Month: March 2019

Good Morning from my Robotics Lab! This is Shadow_8472, and today, I am bringing a good report about my 3D printer. Let’s get started!

The problem so far: My 3D printer has had some issues with filament running through the extruder tip when it shouldn’t. The plastic semi-remembers its curl from the spool, so it curls around and touches another hot spot on the extruder tip. In addition: This would drag along the initial couple inches of extrusion, keeping the printer from laying the important first outline when making the raft. I even observed stuff peeling off the printbed a couple times.

While I was at investigating printer problems, I got some cleaning filament and played around with using it for something other than a print; some had come with the printer, and I took it for normal material. I followed a tutorial to clean the printer, and got most of the stuff in the printhead out.

I was never able to get the printer to start extruding right away, but by raising the print bed, the troubled corner stuck without the outline. I still had a print I wanted where I would have a hollow cube, but the support structure would account for more than half the weight. The solution: print one side and two edges twice and glue the halves to each other. I think it took on the order of eight hours, and within four hours of coming off the print bed, one of the prongs had easily snapped. I don’t plan on fixing it, nor do I plan on replacing it at this time. The design was flawed; it was only half a centimeter thick, and I think it needs a full centimeter.

Either way, with this distraction out of the way, the printer is a bit cleaner and working correctly again. I can now return to my bigger project. The next step is with Blender.

Final Question: Unrelated: I started a Spigot Minecraft server this week for family and a few friends. What are some plugins you have had fun with in the past that would work for multiplayer cooperative on a small server?

Good Morning from my Robotics Lab! This is Shadow_8472, and today, I am going seemingly nowhere with my printer. Let’s get started.

I got some cleaning filament today. It looks just like the “sample” that came with the printer. It doesn’t have a spool. It is a translucent white when solid. However, it’s much longer and came with two twist ties to hold it together. It actually extrudes clear and goes milky when it cools.

I spent a while messing with the cleaning filament. I shoved a bunch through the extruder tip and it still ooze a little, then curl around to touch another spot on the extruder tip and form a loop instead of a thread. I developed a hypothesis that the natural curl of the filament was influencing the curl of the extruded material, so I tested it by flipping the roll on the holder. The curl eventually went the other way, supporting my hypothesis. The printer does not appear to be clogged.

I still have a bit of gunk I want to get out so it doesn’t show up in random spots on my important, white print. I found a guide [LINK], but I seemed to regress in my abilities as I went along. The first try was okay, the second one seemed a bit broken, and the rest didn’t even come close. At one point, I even had the filament coming out a completely wrong part of the print head. I ended up turning the printer off until I can research it a bit more, but the guide I linked did say something about maintaining pressure for a couple minutes. I did manage to get a bunch of stuff out, but I have my doubts as to if I even got close to all of it.

Final Question: The curl seems to be a works as intended, but my main problem still exists. Any ideas why my filament is trickling a little when it’s otherwise warm but not extruding?

Good Morning from my Robotics Lab! This is Shadow_8472, and today, I am going over no tangible progress. I ran out of time debating the future of another project with someone, and not even that is resolved. Let’s get started!

I haven’t been able to print anything all week. Whenever I do, the extruder tip is a little runny when it should be stopped. It ends up curling around, then sticking to the side of the tip. I cleaned it off multiple times before I realized what was going on, and I haven’t been able to figure out the correct keywords to search for the problem. I think the problem may be because the printing temperature is too hot for this particular spool of filament. The tip may also have a little clog frustrating things.

I also figured out what was with some miscolored specks in different prints I’ve done recently. The first time I spotted them, I thought they were just dust that had gotten into the print job that really didn’t want to come out. Now, I know it’s residue from previous spools. While this may just look ugly when using a single kind of plastic, if I start switching between PLA and ABS regularly, I will want a cleaning filament. I’ll want it sooner if my problem above involves a plugged tip.

In other news, my friend, who I still want to print this night-light up for, has had a situation change on her. I just found a lamp base I could use, but I may need to make the whole thing battery operated instead.

Final Question: What could cause the printer tip to leak, almost as if slowly extruding normally?