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I have been using my Dreamer for over two years, printing all kinds of objects very successfully, from Starwar helmets to clocks to replacement window handles. I use exclusively PLA with a heated glass bed and 3dLac spray (highly recommended, never a problem with adhesion or release). However, I have now hit a big problem that I can’t seem to resolve. I am currently printing a model of a historic sundial, in 6 parts. The largest part has now fsiled 4 times at pretty much the same place because the extruder is shredding the filament, which leads to skipping and under extrusion of the last one third of the piece (a 20 hr print).

I have tried:-

1) Using different, new, more expensive filament.

2) Swopping the extruders over to the one I have used least (hardly at all in fact).

3) Changing the hotend to the microSwiss version.

4) Pausing the print to clean up the extruder just before the problem area (subject of another post - the printer failed to come out of pause!)

Even though the print has failed, the extruder is surrounded by shredded particles, and nothing is coming out of the extruder, if I unload and reload, the extruder will happily shoot out filament for as long as I care to let it.

I have optimised the temperatures for dimensional accuracy as I have so many pieces to stick together (using methyl chloride, never fails) and am now using 210C for extruder and 70C for heated bed.

Apart from splitting the model further, is there another solution? Am I limited to running for no more than 14 hours? Is there a better extruder for the Dreamer?