How to properly load flex filament into MK3?
I am in Sydney and got the flex from bilby 3d. I've seen tips and tricks for the MK2, which I assume is close enough to the MK3.
But I was looking for a demonstration or better instructions of the correct way to load the filament.
For flex, the manual just says to load some PLA first and then loosen the screws. I already had some PLA loaded, so I thought I would just preheat, wait for it to start dripping, unload the PLA then load the flex as normal.
Some of the old PLA came out of the extruder, but the flex never seems to make it into the extruder. If I unload the flex and pull the filament out, I can see that the end I cut off is still the same. I've tried increasing the tension on the springs in quarter turns, but that just ends up with the filament eventually spilling out the sides and around the gears.
Thinking about this, I imagine the steps would be:
1. Preheat to whatever filament is loaded.
2. When filament starts dripping, unload filament.
3. Load PLA to clear the nozzle.
4. Unload PLA.
5. Loosen the tension screws (how much???)
6. Load the flex filament.
What's the right way to load flex?
Re: How to properly load flex filament into MK3?
I've been able to load and print both NGEN Flex (Shore A 95 hardness) and Inland TPE (Shore A 85) without any special loading procedures. It does take a bit to start flowing, but once it started, it was nothing unusual to get started with. I did cut the tip into a point. You might want to visually confirm that it's making its way down past the extruder into the PTFE tube.
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Re: How to properly load flex filament into MK3?
So I managed to load my filament:
0. Unload and untangle the filament if you have too.
1. Undo the tension screws all the way out.
2. Cut the filament to a point so that you have a clean end and besides the cut end, the filament is of the right diameter i
3. Insert filament as usual. Get your allen key ready. Move cursor to "Load Filament" but don't load it yet.
4. Gently squeeze the gears together. When you have the right amount of tension, you'll see it extrude nicely.
5. Screw in the tension screws just enough to maintain this pressure ii.
6. Struggle with print settings in Slic3r
i. If the tension was too high before and the filament got tangled and squashed, sections of the filament was streched and deformed. This seemed to make it harder for the gears to grab the filament and makes it easier for the filament to spit out the side.
ii. You can feel a bit a give if the tension is not right. Under tension the screws if you are unsure and then increase the tension in quarter turns. Select "No" when it asks about the colour if you need more time to adjust the screws. And check that the extrusion smooth and uniform.
My test print made it 30% of the way through with good results before it looked like the filament stopped extruding. I think the poor quality of my filament is to blame. The material itself seems good. But it is not neatly wound and there are some noticable bends which I think causes problems feeding the filament.