1 Topic by g33k_girl

  • g33k_girl
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  • From: Cortland, NY
  • Registered: 2013-06-29
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Topic: Filament in or out?

When you're done printing and getting ready to power the machine down, do you take the filament out of the extruder or leave it in? I've seen recommendations both ways, and both ways say the other will cause clogs. What do you think?

2 Reply by adrian (edited by adrian 2013-07-02 12:51:39)

  • adrian
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Re: Filament in or out?

Latest discussion of this topic last night/today came up 2 lots of people 'leaving it in'...

http://www.soliforum.com/topic/3021/abs … -at-night/

Not personally sure how leaving it in would lead to a clog... leaving it in and ON for sure... but switched off no idea? you never get all the plastic out of the melt-zone anyway and an open and exposed barrel is just asking for dust and other 'stuff' to fall into there and create a hard blockage... thats just my opinion but its gotten me through 6 months and worked even on hotends I've pulled off the printer and stuck in a drawer for a few weeks....

3 Reply by RavensCrest

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Re: Filament in or out?

leaving it in.. 
if you take it out... and the filament cools down, I find it hard to push it back in if there are hardened left over ABS in the heat barrel.  you will have to wait for it to soften by ambient heat (because it's at the top of the heat barrel)

Solidoodle2 with Ceramic tile heated bed http://www.soliforum.com/topic/2544/my- … eated-bed/
"1kg should last for an while" is a lie!

4 Reply by Charles_Xavier

  • Charles_Xavier
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Re: Filament in or out?

In the 13+ months I've been lurking in the Ultimaker, Type A Machines, Makerbot, Printrbot, Reprap, and Solidoodle communities, this is the first time I have ever heard of regularly removing filament before powering down. I understand why one might think it to be a good idea, and I know a number of other machines you unload material during close-out/shut-down. I just have never heard of it for this before.