Silly question re remaining filament on roll before printing?
I bought my first printer 6 months ago, and have been printing off various projects using approx 5 different rolls/colors of PETG and PLA.
Most of my recent projects have involved one specific roll, and now this is the first time that I can see I am getting near to the end of a roll.
Approx 1 inch radius is left on the roll of filament coils.
Question: Before starting to print a 5 or 10 hour print job, how do you typically estimate if there will be enough left so you don't interrupt the job?
I don't yet have "second rolls" of the same color and material type, so if I run out in the middle of a job, I have to quit and waste the print.
What can you teach me?
Cheers,
Neal
Some manufacturers list the weight of an empty spool in their data sheets - check the website.
or, when you have emptied your first spool from a range you have an sample you can weigh.
Then, with a good set of scales you can make a reasonable estimate.
,... and some spools have a crude length scale on the side, less accurate but better than nothing.
Cheerio,
RE: Silly question re remaining filament on roll before printing?
Get a 2nd roll of matching filament. You didn't say what printer you have but I think most have filament sensors that will detect the end and allow you to swap the spool and resume. Prusa definitely has that feature.
RE: Silly question re remaining filament on roll before printing?
Get a 2nd roll of matching filament. You didn't say what printer you have but I think most have filament sensors that will detect the end and allow you to swap the spool and resume. Prusa definitely has that feature.
RE: Silly question re remaining filament on roll before printing?
I'd get a second roll of filament before you even start the long print job. As mentioned above, the filament sensor should trigger and you can load the new spool before continuing the print. I've seen a video online where someone finished a spool and left the job paused for several days while a new spool was delivered, then loaded it and the printer continued the job as normal! lol
Be aware, however, as the plastic cools you may get a slight banding or a different shade between the new and old spools - even if the print pauses long enough for you to immediately load a fresh spool - you'll see it on the outer surface of the model.
I generally run a print job when I'm around, so in the past I've been close enough to notice when one spool is running out, and I wait for it to almost finish, and immediately push the new spool directly behind the old as it goes down the tube - keep lightly pushing until the extruder has the new filament, and then release. This way the sensor does not notice any break in filament at all and the printer continues as though nothing has happened, and you'll end up with a clean model.
On the other hand, you can purchase an auto switcher if really needed - depends what your're printing and whether you want to go to that extreme TBH : https://infinityflow3d.com/?srsltid=AfmBOooeKHqgEMVojhV4Jd7eOvTF0H72M6vRejbqS_9CUBbkCn6OXoYR