Mahelmezaar

@gr5 Thanks again for the info. I've ordered the Olssen Block and a few TFNs. Im a bit suspicious of the Olssen Block as I find it a little hard to believe that something so cheap can solve my problem but I figure I'll just go without a morning coffee one day next week and that will cover the cost if it turns out to have been a mistake. As for the TFN, I've always found it useful to have a few spares knocking about and I figure I can just drill them out to 3mm if nothing comes of this venture. So, that just leaves the Bowden Tube. I've found a couple of alternatives that look like they meet the specs you've outlined but I just wanted to check a couple of things before I go ahead with the purchase. Clearly I need the 2mm ID to guide the 1.75mm filament into the hot end and a 6mm OD (my current BT's are actually 6.3mm OD) to fit the clips but it kind of sounds like you are suggesting that I need two separate BTs (one 6x4 and one 4x2) and that I slide one inside the other. Have I got this right? and if so why would one 6x2 BT be unsuitable? Also, while I'm here, in your first post you said: Any chance you could expand on this? Given that my preferred filaments are no longer being produced at 2.85mm diameter and current stocks will inevitably run out at some point I don't feel like I have much choice. I could, of course, change filament manufacturer but based on the time and effort it took to find one I like in the first place altering one of my printers seems like a much less costly option and even if it doesn't work out in the end it feels like the place to start. Are there any flaws in my reasoning that stand out to you?

Hi all, apologies for taking so long to respond, I was involved in a bit of an accident and have had other things to worry about for the last couple months but it's time for me to pick this quest back up again. @gr5 Thanks for the comprehensive response, I figured the TFM would be the most important bit to swap over. I plan to grab one shortly and do some testing but I suspect I will go for the whole conversion kit before too long. I can see what you mean about the Bowden tube too, I was hoping I could avoid replacing it but I imagine my future self will resent me if I don't. Thank you also for clearing up the issue of the feeder. I've watched several tutorials that strongly urged me to replace it but as these were almost exclusively by people claiming to sell me the very feeder I needed (and always at the best possible price!), I was naturally suspicious. Anyhow, unless the conversion kit turns out to be prohibitively expensive it looks like this conversion won't cost much more than routine maintenance. So just to double check, to do a full conversion for 1.75mm filament I'll need the following: - Replacement Teflon Bit (TFM) with 2mm I.D. - 3dSolex 1.75mm Conversion Kit (Olsen Block) - New Nozzles with 2mm I.D. - Replacement Bowden Tube with 2mm I.D. I've had a look at 3dsolex.com and I can't seem to find exactly what I'm looking for. This isn't the first time, its a bit of a curse, certain websites just seem to hate me. I'm thinking of contacting 3DSolex directly but if you've got links for various products to hand feel free to drop them here. I'm afraid I more or less forced into this approach unless I want to go through the process of finding a @3dprntz I appreciate the advice, I'm based in the UK and I can't seem to find anyone supplying these Filaments outside the US. If you've got a link for a European supplier just let me know. Thanks again

Hello everyone, I have a couple of Ultimaker 2+ printers and I’m looking into the idea of converting one of them to take 1.75mm filaments. I produce a variety of models and components for board/tabletop games and have been using eSUN PLA+ almost exclusively for the past few years but recently discovered that eSUN are no longer producing their 2.85mm range due to low demand. While I am still able to find some of the filaments I require, it is becoming increasingly hard to do so and, ultimately, there will come a time when it is not longer possible. I have received a number of recommendations for alternative filaments to try out but in every case there would be some form of compromise on either price, colour range, mechanical properties, etc, etc… not to mention the the time and effort that I would need to put into experimentation and testing while I try to find the best replacement. Given all this, it occurs to me that converting either one or both of my machines to work with 1.75mm filaments might be an easier/faster solution as it would allow me to continue using my preferred brand while maintaining continuity for my customers. I have read a number of articles on this subject but, while it seems clear that it is possible to do, these articles vary widely in their claims from “You don’t really need to do much” to “You need to change everything!”. Some of the solutions I’ve found look like they may cost me a bit and, while I’m ok with this in principle, I don’t have endless cash to throw at this problem so I’d like to be better informed before I taking any action. I would be very interested to hear from anyone who has tried this conversion (successful or not) or anyone who uses eSUN products and is facing the same dilemma. Many thanks in advance - J