PLA now giving trouble - diagnosis?
I just switched back to PLA which was printing pretty exquisitely I switched from pet G and now it’s not printing correctly any ideas on why its printing like this?
Best Answer by bobstro:
When you switch from a higher temp filament (e.g., PETG) to a lower temp filament (e.g., PLA), it's possible for a bit of filament debris to get left behind in the hotend and nozzle. If this happens, you can get a partial clog from material that won't melt out. This can result in a number of extrusion problems depending on how bad the clog is. An easy way to clear partial clogs is a cold pull. You use a higher-temp material -- I like eSun cleaning filament -- to ensure everything is melted out.
- Heat up the nozzle to a temp higher than your highest-temp filament (e.g., I use 265C for eSun cleaning filament).
- Run some of the cleaning filament through the nozzle.
- Stop and turn off the heaters and let the filament fully cool.
At this point, you've got the cleaning filament stuck in the hotend with any debris trapped within.
- Loosen the extruder tension screws.
- Start heating the nozzle again.
- As the temp moves above 70C, start a slow, steady pull from above.
- At some point, the filament should pull out from above, removing the partial clog.
Here's what a good cold pull result looks like:
More notes here and a Prusa knowledgebase article here for more info.
RE: PLA now giving trouble - diagnosis?
When you switch from a higher temp filament (e.g., PETG) to a lower temp filament (e.g., PLA), it's possible for a bit of filament debris to get left behind in the hotend and nozzle. If this happens, you can get a partial clog from material that won't melt out. This can result in a number of extrusion problems depending on how bad the clog is. An easy way to clear partial clogs is a cold pull. You use a higher-temp material -- I like eSun cleaning filament -- to ensure everything is melted out.
- Heat up the nozzle to a temp higher than your highest-temp filament (e.g., I use 265C for eSun cleaning filament).
- Run some of the cleaning filament through the nozzle.
- Stop and turn off the heaters and let the filament fully cool.
At this point, you've got the cleaning filament stuck in the hotend with any debris trapped within.
- Loosen the extruder tension screws.
- Start heating the nozzle again.
- As the temp moves above 70C, start a slow, steady pull from above.
- At some point, the filament should pull out from above, removing the partial clog.
Here's what a good cold pull result looks like:
More notes here and a Prusa knowledgebase article here for more info.
RE: PLA now giving trouble - diagnosis?
@bobstro
this makes so much sense! thank you for the comprehensive reply! 🤗