Newbie question - simple hot end / filament control?

[jimsx]

I'm totally new to 3d printing so please assume minimal knowledge

So - all going well ... M2 kit arrived / built easily / Simplify3D installed / bed leveled / first print - and it worked brilliantly! Wow - impressed ...

Happily printed off a few other small items one at a time ... still works great ... and then all stops working ... I was trying to do six duplicate flatish name badges in one batch and the items are only half way done but the filament has stopped feeding / hot end clogged?

I'm using MakerGear translucent blue PLA filament - but also have a couple of other MakerGear PLA colours.

I restarted Simplify3D over again - tried a new print / still nothing being extruded so I assume its just blocked - as it is no longer dumping some filament before the print starts as per usual. I tried going to machine options & clicking the extrude button but also nothing happens.

So now I need to delve a bit deeper and actually work out want I'm doing (grin) rather than just let Simplify 3D do it all for me!

Any good tips for where to start / best bits of the forum or MakerGear site to look at?

I'd also appreciate some general advice about the best hot end machine control software (or simple debug g code routines) for feeding / extruding / retracting / swapping filament in general - can this all be done from within Simplify3D control panel or are there better ways? - plus pointers for where to best find info on unblocking.

Also, is there an idiots guide to swapping over filament already on this forum - I couldn't find one?

Thanks in advance!

[jimsx]

OK answering my own question here in case it is of use to other newbies ...

Problem solved ... And we're printing merrily again.

I discovered the Accessory Control and Jog Control parts of The S3D control panel ... DOH!

I simply manually heated the extruder head to 225 and then pressed / pulled the filament slightly whilst clicking on the extrude or retract buttons - simple!

Quick question - how safe a temperature will the hot end go to when trying to get rid of a blockage?

Also how long do you guys leave a printed item on the bed for before removing (to prevent any warping)?

[Tim]

Blockages at the hot end can be caused by running the temperature a bit too low for the plastic, but can also be caused by build-up of plastics at the nozzle, particularly higher-temperature plastics like ABS or PET which will not melt at the temperatures used for PLA.

I think that what you did---run the temperature up to 225---is perfect for clearing out PLA, assuming that you have only been using PLA with that nozzle in the past. Maybe a bit less. . . what temperature were you using to print?

It should be okay to take the temperature up to 250 or so; you should be very careful going much above that with a V3b hot-end.

I recently got some "cleaning filament", made by eSUN and sold by intservo.com. It's a type of filament with the useful property that it becomes fluid at about the same temperature as PLA or a little lower, but remains fluid all the way up to the temperatures of ABS and PET---in the 250 range and beyond---without much change other than being a bit less viscous at the higher temperature. That way, you can use the cleaning filament to push out remaining high-temperature plastics; if any cleaning filament is left in the nozzle, it will melt and be pushed out along with whatever is the next filament type you use.

Some people have recommended getting different nozzles to use with different plastic types. But using cleaning filament is a simple and easier alternative.

I expect your question was about PLA only, but just FYI. . .

[jimsx]

Hi Tim - Many thanks for your speedy reply. I will have to track down some of that cleaning filament - it sounds really useful.

I'm a total newbie to 3D printing - I haven't used one before & my M2 kit only arrived about 4 days ago. So far I have only tried PLA, but I am keen to start experimenting with ABS & ideally some of the wood-style filaments. If anyone on here has tips on reliable filament brands / suppliers (available in the UK) & particularly successful wood-style filaments to use it would be appreciated

Cheers, Jim

[jsc]

There is an M2 tips thread in the tips forum in which I've gathered up a lot of historical tips for new users. Check it out.

[Tim]

I have not tried printing in wood filament. I've heard that it is tricky and tends to clog a lot. That probably shouldn't be surprising; the extruders are not really designed for passing sawdust. Some sellers put a spin on it by touting the "woodshop smell" that will fill your basement. Whatever. But, to mitigate the problem with clogging, it would be wise to use a 0.5mm nozzle instead of the usual 0.35mm one.

There is a filament I got from a startup called PolyMakr that they call "polywood", which has no wood in it at all but is made by making the filament out of a PLA foam. For whatever reason the foam structure gives it a very similar look and feel to wood-infused filament. It avoids the clogging problem, but last I heard, PolyMakr was having problems getting the manufacturing process up to speed for anything other than very small batches of the stuff.