1 Topic by Rocketman

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Topic: Clogged Extruder

I recently after a couple months of having had my hot-end burned out found someone that knew a thing or two about 3D printers to install a new one I'd ordered. I recently tried to print something, and three sometimes in a row the extruder clogged up before the job was done. Twice within the first 1/3 of it, and the last time after the 1/2 mark. I set the extruder temp to 195C and have leveled the platforum and adjusted the Ztab. Adjusting the Ztab seems to have helped the most, but still, I've never had to clog up nearly this often. Usually once every 10th completed print if that. I keep unclogging it by backing the filament out, clipping it cleanly, and running it back in until the plastic ozzs out. What are the most common causes of clogs because this is annoying. I just finally supposedly got the thing fixed after having been broken for longer than it was working.

2 Reply by elmoret

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Re: Clogged Extruder

Rocketman wrote:

I keep unclogging it by backing the filament out, clipping it cleanly, and running it back in until the plastic ozzs out.

Think about it - this isn't fixing the clog, it's simply moving the debris temporarily.

The other possibility is that you have a jam, not a clog. Your filament would have to be pretty over-diameter, like 1.90mm or so.

ABS or PLA? If PLA, it can soften in the hotend and fatten out, causing a jam.

Filastruder - the robust, inexpensive filament extruder
E3Dv6 All Metal Hotend - the premier 3D printing hotend

3 Reply by 2n2r5 (edited by 2n2r5 2013-06-16 03:30:32)

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Re: Clogged Extruder

These 3D printer experts found it very tedious to do the repairs on the Solidoodle and they've built the printers from scratch. I guess it uses both metric and non-metric measurements and the new hot-end is not of the exact same measurements as the old one so there was issue putting it in. And also the issue that both the new and the old thermisters were build improperly as that the new one would have ultimately caused another burn out simply because it wasn't made well before I spent $70 to have it sent to me.

Tim is right, backing out the filament is just a temp fix to a problem.


I notice in your other post, you mention that they replaced the stock hotend with another kind. The stock hotends have a bit more separation between the heater block and the thermistor than a lot of other hotends out there.

Also, if your printer has been out of commission for 2 months then your filament has been sitting unused. Did you store your filament in a dry place? I keep mine in a big plastic bin with a dehydrator stick. The plastic can absorb moisture which will really mess with your extrusion. You can put your filament in the oven at 175F for 3-4 hours and that should help out.

SD3 w/ mods:
Glass bed with QU-BD heat pad upgrade, threadless ballscrew w/ 8mm smooth rod, spectra line belt replacement, lawsy MK5 extruder, Lawsy replacement carriage, E3D hotend, Ramps 1.4 w/ reprap discount controller, DRV8825 drivers, 12v 30A PS, Acrylic case, Overkill Y-idlers, Filament alarm, Extruder fan + more.

2n2r5's Website

4 Reply by Rocketman

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Re: Clogged Extruder

elmoret wrote:
Rocketman wrote:

I keep unclogging it by backing the filament out, clipping it cleanly, and running it back in until the plastic ozzs out.

Think about it - this isn't fixing the clog, it's simply moving the debris temporarily.

The other possibility is that you have a jam, not a clog. Your filament would have to be pretty over-diameter, like 1.90mm or so.

ABS or PLA? If PLA, it can soften in the hotend and fatten out, causing a jam.


I am using 1.75mm ABS plastic. Either a jam or a clog both don't seem they should happen right after getting the hot-end replaced. I am doing everything by the book. How is one supposed to clear a clog or jam for that matter?

5 Reply by Rocketman

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Re: Clogged Extruder

2n2r5 wrote:

These 3D printer experts found it very tedious to do the repairs on the Solidoodle and they've built the printers from scratch. I guess it uses both metric and non-metric measurements and the new hot-end is not of the exact same measurements as the old one so there was issue putting it in. And also the issue that both the new and the old thermisters were build improperly as that the new one would have ultimately caused another burn out simply because it wasn't made well before I spent $70 to have it sent to me.

Tim is right, backing out the filament is just a temp fix to a problem.


I notice in your other post, you mention that they replaced the stock hotend with another kind. The stock hotends have a bit more separation between the heater block and the thermistor than a lot of other hotends out there.

