Delicate filament breaks often — what to do

[David Janszen @djanszen Ohio]

One of my materials breaks frequently. I always run it as material 2.

When the break happens in the feed mechanism, I use the G code interface to get it out. If reverse doesn’t work (G0 D-1000), I disconnect the feed tube fitting and eject forward (G0 D1000).

Today, for the first time, it broke inside the feed tube. The first thing that struck me was that, while it’s obvious how to disconnect the end from the left side, the print head end is not so obvious.

To get access to the filament at this end, simply follow the instructions for detaching the print head. Generally, it’s not wise to use the Remove Head command to position the head, because this will first fire up the head and attempt to eject the filament. Just shove the print head to a convenient location for access to the fastener wheel in back.

[Mike @17bt CHORLEY, Lancashire]

@djanszen Has the material been re-spooled? I once had this with some old Makerbot 1.75mm PLA, it was old, and had been re-spooled, so was snapping perpendicular to its length. I junked it, as it was too unreliable, and never used old filament again.

[David Janszen @djanszen Ohio]

Heavily carbon loaded, somewhat electrically conductive PLA from Proto-Pasta, left on its original spool. No tangle problems. Not wet or over-dried. Mostly it’s nearly as supple as unloaded PLA, but there seem to be occasional overloaded spots in the filament that are brittle. Some spools more prone to this than others.

[David Janszen @djanszen Ohio]

Really this was just an FYI for others who may be dealing with a break-prone material and have no alternative.

[Author]

Posts