Heater Block Silicon Sock?  

RE: Heater Block Silicon Sock?

I've always used that non-stick coating in lieu of a sock.

RE: Heater Block Silicon Sock?

I'm reading a sock helps 'regulate heater block temperature' etc for higher quality prints - wondering if its just a marketing gimmick or whether they actually make a difference?

I guess they are cheap enough to just use for added protection if anything else......

RE: Heater Block Silicon Sock?

I would question the significance of that assertion.

Posted by: @iftibashir

I'm reading a sock helps 'regulate heater block temperature' etc for higher quality prints - wondering if its just a marketing gimmick or whether they actually make a difference?

I guess they are cheap enough to just use for added protection if anything else......

RE:

Been printing for less than a year, and have had a couple of (genuine E3D) socks deteriorate and mess up prints.  I am still using them, but I try to keep a close eye on condition.  I think on the whole they are probably a benefit.

RE: Heater Block Silicon Sock?

I always have a proper E3d silicone sock fitted.  Wouldn't print without one now. 

As well as making clean-up easier it does help regulate temperature of the hotend, inasmuch as you will quite often get the part fan cooling blowing up from the bed for the first few layers, or some part geometries can redirect the air back upwards and cause dips in the extruder temps.  A sock blocks nearly all of that.  That's probably more useful than the help with clean-up.

Don't forget to run a temperature PID after fitting one though.

RE: Heater Block Silicon Sock?

LCD Menu -> Calibration -> PID calibration?

Posted by: @neophyl

I always have a proper E3d silicone sock fitted.  Wouldn't print without one now. 

As well as making clean-up easier it does help regulate temperature of the hotend, inasmuch as you will quite often get the part fan cooling blowing up from the bed for the first few layers, or some part geometries can redirect the air back upwards and cause dips in the extruder temps.  A sock blocks nearly all of that.  That's probably more useful than the help with clean-up.

Don't forget to run a temperature PID after fitting one though.

RE: Heater Block Silicon Sock?

Yes.  That process should be done anytime you change anything like the thermistor or heater cartridge too. 

Although with Prusa's 3.12 firmware they have that new thermal model stuff so I'm sure that replaces the PID requirements.  Then again with all the issues 3.12 seems to be having with it I wouldnt update to it at this point.  Needs a bit more maturity/testing I think.

RE: Heater Block Silicon Sock?

Are there any cooling issues when using a silicon sock?? ie, does it hinder part cooling as you print due to the extra thickness of the sock maybe blocking some of the cooling from the fan shroud?

RE: Heater Block Silicon Sock?

I don't recall it being a problem when I had the original Mk3s fan shroud fitted.  I didn't run with the Mk3 shroud for long though so cant say if there would have been long term problems and I notice there are several 'sock friendly' shroud alternatives on printables.

That was awhile ago though.  I was running a different fan shroud (RHD version https://www.printables.com/model/116791-prusa-mk3s-rhd-cs-fan-shroud-mk3s-mk25s   ) for a long time and I very recently swapped to a new one that allows you to view the nozzle while printing (a variant of the Delta-P fan shroud) .  Still evaluating that one though.  

RE: Heater Block Silicon Sock?

In my view the question of whether to use a silicone sock or not will solicit the same sort of response as asking whether God exists. Some are true believers. Others (including myself) suspect they're a gimmick with little practical value.

But the same way that I am an agnostic, not an atheist, I have no problems with people believing in silicone socks. I just have no evidence from my own practice that confirms that perceived value. And like pretty much anything else in 3D printing, personal experience—not any kind of significantly scaled and reproducible scientific data collection effort—is really what's driving people's view on this topic. In my case, I've used socks for months in the past, saw no benefits but had a few more blob issues than before, so stopped using them and never looked back.

TL;DR: Whether socks are good or bad, who knows. I don't see value in them, but I may well be wrong.

TL;DR: Whether a sock make sense, I don't know.

RE: Heater Block Silicon Sock?

Thank you guys for your input - appreciated as always. 

I've had no issues with my prints so far so I think I'm going to stop looking to solve issues I do not have and will continue to run stock for now. I'm trying to bulletproof my printer and just need to stop and take a step back to appreciate that it seems to be doing the job fine as it is! lol

Thank you for the valuable information and opinions. 

RE: Heater Block Silicon Sock?

I think I'm going to stop looking to solve issues I do not have

Wiser words have not been spoken. 

Unless you're truly into tinkering, most "upgrades" and "improvements" are not worth it, usually with marginal positives for some edge cases and often in fact detrimental. 

How many times do we see posts here from folks that need help (and often bitch about their printer) just to discover that they have "improved" their hardware or software to the nth degree. 

RE: Heater Block Silicon Sock?

I ran for several years without and, but bought one recently to try it out. Being the curious sort that I am.

It's actually been really nice to use and does keep the head much cleaner. I've also had no issues with cooling or anything of the sort, but your mileage may vary depending on your unique setup. I'm running a Mosquito hot end with their high temperature thermistor.

The one thing I have noticed is that the nozzle heat seems to change the properties of the silicon. It becomes hard and brittle over time.

I think I'll try the non-stick coating next.

RE: Heater Block Silicon Sock?

Posted by: @extra-fox

I ran for several years without and, but bought one recently to try it out. Being the curious sort that I am.

It's actually been really nice to use and does keep the head much cleaner. I've also had no issues with cooling or anything of the sort, but your mileage may vary depending on your unique setup. I'm running a Mosquito hot end with their high temperature thermistor.

The one thing I have noticed is that the nozzle heat seems to change the properties of the silicon. It becomes hard and brittle over time.

I think I'll try the non-stick coating next.

Something like this?

https://www.amazon.com/Slice-Engineering-Plastic-Repellent-Paint/dp/B08DZ69MYD/ref=sr_1_1?crid=26280VXDBAJ6M&keywords=slice+plastic+repellent+paint&qid=1674123334&sprefix=slice+plastic+repellant+pain%2Caps%2C141&sr=8-1

RE: Heater Block Silicon Sock?

Yup, that's the stuff.

RE: Heater Block Silicon Sock?

It might actually be cheaper for you to buy the paint-on stuff directly from Slice Engineering; even with shipping. It will also benefit Slice more as they won't be dinged by Amazon taking their cut from the transaction.

https://www.sliceengineering.com/products/plastic-repellent-paint

RE: Heater Block Silicon Sock?

The Slice Engineering is what I was referring to above, assuming I remember to put it on when I clean off the heat block.

RE: Heater Block Silicon Sock?

Some days ago I replaced the nickel platted copper nozzle of my MK3S+ with a new TC unit from 3Dmaker engineering. That poor nozzle had been on duty for 15 months and it deserved a retirement, specially after printing a bit of CF nylon filament.

When I removed the silicone sock to swap nozzles, I saw that the whole hotblock of the Mosquito hotend was still shiny and clean as new and the thermistor/heater wires were free from any residue. The same silicone sock was in quite good condition, very flexible and basically undamaged, just a bit stained with a greyish coat where it touched the nozzle or hot block. It wasn’t a genuine Slice Eng, sock, but a cheapie from AliExpress.

In my point of view, there’re no drawbacks using a sock, only benefits.  I’m not trying to ’convert’ anybody who thinks otherwise, just saying that no hotblock of mine will print anymore without a sock.

RE: Heater Block Silicon Sock?

It's all fun and games, until sticky filament gets all over the hotend, gunks up the grub screws and you can't remove your heater and thermistor cartridges. A sock is absolutely worth it, even if it does nothing for actual printing