Using the Filastruder

I know 57 pages is a lot to go through, but a lot of this was covered in the orginal thread.
Changing medium is not really recommended. Most people seem to be doing a seperate extruder for each. Though it would be possible, I feel it would be wasteful. The beta files are up for the hopper, Tim will release any updates in May. The winder is not required. Some people just feel like it would make things neater. Tim has stated that PLA comes out a little more consistently with the spooler. It would also keep filament off a potentialy dustly floor. People tried to use a 5 gallon bucket, but it didn't turn out well. From what I gathered anytime the filament changes direction against the natural tendency to twist it caused variations in diameter.
Just the info I have gathered from forum/kickstarter.

Literally all of your questions have been answered in two stickies in this forum.

• Swapping materials is not trivial, especially if moving from a high temperature material to a lower one. ABS to PLA requires running until empty, pulling the nozzle, reaching in with needle nose pliers and getting all the ABS out. I'm planning on adding a hotend in the store, so you can just buy a nozzle/heater barrel/flange/auger and swap them if you want to swap material. Swapping from one color to the other is much easier - no need to pull any parts, just run until empty, then load in the new color. There will be a transitory period of about 20 minutes where the extrusion is a blend of the previous and current colors.

• There is an STL file for the hopper. It's in the Documentation thread, stickied at the top of this forum.

• Winder is definitely not required, especially with ABS. I let it fall on the floor, and can spool 1 pound up in about a minute using a drill.

• Filament will not fall into a bucket or pan, t is too stiff and will push back on the hot filament leaving the nozzle.

• Water is a bad idea, ABS is hygroscopic and will absorb the water, then turning to steam bubbles when you print with it..

I am sure that is in the other sticky's but now it is a lot clearer. I had missed the "not trivial" part.

So can I get another extruder?

Ralph

How about if the bucket was on a turntable? You could regulate the turntable to the speed of the extruder.
With a fixed end (pulling) wouldn't it act like the spooler?

Ralph

Yes, if you want information on a project that hasn't shipped yet, you might have to read the thread in which the development was documented.

Honestly, it's a pretty good idea to read it.

The instructions have a FAQ. They haven't been released yet since nothing has shipped. Patience.

From the closed thread:

Nathan thank you so much for all of your replies, I do not know where you found the time. How did your finals go?

I have not received my QU-BD RPM yet so that is why I am not worried about when I'll get my Filastruder.

So I am just picturing things in my mind I have no actual experience with 3D printing to say nothing about extruding filament.

That said I do have a question:

What if one used a Peltier module instead of the fan to cool the filament?

Again thank you so much for your replies.

Ralph

Filament comes out at 175C. Ambient is 20C. Even if you could move the air temperature down to 0C (which would be an impressive peltier, one that draws more than the rest of the Filastruder), you'd only cool about 10% better. Not worth it in my opinion.

It is a 1/16" bit. When extruded, polymers exhibit die swell, so a 1/16"
(1.58mm) hole results in a ~1.75mm extrusion.