Nextruder Adapter Delamination: Clogs and Tool Crash PSA
Hi, you're probably wondering how I got here.
So while trying out different .4 v6 nozzles, I had a nasty clog in the adapter way above melt zone. Nothing worked, so I whipped out the blow torch and applied heat until the plastic melted/burned out.
Fast forward two days and I have a head crash. I tried to resume, but the nozzle crashed against the print again, I removed the print from bed, and resumed while trying to cancel object, unfortunately the UI for cancel can't be entered while it's paused, no big deal I thought, then the nozzle scratched the build plate severely (nothing sticks to that part of the plate anymore).
I couldn't figure it out, so I cancelled the print and parked the toolhead, then CRUNCH. The toolhead crashed into a petg bucket for collecting debris.
At that point I moved the toolhead to front of the printer, and pushed up on the nozzle, and the entire heatblock slid UP almost effortlessly, then the heatblock and part of the adapter slid off the steel tube, and here we are.
My best guess is that the adapter does not like to be torched, or the adapter was defective from the factory, and it began to separate under pressure from extrusion, slight push from cables, and gravity.
However the danger here is evident in how bent the end of the adapter is after crashing into a flimsy PETG bucket, had it crashed into the metal at the end of the printer, the damage could have destroyed many other components (nextruder, belts, cables, who knows).
So PSAs:
1) DO NOT use blowtorch to unclog nextruder adapter or nozzles until more data can be gathered on whether this is safe or not. Yes this method is tried and true, but it may not be worth the risk. Just order a new nozzle/adapter.
2) In the event of headcrash, CLOSELY EXAMINE how low the nozzle is before parking tool head, otherwise nozzle can crash into printer and cause damage.
3) Print debris buckets and install them, they can save your printer from damage due to tool crash.