1 Topic by IanSparks

  • IanSparks
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  • Registered: 2015-06-11
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Topic: DaVinci Junior : New Cartridge ABS mix-up?

Hi, I've had my DaVinci Junior for a few weeks now and as a starter machine it's fantastic but I have had problems with the replacement filament I purchased.

I brought some black filament, it came in a DaVinci box from a UK supplier (studi..) and the first few test prints were fine but then I started to get the head blocking and a lot of balling of extruded filament (even when just loading the filament through, not during prints). Also, the feed mechanism clicked loudly, not able to push the filament through the head at the expected rate.

I saw on this forum that some people had been shipped spools which were marked as ABS. When I look at this spool it is clearly marked in white pen on the black spool side PC+ABS. Has anyone confirmed that these spools really are ABS?

I just swapped back to the remains of my original natural filament for a small test print. On loading it ran through without balling at the nozzle and it completed the test print in half the time with pristine results wheras the black print of the same thing was a stringy mess with constant feed clicking.

I bought a job lot of filament (the shipping was the cost of a filament roll). I have another shrink-wrapped roll of black. Is it possible that this really is ABS? It doesn't smell on melting like they say ABS does but it doesn't seem right either.

Any advice gratefully received !

2 Reply by carl_m1968

  • carl_m1968
  • carl_m1968
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Re: DaVinci Junior : New Cartridge ABS mix-up?

ABS will smell like burning plastic. PLA will smell like burning or very hot sugar. Sort of a pleasant sweet smell.

Printing since 2009 and still love it!
Anycubic 4MAX best $225 ever invested.
Voxelabs Proxima SLA. 6 inch 2k Mono LCD.
Anycubic Predator, massive Delta machine. 450 x 370 print envelope.

3 Reply by IanSparks

  • IanSparks
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Re: DaVinci Junior : New Cartridge ABS mix-up?

Definitely doesn't smell like burning plastic. My new theory is that the PLA has taken on water. The early prints were good and the spool has been left inside the printer about a yard from a clothes drying rack....

The old spool was stored in a sealed plastic bag with the silica gel packet it came with, might explain why the prints from that after change-over were fine.

I've stored the black reel in a bag with its own gel. I'l give it a few days and see if it improves the situation. I've read you can oven-dry it but I'm wary.