Tag: 3dprinter

Sometimes you just have to lay down a lot of filament. I make large structures for my boys, where details aren’t really that important and it’s ok if you can see layer lines in the print. When I print these, I like to switch from the 0.4mm nozzle to a 0.6mm nozzle to accommodate more filament being put down. However, there are a couple of adjustments that need to be made.

  • Slow down the speed a little bit. The bigger cross-section of the extruded filament takes a little longer to heat up. Slow down to give it time to heat. Even with a slightly slower move speed, you are still putting down 1.5 times as much filament so your net speed is still much higher.
  • Increase the temperature at the nozzle. You have increased the nozzle diameter by 1.5x. The center is going to cool down a little bit faster than with a 0.4mm nozzle.

Symptoms of a poor bed level include:

  • print not sticking to the bed
  • nozzle scraping bed
  • thin or see-through first layer

When I get this, there are a couple of things that I check. First I check the printer mechanically:

  • Disable any BLTouch probing
  • Level the bed using a paper or feeler gage
  • Create mesh bed level manually
  • If troubleshooting, run a test print.
  • Enable BLTouch probing
  • Create automatic bed level
  • Run test print

From following these steps, you should be able to accurately diagnose where the problem with your bed level lies. Address accordingly.

I’ve seen a number of help requests lately that have to do with clogged nozzles. I’ll share how I go about unclogging nozzles, but I will also share how I deal with clogged nozzles afterwards.

To unclog a nozzle, the first thing I do is heat up the hotend as high as the software will allow. This can help break down any clogs that may be in the nozzle into smaller pieces and allow them to pass through. Next, I’ll take a small pin or needle and carefully push it into the nozzle and try to remove any material that I find there.

If that is not successful, the next thing I will try is a cold pull. Heat the nozzle up and then let it cool down completely. The idea is that (hopefully) any impurities will be absorbed into the filament so that we can pull it out when it solidifies. Next, I typically remove the bowden tube connection so that I can pull on the filament directly. Heat up the hot end and start pulling gently, but firmly on the filament. You will feel it start to give at a certain temperature. Pull it all the way out and cut the tip off. This should remove some of the impurities that were previously stuck in the nozzle. Do this 2-3 more times.

If you are not successful with either of these methods, I just replace the entire hot end. For most hobby printers, hot ends cost $10 – $20. I usually keep a spare on hand and just swap it out.