FLEX stuck in the hotend
Built the printer approx 2 weeks ago. Been printing PLA and PETG all day and night ever since. Used Filatech FilaFlex40 on a part this morning. It did pretty good until the end where I had some variable layer heights, then no bueno. I had some other things to do and the printer sat unused, cooling and loaded for about 4 hours.
I changed my slicer settings and tried to reprint but nothing is coming out of the extruder. I tried to unload the filament but it won't come out. I could break it, but that seems like a bad first step. I popped the side door open and that didn't help one bit. The FilaFlex40 is stuck in the hotend.
So I'm reaching out for advise.
RE: FLEX stuck in the hotend
I tried heating up the hotend to ASA hot, and shoving the poker up the tip ... but that didn't work.
RE: FLEX stuck in the hotend
Can you grab onto enough of the filament to try a 'cold pull' procedure?
RE: FLEX stuck in the hotend
@jsw
Yes I haven't pulled hard enough to break the filament yet. I've heated up the hotend to as hot as it will go (ASA setting) but it still won't release.
RE: FLEX stuck in the hotend
I've never used flex, so I'm not really the one to be authoritative on how to un-jam it, maybe someone who has done a cold pull with a flex filament will respond.
What I would sure try if I were in this position would be to heat the hotend up like to 250 or so and let it sit a while to let the warmth rise and spread and hopefully loosen and soften the jammed filament and then carefully but firmly try to extract it from the top. Please keep in mind that this suggestion is all intuitive, as I've never had to deal with stuck flex.
RE: FLEX stuck in the hotend
I've never used flex, so I'm not really the one to be authoritative on how to un-jam it, maybe someone who has done a cold pull with a flex filament will respond.
What I would sure try if I were in this position would be to heat the hotend up like to 250 or so and let it sit a while to let the warmth rise and spread and hopefully loosen and soften the jammed filament and then carefully but firmly try to extract it from the top. Please keep in mind that this suggestion is all intuitive, as I've never had to deal with stuck flex.
I did heat it up to 260 and tried a pull, but I didn't really let it sit and radiate heat. Trying that now.
RE: FLEX stuck in the hotend
OK it's fixed. I heat it up, waited, then opened some hatches and got there with the needle nose. I made it my b$%^@. She's cooperating now. Thank you.
RE: FLEX stuck in the hotend
Glad that helped.
RE: FLEX stuck in the hotend
Flex should come with big warning labels. That stuff love to ball up above the Bondtech.
Fortunately - it is really tough and hard to break. I also worked it out with needle nose - after stretching it a lot.