Need a replacement E-axis  

Re: Need a replacement E-axis

That is just absolutely tragic.

Contact support by Email. I've heard that they can take a few days to get back to you, but I'm sure they'll best be able to help you out.

Re: Need a replacement E-axis

Well crap, I was hoping that the new printers would be more immune to this condition. Happened on my mk2 also. My blob was so intertwined in the heater block I have up cleaning it out and ordered a new hot end directly from E3D.

Re: Need a replacement E-axis

i recovered one of my printer at work from such condition.

Here's what i did:
disassemble the E-axis as far as possible but let all electrics connected.

put the hotend and all that sticks to it on a heat resistant surface.

Set hot end to 220 °C or more.

Wait.

Wait longer until the block get soft.

carefully remove the hotend from the blob of PLA.

Warning: the 3D printed parts of the e-axis may also get soft or melt.

Re: Need a replacement E-axis

Wonder why don't they create a heat resistant cover that protects the critical parts like the sensor and heater wires from this condition?

Seems like it would save a lot of headaches, and make these far more user friendly. Could even use it to insulate the block so it effectively has more thermal mass.

Would be pretty cool if you could just slip a cover off, and the whole mess would come with it!
Slide on another one, and be printing in minutes.

Why and how do these start fundamentally?

I have never had more than a small tendril that was not supported flip up and melt on the nozzle.

What does it take to get a full on block hugger started like that?

Re: Need a replacement E-axis

Well crap, I was hoping that the new printers would be more immune to this condition. Happened on my mk2 also. My blob was so intertwined in the heater block I have up cleaning it out and ordered a new hot end directly from E3D.

Yeah, I was *really* pressing my luck. I made a few critical mistakes:

* Fattened my initial layer to 0.35mm, so that my MeshMixer supports would match up.
* Left before the first layer completed printing.
* Didn't check on it until the next morning.

Re: Need a replacement E-axis

Well crap, I was hoping that the new printers would be more immune to this condition. Happened on my mk2 also. My blob was so intertwined in the heater block I have up cleaning it out and ordered a new hot end directly from E3D.

Yeah, I was *really* pressing my luck. I made a few critical mistakes:

* Fattened my initial layer to 0.35mm, so that my MeshMixer supports would match up.
* Left before the first layer completed printing.
* Didn't check on it until the next morning.

FYI, you don't have to replace the whole thing. You can get away with just block, heater element and thermistor. If you have a torch you can likely salvage the nozzle. If your thermistor and heater element are still intact you can heat up your hot end to something hotter than the material (pla, i go 240) and wait a few minutes after it reaches temp and pull gently with pliers. You can do this until you break the thermistor which will trip a thermal runaway warning and shutoff. With the extruder detatched I heat up the bits with a direct heat source kinda far away. The aluminum block will warp if you're too close. Once you remove the nozzle with the ratchet/ heat, pliers and gloves, hold it inverted just far enough away from the heat source to melt the plastic but not overheat the nozzle. You will get the plastic to liquify and melt away and the nozzle may be usable if it doesn't warp. Let it cool on its own, don't rapidly cool it by sticking it in water or ice bath.n I was unsuccessful with brass nozzle, but successful with hardened steel at doing this. I used less heat the second time which I think is the key for this possibly working with the brass nozzle.

Re: Need a replacement E-axis

Well crap, I was hoping that the new printers would be more immune to this condition. Happened on my mk2 also. My blob was so intertwined in the heater block I have up cleaning it out and ordered a new hot end directly from E3D.

Yeah, I was *really* pressing my luck. I made a few critical mistakes:

* Fattened my initial layer to 0.35mm, so that my MeshMixer supports would match up.
* Left before the first layer completed printing.
* Didn't check on it until the next morning.

Never mess with the first layer settings, presets are matched to the first layer calibratio. 0.35 is almost as large as the nozzle orifice and if you left the extrusion width default, it could never stick :-/

Re: Need a replacement E-axis

Never mess with the first layer settings, presets are matched to the first layer calibratio. 0.35 is almost as large as the nozzle orifice and if you left the extrusion width default, it could never stick :-/

Indeed. Totally my fault. 🙂

I wanted to use Meshmixer supports *and* a 0.35mm layer height (for the other layers). Meshmixer doesn't understand different layers being different thicknesses, so I had to do either 0.2mm all the way (which would've been a 24 hour print), or have supports not suited for my layer height, so I thought it would be worth the risk.

Oh well. I've mailed support. Hoping I can buy a new e-axis. The MK3 is sooooo much better and faster than my MK2S.

-Laen