Clogging problems....

[Vassili Finellis]

Hi guys,
Many of us are facing clogging problems ( often or not so often ) especialy when prints with flexible filaments and try to figure out what in the world is going on. An E3D V6 or so hot end is a very clever as well as simple design to spread the melted filament onto heated bed. During the high temerature - from 200 deg Celcius and over- for long periods ( over a month and a half - if you print almost 24/7 ) , clogging appears and the prints are only in fairy tales. What is happening here? Some of you guys i'm sure you know it, but others don't, so here i'm to show the solution:
Right before the nose and the heating block, there is a smal diameter PTFE tube ( 3,2mm Φ if i'm correct ) that guides the filament right into the nose feeded from the feeder Alu body. ( sorry for my english, but i'm trying to help ).
The side of the PTFE tube that " touches" the hot nose, tends to burn and shrink and this cause the filament clogging. See attached picture.
This tube nedd to be changed every one to two months. It's cheap and 1 meter lasts at least one year.
If something seems unclear to understand, please tell me!

Cheers

[Ender5r]

This is one reason I'm glad I opted to buy a printer that comes with the Capricorn blue tubing.

[Alan]

Check out the data sheet for Capricorn Tubing. Much higher melting temperature. Wish I could use Capricorn in the MP10 mini hot end. 😞

Cheers

[Vassili Finellis]

All my FFF printers have direct extruders. So the cheap feeding tube ( 4mm OD) is more than ok. Capricorn is mostly fo Bowden types extruders.
To be more accurate in my words: I mean the small diameter 3mm Φ OD tube between the nose and the feeder. Feeder tube is 4mm OD. See attached the red oval. If Capricorn produce such small tube, then i MUST buy a few meters.

[Ender5r]

I just checked my Capricorn tubing. It is 4mm OD.

[Vassili Finellis]

I just checked my Capricorn tubing. It is 4mm OD.

Yes, the feeder tube is 4mm OD. The tube inside the heater is 3mm OD.

[Alan]

BTW, Vassili Finellis good tip!

[Ender5r]

Would this be fixed by using an all-metal hotend?

[Alan]

Would this be fixed by using an all-metal hotend?

Yes, that is why all-metal hotends are used to print higher-temperature materials. Above ~245C some PTFEs start to out-gas a toxin. Capricorn suggests their material is ok up to 275C, although they state "You should be fine printing slightly higher temp materials such as PETG in this range. (As long as there are no pet birds in the house.)" Apparently, there is a reason miners used canaries!

Cheers

[Ender5r]

Apparently, there is a reason miners used canaries!

Cheers

LOL. Yeah, for sure. 'Course, the canaries were really there to tell the miners, "GET OUT! NOW!". I guess that's OK if you're prepared to evacuate your house every time you print.

[roon4660]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tCxO17XZtw This is something I did for my ender3 pro bowden style printer. I did it without the washer because I coulsn't thread the bowden tube into the extruder with the gasket in. It works fine without it.

[roon4660]

Excuse my typos.

[Ender5r]

I've seen that video before. I accomplish the same thing by doing this:

1. bring the hotend up to working temp;
2. unscrew the nozzle 1 full turn;
3. push the bowden tube (preferably Capricorn) fully down, until it bottoms out;
4. tighten up the nozzle again.

Since I've started doing this, I've had no trouble with filament leakage.

[roon4660]

I do not wish you any bad luck but over time it always seems to push the bowden tube up and begin leaking.

[Vassili Finellis]

After 3 months, printing 24/7 TPU ,PETG and PP mostly, was time to change the little PTFE tube ONE MORE TIME! Too much of debris inside the little PTFE tube. Burned too ( see attached photos). I have a great idea to build my own hot end unit for good! To easy clean and maintenance as well. I'm in developing of it......