Week old printer with extruding problems
I have had my printer assembled for less than a week. I followed the steps for calibrating and even printed a dozen or so things without issue. Then I went to print something and the print came loose from the bed and the plastic made spaghetti for a bit. I caught it before it got all tangled up in the printer, but since then it doesn't want to print consistently. Thinking that I had clogged the nozzle, I followed the instructions for clearing the clog using both the acupuncture needle and the cold pull method. The cold pull filament never really showed that it was pulling anything out of the nozzle. When I load filament or use the settings menu to push filament through, it seems to flow out nice and even. I started out at the "before you ask" topic and followed the advice and excellent instructions on calibration and went through the calibration steps laid out there. I set the live adjust z value using those instructions. The paper caught at .585mm, so I backed off to .535 per the instructions. I continued with the instructions to further calibrate the live adjust z value using the .gcode file found in https://shop.prusa3d.com/forum/prusa-i3-kit-building-calibrating-first-print-main-f6/life-adjust-z-my-way-t2981.html . The first print looked bad, but also looked as though the lines weren't squished enough.
However, even after modifying the live adjust z value to get a better outline, the content still had holes.
I've ordered more nozzles, but with how nicely the filament flows when just testing, I'm doubtful that changing the nozzle is going to fix the problem. Any ideas on what I need to adjust or replace. And any ideas what I might have done to cause it to stop working after a few days?
Thanks.
Re: Week old printer with extruding problems
I think you might have inadvertently misadjusted the idler tensioning springs on the extruder.
Check if they are set to 14mm when empty, and 13.3mm when filament is loaded.
Re: Week old printer with extruding problems
Thanks for your suggestion. They measure 14mm without filament loaded and 13.5mm with. I measured with two different filaments just to make sure that I didn't get a bad filament. One of the two was the filament shipped with the kit.
Re: Week old printer with extruding problems
If not the tension, it could be:
1) Set screw on hob pulley is not engaged on extruder motor shaft (thus motor turns, but hob pulley does not.)
2) Filment spool is resisting feeding into printer due to spool holder friction.
3) Blockage in hotend - use cleaning filament or do a cold pull or a nozzle cleaner
4) Bad temperature for the filament (doubt)
5) Intermittent stepper motor connection (electrical)
Any advices given are offered in good faith. It is your responsibility to ensure that by following my advice you do not suffer or cause injury, damage or loss. If you solve your problem, please post the solution…
Re: Week old printer with extruding problems
Could someone please explain what you mean by 14mm on the tensioner springs? I'm having issues with not enough material being extruded during prints.
Re: Week old printer with extruding problems
Things have gone from bad to worse. Although I hadn't yet considered the possibility of the stepper motor connection being an issue, and it really felt like a blockage. I had already attempted both the acupuncture needle and doing a cold pull to clean the blockage. I found another forum post where the blockage was higher up in the extruder and attempted to take it apart. The heater cartridge wires broke off the hotend. I purchased another heater cartridge, but I can't seem to break the screw loose that's holding the original one in place.
@brad.s8...the reference to the 14mm on the tensioner springs is from Step 19 of the Extruder Assembly section ( http://manual.prusa3d.com/Guide/5.+Extruder+Assembly/295#_ga=2.223810392.275430615.1508369517-670762251.1503622398 )
Re: Week old printer with extruding problems
Things have gone from bad to worse. Although I hadn't yet considered the possibility of the stepper motor connection being an issue, and it really felt like a blockage. I had already attempted both the acupuncture needle and doing a cold pull to clean the blockage. I found another forum post where the blockage was higher up in the extruder and attempted to take it apart. The heater cartridge wires broke off the hotend. I purchased another heater cartridge, but I can't seem to break the screw loose that's holding the original one in place.
@brad.s8...the reference to the 14mm on the tensioner springs is from Step 19 of the Extruder Assembly section ( http://manual.prusa3d.com/Guide/5.+Extruder+Assembly/295#_ga=2.223810392.275430615.1508369517-670762251.1503622398 )
It is best to loosen those screws if the hotend is hot. use a heat gun or small torch to heat it up to loosen the screws... Be careful. Can burn.
Any advices given are offered in good faith. It is your responsibility to ensure that by following my advice you do not suffer or cause injury, damage or loss. If you solve your problem, please post the solution…