Are hotend socks necessary?
Are hotend socks necessary? The hotend sits very close to the frame of the Nextruder, and, based on my experience with the MK3/S, if I print material that needs a hot extruder (like CF + PC, the frame would get too hot and melt the fan duct. Should there be insulating material between the frame and the hotend?
Senior Life member of IEEE.
RE: Are hotend socks necessary?
It's insurance against giant blobs attaching to the hotend more than anything else. Necessary - no.
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RE: Are hotend socks necessary?
The socks on the XL/Mk4 work really well in my opinion. With IS slapping things around, and the XL using multiple heads, I think that they are a good investment.
RE: Are hotend socks necessary?
How do you even install it?
RE: Are hotend socks necessary?
They just push on, as they're very flexible; they are a much better/easier fit than the mk3 type.
RE:
You might have to loosen the nozzle, remove the cooling shroud and drop the heater block down a few mm. On my preassembled toolheads there wasn't enough clearance otherwise.
RE: Are hotend socks necessary?
In one of my toolheads i didnt put a sock. After a while it accumulated a bit of filament on it. This is not good for the XL since it really needs a clean nozzle when performing the preprint tests and also if for some reason you need to perform another offset calibration (for example after changing a nozzle). There is a reason for using the sock and i cannot think of one for not using it.
Are hotend socks necessary? The hotend sits very close to the frame of the Nextruder, and, based on my experience with the MK3/S, if I print material that needs a hot extruder (like CF + PC, the frame would get too hot and melt the fan duct. Should there be insulating material between the frame and the hotend?
RE: Are hotend socks necessary?
There is a reason for using the sock and i cannot think of one for not using it.
The part cooling is already subpar and to make it worse the sock gets in the way a bit. But I'm sure someone will come up with a printable solution for this. Until then I'll just be using more supports than I normally would.
RE: Are hotend socks necessary?
You are probably right but i didnt have any problems with part's cooling -YET- so i cant comment on that . But my un-socked heatblock became a bit of a mess over time and that had a minor impact (extra work) when i first had to perform another offset calibration and after that when i decided to change the nozzle.
There is a reason for using the sock and i cannot think of one for not using it.
The part cooling is already subpar and to make it worse the sock gets in the way a bit. But I'm sure someone will come up with a printable solution for this. Until then I'll just be using more supports than I normally would.
RE: Are hotend socks necessary?
Bridging performance is definitely better on my Mk2.5s and my Ender clone, both of which blow from both sides. I think the XL at this price could have come with a coated nozzle and some sort of simple wiping/brushing solution, but at least both can be retrofitted easily.
RE: Are hotend socks necessary?
I only ask because my XL came with them, and the MK4 didn't. The MK4 seems to work well without one. Yes, the hotend gets a bit crudded up, but nothing a brass wire brush doesn't fix. I'm waiting to get the XL cranked up until I make a better filament feed mechanism. I can print the parts on the MK4. My concern with socks on the XL is that the brass wire brush trick isn't going to work.
Senior Life member of IEEE.
RE: Are hotend socks necessary?
Oh, I forgot to mention, I have an Obxidian nozzle in the MK4, and put one on the XL. Great nozzle.
I wonder if E3D is making the hotend assembly for Prusa.
Steve
Senior Life member of IEEE.
RE: Are hotend socks necessary?
I got a massive blob of death on my MK3S. The sock made the cleaning a lot easier and protected the wires well.
Would recommend...... little to no change in my printing parameters when installed with a tungsten carbide nozzle over a year ago.
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RISPONDI: Are hotend socks necessary?
Maybe use a silicone wiper instead?:
I only ask because my XL came with them, and the MK4 didn't. The MK4 seems to work well without one. Yes, the hotend gets a bit crudded up, but nothing a brass wire brush doesn't fix. I'm waiting to get the XL cranked up until I make a better filament feed mechanism. I can print the parts on the MK4. My concern with socks on the XL is that the brass wire brush trick isn't going to work.
RE: Are hotend socks necessary?
I have the preassembled one and there is no clearance on one side to insert the socks, just struggled for 10 mins right now and all nozzles are twisted with an angle that doesn't have enough clearance for the sock to fit in.
I had a print fail today due to some burnt filament residue dropping from previous accumulation on the nozzle sides, which sparked the idea to try putting the socks again.
Maybe use a silicone wiper instead?:
Did you try the silicone wiper? Is it better than the socks?
RE: Are hotend socks necessary?
I have the preassembled one and there is no clearance on one side to insert the socks, just struggled for 10 mins right now and all nozzles are twisted with an angle that doesn't have enough clearance for the sock to fit in.
I had a print fail today due to some burnt filament residue dropping from previous accumulation on the nozzle sides, which sparked the idea to try putting the socks again.
Maybe use a silicone wiper instead?:
Did you try the silicone wiper? Is it better than the socks?
Senior Life member of IEEE.
RE: Are hotend socks necessary?
Sock clearance in pre-assembled THs is a problem because the hotend is too close to the heatsink. What I did is loosen the setscrew that holds the nozzle in and twist it away from the heatsink. That should give plenty of room to put the sock on. I am simply questioning the use of the sock based on my experience with the MK4.
Senior Life member of IEEE.
RE: Are hotend socks necessary?
Sadly I'm still waiting for delivery of my XL, so I've haven't actually tried, but I intend to try using both at the same time as they both aim to keep things cleaner in different ways.
I have the preassembled one and there is no clearance on one side to insert the socks, just struggled for 10 mins right now and all nozzles are twisted with an angle that doesn't have enough clearance for the sock to fit in.
I had a print fail today due to some burnt filament residue dropping from previous accumulation on the nozzle sides, which sparked the idea to try putting the socks again.
Maybe use a silicone wiper instead?:
Did you try the silicone wiper? Is it better than the socks?
RE: Are hotend socks necessary?
Sock clearance in pre-assembled THs is a problem because the hotend is too close to the heatsink. What I did is loosen the setscrew that holds the nozzle in and twist it away from the heatsink. That should give plenty of room to put the sock on. I am simply questioning the use of the sock based on my experience with the MK4.
Do you have a visual representation of this? I want to do it but afraid i'll break something
RE: Are hotend socks necessary?
⁷I don't. Loosen the setdscrew (look up the nozzle changing proceedures). Note the depth of the nozzle in the heatsink. GENTLY pivot the hotend away from the heatsink, keeping the depth the same as before you loosened the setscrew. Don't try to take the nozzle out, just pivot it slightly away from the heatsink. The wires to the hotend will prevent you from turning it very much, but it should be enough to put the sock on.
Hope that helps.
Prusa's quality control is getting really bad.
Senior Life member of IEEE.