1 Topic by robertf

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Topic: What does it take to print flexible filament?

For those who haven't piece together my 1.0A saga, its running RAMPS 1.4, repetier .92, and the generic J head extruder.  I've tried the stock one, and a Pico as well. 

I've tried Inland flex filament, which I'm now reading is kind of junky

I've tried the GP3D stuff that Fry's just started selling.

Both will feed in to the extruder, then start buckling, and get wrapped around the extruder gears.  I'm using a home made mount, and I can't get the extruder any closer to the gear without contact. 

I've tried many temperatures, but mostly around the 225 +/- 5 range.

Is it the brand?  I'm hesitant to order ninjaflex if its just going to be another unusable spool of filament in the workshop.

2 Reply by carl_m1968

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Re: What does it take to print flexible filament?

robertf wrote:

For those who haven't piece together my 1.0A saga, its running RAMPS 1.4, repetier .92, and the generic J head extruder.  I've tried the stock one, and a Pico as well. 

I've tried Inland flex filament, which I'm now reading is kind of junky

I've tried the GP3D stuff that Fry's just started selling.

Both will feed in to the extruder, then start buckling, and get wrapped around the extruder gears.  I'm using a home made mount, and I can't get the extruder any closer to the gear without contact. 

I've tried many temperatures, but mostly around the 225 +/- 5 range.

Is it the brand?  I'm hesitant to order ninjaflex if its just going to be another unusable spool of filament in the workshop.


You have to design a tube or extension from the hot ends entry to the gears. It has to be shaped like a wedge so it fits right up between the gears and leaves no open space. The trick is to not give the filament any place no matter how small to flex between the gears and the hot ends inlet.

Printing since 2009 and still love it!
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3 Reply by TickTock

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Re: What does it take to print flexible filament?

I ended up with a teflon tube cut so that is it just barely touching both rollers front and back along with a reinforcement printed in ABS that fits around the teflon but doesn't quite reach the rollers (also with a spearhead shape to reinforce as much as possible).  Before I had that, sometimes the Ninjaflex would still push out the side (bending the teflon over).  I can take a pic when I get home if the description isn't sufficient.

Also, you need to ensure the flexible filament flows freely into the extruder or you will run into other print problems.  If it has to tug on it much to pull off the spool, you will get sections of under-extrusion during this since the filament easily stretches.

4 Reply by IronMan

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Re: What does it take to print flexible filament?

TickTock wrote:

I ended up with a teflon tube cut so that is it just barely touching both rollers front and back along with a reinforcement printed in ABS that fits around the teflon but doesn't quite reach the rollers (also with a spearhead shape to reinforce as much as possible).  Before I had that, sometimes the Ninjaflex would still push out the side (bending the teflon over).  I can take a pic when I get home if the description isn't sufficient.

Also, you need to ensure the flexible filament flows freely into the extruder or you will run into other print problems.  If it has to tug on it much to pull off the spool, you will get sections of under-extrusion during this since the filament easily stretches.

+1

Also, in the interim you may want to try reducing your print speeds...I found that with an unreinforced pathway (on my stock SD2) that the flex filament finally fed with a print speed of around 20-30mm/sec.

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5 Reply by milehighdesign

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Re: What does it take to print flexible filament?

As you found out Inland flex filament is junk.... I have 4 Da Vinci's running Pico heads and Repetier firmware.
I have been running Ninjaflex for a month now. The key is the support right after the extruder wheel.

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