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remove baked on Pla from nozzle?

Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2018 1:02 pm
by jferguson
I was punished for not sufficiently tightening the nozzle after cleaning by the Pla oozing out and covering it and then bakinbg on. I was able to get it off and replace it with a new one, this one installed more snuggly.

But how to get the baked-on Pla off?

How about boiling it in a pot for a while?

or possibly burning it off in our spare toaster oven -- in the garage? Or torching it off?

Or?? Any suggestions?

Re: remove baked on Pla from nozzle?

Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2018 2:23 pm
by Gwhite
I believe torching it off is traditional. I have a brass one soaking in "Zar Paint and Varnish Remover" which is 90% methylene chloride (very nasty stuff). It loosened a lot of it, but it didn't dissolve it as quickly as I had hoped.

I have found that the stainless steel nozzles seem to clean up much easier. Once PLA gets cooked onto the brass, it's pretty tenacious. The stainless just wipes off with a cotton swab.

Re: remove baked on Pla from nozzle?

Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2018 4:03 pm
by airscapes
I use one of these https://www.harborfreight.com/catalogse ... icro+torch
use a pair of vice grips (very loosely do not distort the nozzle, should not need force to lock them) and heat of the nozzle till the pla is ash.

Re: remove baked on Pla from nozzle?

Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2018 7:35 pm
by jferguson
Nozzle is brass. I have a small pfopane torch, sounds like the way to go.

Is there a good reason to use brass nozzles when stainless seems more resilient?

Re: remove baked on Pla from nozzle?

Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2018 9:22 pm
by Gwhite
Brass is probably a slightly better thermal conductor, so it might maintain temperature out to the tip a bit better. As a practical matter, I doubt you could tell the difference, but more experienced users may have more info.

Re: remove baked on Pla from nozzle?

Posted: Tue Apr 17, 2018 3:31 pm
by insta
Brass prints "better". I can hit higher speeds and a bit less stringing.

Re: remove baked on Pla from nozzle?

Posted: Wed Apr 18, 2018 12:07 am
by jferguson
Good to know. Thanks much Insta.

Re: remove baked on Pla from nozzle?

Posted: Wed Apr 18, 2018 4:48 pm
by zemlin
Gwhite wrote:Brass is probably a slightly better thermal conductor
by about 9x over 303 stainless. The difference is not slight.