Ruby Nozzle Cleaning
Can a cold pull damage a ruby nozzle? Is there a procedure for cleaning a ruby nozzle?
I recently ruined a ruby nozzle after I had a partial blockage when I was poking around in there with a 0.4mm acupuncture needle trying to unblock it. I noticed that a few chips had broken off the exterior of the nozzle, I thought to myself there goes $90 down the drain. My eyesight is not what it used to be, so fumbling around trying to find the hole was reminiscent of my younger days of coming home to the girlfriend after a Friday night bender, I can tell you it wasn't fun for either of us hehe.
I have some esun cleaning filament but I haven't tried the cold pull method yet because I'm worried that it may dislodge the ruby. My second mk3s has also got a ruby nozzle on it and I absolutely love the idea of having the thermal properties of brass and being able to throw just about any material through it and have consistent results without worrying about premature wear on the nozzle.
Is there a way to clean my Ruby nozzles safely without having to physically touch them with any sharp instruments?
RE: Ruby Nozzle Cleaning
The Ruby is hard, but still chippable: even an accidental impact with a part or accidental impact into the bed during a first layer cal can be problematic. Flexing a steel needle through it is - as you learned - not recommended.
A cold pull is fine; as is an acetone wipe to clean the exterior of the nozzle; even a nylon brush works: just don't use metal tools to clean it.
RE: Ruby Nozzle Cleaning
The easiest and safest is flushing it with a cleaning filament. They do work. The next is a cold pull using the cleaning filament and all the rest that Tim recommends. Using a silicone sock will protect the nozzle from getting covered in plastic on the outside, removing most of the need for outside cleaning.
On a side note, ruby isn't super brittle, and I wouldn't be too worried even using a fine brass wire brush on it, but sticking a steel needle through and wiggling around it is the worst case scenario.