Also, if your printer has been out of commission for 2 months then your filament has been sitting unused. Did you store your filament in a dry place? I keep mine in a big plastic bin with a dehydrator stick. The plastic can absorb moisture which will really mess with your extrusion. You can put your filament in the oven at 175F for 3-4 hours and that should help out.


I didn't change hot-ends. This is a replacement hot-end that is supposed to be identical to the one that came with the machine. I don't know what "stock hotend" is.

6 Reply by elmoret (edited by elmoret 2013-06-16 22:07:56)

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Re: Clogged Extruder

Rocketman wrote:

I am using 1.75mm ABS plastic. Either a jam or a clog both don't seem they should happen right after getting the hot-end replaced. I am doing everything by the book. How is one supposed to clear a clog or jam for that matter?

They do if you're using garbage plastic.

Stock hot ends are hotends sold by solidoodle. "Stock" is a really common synonym for "OEM".

TBQH, it looks like 3D printing isn't at a place for you yet. I'd recommend eBaying the printer and waiting a decade or so, and using Shapeways in the meantime. I vaguely remember recommending eBay months ago...?

Filastruder - the robust, inexpensive filament extruder
E3Dv6 All Metal Hotend - the premier 3D printing hotend

7 Reply by 2n2r5

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Re: Clogged Extruder

I'll buy it from you. But since it's broken I will only offer $350. Sounds like it will cost me at least that same amount to get it working again.

SD3 w/ mods:
Glass bed with QU-BD heat pad upgrade, threadless ballscrew w/ 8mm smooth rod, spectra line belt replacement, lawsy MK5 extruder, Lawsy replacement carriage, E3D hotend, Ramps 1.4 w/ reprap discount controller, DRV8825 drivers, 12v 30A PS, Acrylic case, Overkill Y-idlers, Filament alarm, Extruder fan + more.

2n2r5's Website

8 Reply by Rocketman

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Re: Clogged Extruder

elmoret wrote:
Rocketman wrote:

I am using 1.75mm ABS plastic. Either a jam or a clog both don't seem they should happen right after getting the hot-end replaced. I am doing everything by the book. How is one supposed to clear a clog or jam for that matter?

They do if you're using garbage plastic.

Stock hot ends are hotends sold by solidoodle. "Stock" is a really common synonym for "OEM".

TBQH, it looks like 3D printing isn't at a place for you yet. I'd recommend eBaying the printer and waiting a decade or so, and using Shapeways in the meantime. I vaguely remember recommending eBay months ago...?

You consider the ABS sold by Solidoodle to be garbage? They built the machine so i would hope they'd know what works best for it, and this plastic has not given me issue before. I am still playing with the ZTab level to see if that is really the issue. I have gotten one small item completely printed without issue so I will be trying something larger next. As for waiting 10 years I don't think it would give me much a business edge by that time. However I am looking forward to hair regrowth technology using stem cells which should be coming right along by then. lol.

9 Reply by Rocketman

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Re: Clogged Extruder

2n2r5 wrote:

I'll buy it from you. But since it's broken I will only offer $350. Sounds like it will cost me at least that same amount to get it working again.

I would not sell it for half what I paid for it. Certainly not after having bought a new hot-end, and had it installed. It does work. It just needs help controling the clogging or jamming issue. And I do have a bunch more plastic to go through that hasn't yet touched the air's humidity so if that was the issue than there really is no issue, but if it isn't than I need to find ways to clear a clog and get the level to where it needed to be. I've already had a guitar sting with acetone on it suggested to me by tech support. I just need to find one of my musician friends the next time it appears to be stuffed.

10 Reply by 2n2r5

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Re: Clogged Extruder

didn't know it was a SD3. $550 then smile

SD3 w/ mods:
Glass bed with QU-BD heat pad upgrade, threadless ballscrew w/ 8mm smooth rod, spectra line belt replacement, lawsy MK5 extruder, Lawsy replacement carriage, E3D hotend, Ramps 1.4 w/ reprap discount controller, DRV8825 drivers, 12v 30A PS, Acrylic case, Overkill Y-idlers, Filament alarm, Extruder fan + more.

