Sounds like you may have a small clog somewhere in the hot end. It could be in the heat break or the nozzle. Have you
tried replacing either or both?
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Thanks very much for your response. I haven’t tried replacing these but I do have a replacement nozzle I could use if need be. Every time I unclog it, it works for some time and then clogs up again. Since the filament can’t be easily lifted out of the nozzle, wouldn’t this imply there isn’t a problem with the nozzle but somewhere else? Thanks!
Do you have a real old model or do you have the upgraded extruder with the spring loader?
you need to check the PTFE tube inside the extruder, clean the nozzle, and tray to keep fresh the part upside the metal bar
How old is the filament? Is it very brittle?
For me, it’s the metal tube always clogging. Try getting a new one. You’ll want to make sure the fans are correctly positioned, you’re using “quality” (minimal brands of eSun/Inland, Hatchbox, or Makerbot) filament, and your hotend is insulated. I also upgraded my extruder driver, I did have problems with my print speed and extruder strength in the past. If you use normal settings this shouldn’t be an issue though.
What type of filament are you using? Not all filament is the same. I say his since I have gotten some really crappy filament that met all the requirements BUT it was like glue or just leaked out the hot end.
Sounds to me like a deformed nozzle. Try switching for another and see if that makes the problem go away.
this is most likely a one of a few issues or all of them. 1) the nozzle has a jam… i generally have to clean / recycle the nozzle every ~200 hours. or 2) preheat streching. This often is seen in frequent retraction printing, in enviroments that are above 90F, or when the fan/heatsink aren’t working. Note if you haven’t already replaced the extruder tension body with the new design… do it. 3) filament quality.
1) replace the nozzle and see how it goes. the old one can be cleaned with chemicals / ultrasonic or with a drill etc.
2a) try a vase like model and see if it’s better… if so use advanced settings to decrease the retraction.
2b) air conditioning?
2c) replace the fan if it is making noises, clean the fuzz out of the heatsink, I upgraded to a metal carrage and don’t have this issue anymore.
3) try some other filament from another manufacture… cheap filament isn’t worth it.
check you feed rate it might be too fast. also try to print 5 degrees hotter. Is the material black by any chance?
also sometimes when you pull the plastic out in a change it leaves little strings along so the filament gets stuck
I’ve had such problems (ABS printing) until doing a complete renew of some parts of my Replicator 2X.
I think it’s an insulation/refrigeration problem and the cold end of thermal barrier is overheated. First of all I think my old fans couldn’t cold enough. My machine has about 1000 use hours. The only way to print was to open door and remove plastic top cover. But frecuently this didn’t work. In a few words, overheated, the thermal barrier transmits the heat up to the cold end, filament begins to expand being its diameter higher than the inner thermal barrier so filament gets stuck inside the cold end and don’t get down to fuse inside the nozzle.
As I had a broken thermocouple as well, the I decide to renew the following components:
1.- Fans
2.- Themocouples
3.- Nozzles
4.- Silicone Heater Block (Fargo 3d Printing)
Now things seems to go fine, not more clogging.
Check the filament to make sure it is 1.75mm I bought some filament that had sections that were 1.95mm It just wouldn’t fit and it looked like a clog until I checked with my digital calipers. Hope you get it going again.
to avoid material being left in the chamber… Use a method of “load” from the menu, push on the tension lever, then PUSH the filament in, then quickly extract the filament. This will remove most of the plastic in the chamber and keep it attached to the filament. Cut the blob off then end.
Hi Daniel,
I have a replicator 5th gen and had this problem constantly when I was first got my printer.
Here are a few things I did to fix the issue:
1. Check the printer temperature and make sure it is set right for your material you are using.
2. It is possible that there is a clog in the nozzle, safely remove the nozzle when it is warm and see if you can pry out any clogged filament that may be hardened in just the nozzle, preventing you from pushing fresh filament through, even if the extruder is at temp.
3. There is a gear at the top of the makerbot extruders that feeds the filament into the extruder and sometimes gets debris built up into the teeth and can cause the teeth to slip and not grab the incoming filament, simply clean it off if it is dirty.
4. Ensure the filament going into the extruder is not dirty/dusty.
5. I have had 2 of the original makerbot extruders and have had consistent issues, once I went to the makerbot smart extruder all the random clogs and jams stopped immediately.
8. In my opinion not all filament is created equal. Some filament has inconsistent quality. Here are a few brands that I like using and have no issues with prints regardless of color:
A. Inland filament
B. Filament outlet
Please let me know if you have any questions or need help!
Thanks!
Sounds like FARGO 3D has the answer with heat creep. it killed 3 of mine for sure.