With regard the the filament jam; you need to determine what caused it and ensure it doesn't happen again!
Peter
I was considering using that, but many of them are not rated to 300C, and I assumed that they would burn when printing ABS or PETG. Also, I believe the issue was due to the PLA expanding slightly before melting; I have seen reports of this on reddit and other forums, and I will try lowering my nozzle temp and lowering my retraction length. I believe the retraction settings were modified in the 1.7.3 software pack, but I will check. Do you have a suggestion for nozzle cleaning? Preferably one that I can do with the printer assembled?
Benjamin
Re: Clogged Nozzle Cleaning and Thermal Paste Suggestion
Benjamin
I usually use the Ultimaker "Atomic Method" to clean the nozzle. Retraction is a likely possible cause of the problem. I use a maximum retraction of 1.5mm, but depending on temperatures you could get away with less.
There are a few models on Thingiverse used for getting retraction set properly.
Sometimes, it is better to get the move carried out immediately after the wipe, rather than waiting for retraction to happen.
Peter
EDIT: Yes, I see retraction is now set at only 0.8mm in the latest Slic3r profiles (I still use 1.5mm - it is very much filament/temperature dependant).
Please note: I do not have any affiliation with Prusa Research. Any advices given are offered in good faith. It is your responsibility to ensure that by following my advice you do not suffer or cause injury, damage…
Re: Clogged Nozzle Cleaning and Thermal Paste Suggestion
in regards to the thermal paste, i would say its not really necessary to reapply it.
Ive had to reassemble my v6 and did not reapply , and have not had any issues.
E3D's own assembly instructions say "This improves heat-transfer from the heat-break threads to the heat-sink for slightly better thermal performance in marginal cases." which translates to me that its only a slightly marginal improvement and you'll be fine without it. 😛