2n2r5's Website

11 Reply by ronsii

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Re: Clogged Extruder

Rocketman wrote:
elmoret wrote:
Rocketman wrote:

I am using 1.75mm ABS plastic. Either a jam or a clog both don't seem they should happen right after getting the hot-end replaced. I am doing everything by the book. How is one supposed to clear a clog or jam for that matter?

They do if you're using garbage plastic.

Stock hot ends are hotends sold by solidoodle. "Stock" is a really common synonym for "OEM".

TBQH, it looks like 3D printing isn't at a place for you yet. I'd recommend eBaying the printer and waiting a decade or so, and using Shapeways in the meantime. I vaguely remember recommending eBay months ago...?

You consider the ABS sold by Solidoodle to be garbage? They built the machine so i would hope they'd know what works best for it, and this plastic has not given me issue before. I am still playing with the ZTab level to see if that is really the issue. I have gotten one small item completely printed without issue so I will be trying something larger next. As for waiting 10 years I don't think it would give me much a business edge by that time. However I am looking forward to hair regrowth technology using stem cells which should be coming right along by then. lol.

SD did have some 'garbage' filament getting out in the wild according to some of the posts on here and the other forums... and any company that sells filament can have bad batches from time to time that is just the nature of the beast smile The filament I got from them worked great as long as I kept it about 10 degrees above similar stuff from octave but it also was not black which I hear can be problematic from quite a few manufacturers.

I think the main point Tim is trying to make is if you're going to own and operate a 3d printer you better know how to do basic service on it or it will just be a paperweight and source of frustration instead of a machine to make incredible cool things out of nothing more than electricity and spools of plastic smile

12 Reply by lawsy

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Re: Clogged Extruder

Rocketman wrote:

I am doing everything by the book. How is one supposed to clear a clog or jam for that matter?

You have to learn to search.

This can't be another of your threads where people patiently answer all of your queries that have been covered a million times before. There is so much information out there if you look, I don't know what 'book' you are referring to but it's very limited.

I agree with 2n2r5, sell your printer and wait until it's more user friendly, or be more proactive in solving problems yourself.

lawsy's Website

13 Reply by tealvince

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Re: Clogged Extruder

Rocketman wrote:

I keep unclogging it by backing the filament out, clipping it cleanly, and running it back in until the plastic ozzs out. What are the most common causes of clogs because this is annoying. I just finally supposedly got the thing fixed after having been broken for longer than it was working.

If all you have to do to get it printing again is clip off the filament, then it does not sound like you have a real clog, but only that the filament is softening too early in the extruder.  Is there any chance the fan on the back of your extruder isn't running and you didn't notice?  Mine fails to start up sometimes and I have to give it a push or blow out the dust from it with some compressed air.  When it isn't spinning, my print fails halfway because the heat from the nozzle eventually reaches up to the top of the peek and softens the filament enough to create a blob where it enters the peek.

14 Reply by Rocketman

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Re: Clogged Extruder

tealvince wrote:
Rocketman wrote:

I keep unclogging it by backing the filament out, clipping it cleanly, and running it back in until the plastic ozzs out. What are the most common causes of clogs because this is annoying. I just finally supposedly got the thing fixed after having been broken for longer than it was working.

If all you have to do to get it printing again is clip off the filament, then it does not sound like you have a real clog, but only that the filament is softening too early in the extruder.  Is there any chance the fan on the back of your extruder isn't running and you didn't notice?  Mine fails to start up sometimes and I have to give it a push or blow out the dust from it with some compressed air.  When it isn't spinning, my print fails halfway because the heat from the nozzle eventually reaches up to the top of the peek and softens the filament enough to create a blob where it enters the peek.


I think the fan has stayed on pretty constantly. At least the one directly behind the hot-end. The guy who installed the new hot-end made it sound like he was expecting to find another fan as well. Yeah, I am thinking that maybe the level wasn't percise enough. I kind of had to improvise off of the leveling video instructions. Thanks for the input. I figured that was a bit too easy to clean up.

15 Reply by POPOTROPOPIC3 (edited by POPOTROPOPIC3 2014-11-16 15:32:59)

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Re: Clogged Extruder

You guys are brutal.... Is there such thing as TOO DRY?