26 Reply by slimstar2

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Re: New to this machine, gear that feeds the filament is slipping

slimstar2 wrote:

Don't give up   take the hot end apart make sure it is cleaned inside and out . all it takes to plug up is a piece of dirt or burnt filament or an impurity that got into the filament .03 mm  thick floating around in the molten plastic in the nozzle to muck things up . Relax...   breath deep... take it apart ... clean it ...   try it again .


I am repeating myself

SD3, RAMPS 1.4, Lawsy's carriages modified by me, 2 SSRs, E3D V6, 2 Power supplies, Independent monitoring of both power supplies (amps and volts) also extruder and bed temps, Blue Tooth connectivity, bearings in all axis & rotational points, Y axis direct drive.  Remotely controlled power box on / off . Gecko Tec build plate . Renamed FrankenDoodle

27 Reply by southernrock18

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Re: New to this machine, gear that feeds the filament is slipping

I did. I took it all apart again. I used the blow torch method and made sure ALL plastic was out. Clean as a whistle. I didnt realize I needed kapton tape for the thermistor and since I have already reused it once, it no longer sticks so I will need to find some soon. I have a project due Wednesday, so not really looking good.

28 Reply by southernrock18

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Re: New to this machine, gear that feeds the filament is slipping

slimstar2 wrote:
slimstar2 wrote:

Don't give up   take the hot end apart make sure it is cleaned inside and out . all it takes to plug up is a piece of dirt or burnt filament or an impurity that got into the filament .03 mm  thick floating around in the molten plastic in the nozzle to muck things up . Relax...   breath deep... take it apart ... clean it ...   try it again .


I am repeating myself


Just a heads up, I made it past layer 22 lol. I bought some high temp exhaust tape since no one local has kapton. Temps are steady and seems to be running well, for now. Thanks again, If this is successful, then it was due to a small blockage.

29 Reply by jagowilson (edited by jagowilson 2014-10-14 03:40:46)

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Re: New to this machine, gear that feeds the filament is slipping

I hope you are able to solve your problems. I had one hotend ruined by the SD4 extruder design before I was told on here to put a spacer behind the spring. Left a print and came back to find air printing. That nozzle never extruded again. And nearly burned out a new hotend before I realized the spring was too short. Solidoodle natural never gave me any trouble, but when I switched brands I encountered this. Be glad you got it over with now, not when you were printing every day and had plans!

I've had my SD4 for a month and am mostly satisfied, but trust me, it's been a struggle. When she prints, she prints well. You'll get into the routine of maintaining for quality soon enough. Check your bed level often. Mine falls out of level very quickly. Not sure if this is a common SD4 problem.

30 Reply by wardjr

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Re: New to this machine, gear that feeds the filament is slipping

Sounds to me like you're over extruding.  Check the WIKI to calibrate your steps per mm and change it in EEPROM.  Then print a 20x20 calibration cube with one perimeter and adjust the extrusion multiplier in your slice profile until you get a single wall measurement of .48 mm.
If done properly you won't need to have any z-lift which is preferred.  A layer height of .2963 instead of .3 is better due to the 5/16 z-rod.  You can divide that out to get the numbers for .2 or .1 but at this stage use .2963mm's.  It is worth taking a look at some of the STICKIES about printing on glass with some hairspray.  It is much easier to level a bed that is actually flat.
Hope this helps.

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31 Reply by n2ri

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Re: New to this machine, gear that feeds the filament is slipping

are you now are previously used PLA? that could be what clogged

Solidoodle 2 with Deluxe kit cover & glass bed with heater. and 2nd board SD2 used not 3rd and alum platform not installed yet still wood. also need cooling fan installed to board. use Repetier Host couple vers. Slic3r also have all free ware STL programs

32 Reply by southernrock18

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Re: New to this machine, gear that feeds the filament is slipping

Ok, with the entire copper pieces cleaned out through the blow torch method last night, I finally was able to print about 4 hours before she fell victim to the same problem. That in itself is a huge milestone for me, to bad the print cycle was 4 1/2 hours lol. I almost made it. I will mess around with some settings tonight to lower my cycle time down and I will work harder on some of the other suggestions here. I have a project I must get out and feel confident that today is the day. I will look harder into the stickies and try to make some mods to ease the stress of this machine. I understand this is all just part of the learning curve so things will get more routine as time goes on. I greatly appreciate all the support so far

33 Reply by n2ri (edited by n2ri 2014-10-14 20:33:51)

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Re: New to this machine, gear that feeds the filament is slipping

southernrock18 wrote:

Ok, with the entire copper pieces cleaned out through the blow torch method last night, I finally was able to print about 4 hours before she fell victim to the same problem. That in itself is a huge milestone for me, to bad the print cycle was 4 1/2 hours lol. I almost made it. I will mess around with some settings tonight to lower my cycle time down and I will work harder on some of the other suggestions here. I have a project I must get out and feel confident that today is the day. I will look harder into the stickies and try to make some mods to ease the stress of this machine. I understand this is all just part of the learning curve so things will get more routine as time goes on. I greatly appreciate all the support so far


Umm... when did Solidoodle use copper parts in printers? do you mean brass? if they used copper in hot ends on the new SD4 thats why they clog always. copper can "anneal" at these high temps which is oxidation and causes black flakes to form on inside and outside surfaces which will clog tiny holes same as it does in HVAC and refrigeration systems if no filter/dryer is installed b4 metering device to catch it. it can also electroplate things with some chemicals passed through the copper and moister can form acids that not only make the same flakes but eat away copper over say 20 years like when used for some natural gas pipe lines.

Solidoodle 2 with Deluxe kit cover & glass bed with heater. and 2nd board SD2 used not 3rd and alum platform not installed yet still wood. also need cooling fan installed to board. use Repetier Host couple vers. Slic3r also have all free ware STL programs