3dSolex 0.10mm Nozzle Experience and Problems

[danilius 118]

Yup, you read that correctly: 0.1mm nozzle. I know, crazy, but I got a preview one. And it is bonkers.

At first I tried printing a tiny treefrog, around 7mm x 5 mm. In order to eyeball the first layer I printed it with a 20 line brim, at 5mm/sec right at the front of the bed. In hindsight, choosing white PLA was monumentally stupid. First of all I tend to find that white PLA is much more finicky than other colours, and secondly it's almost impossible to see if anything is happening since at such a fine layer thickness (0.05mm) and a width of 0.1mm.

The first one failed to print the arms, so I cancelled that one. Scaled up a bit, started again, same problem. On the third attempt the nozzle jammed. Gah!

Now how do you clean a 0.1mm nozzle? You can even see the hole it's so small. I will try heating it over a gas flame tomorrow and quenching it in water which will hopefully expel the jammed goo after a few goes.

I think the next material to try is PETG which so far seems less prone to jamming than anything I have used so far.

There are no pics to show at this stage, so please just picture my frustration instead. This is the toughest printing I have ever done.

All advice gratefully received.

[neotko 1,417]

0.1 nozzle with 2.85 filament? That's like hitting the wing of a fly with a shotgun. Did it clog because the pla was on the nozzle for too much time and the jammed nozzle pla inside went brown?

You could try to heat the nozzle to 120, unscrew it, and while holding it hot with tools ofc, pick the peace of filament and pull it. Like a real-fast-on-the-fly atomic.

Also you could try to do outside atomic. Heat the nozzle to 120-160, try to push filament from outside to inside, then lower to 80-90 and pull the residue out, it might 'pull' the clog.

Other idea... Insert a 2-3ptfe tube as long as you can, then insert low pressure air to keep pushing the filament out. I did that once, it was a mess, slow, and not funny at all, but I did take the clog. Also, with a 2-3ptfe tube you can use it to insert it, and use it to do the atomic.

That's all I can think of that doesn't need something of the size of the nozzle.

[danilius 118]

0.1 nozzle with 2.85 filament? That's like hitting the wing of a fly with a shotgun.

 

Yup, I'm wondering if the resolution of the feeder is capable of dealing with this altogether.

 

Did it clog because the pla was on the nozzle for too much time and the jammed nozzle pla inside went brown?

 

Nope. Just jammed for some inexplicable reason. Could be a particle in the plastic itself. I have had that before.

 

You could try to heat the nozzle to 120, unscrew it, and while holding it hot with tools ofc, pick the peace of filament and pull it. Like a real-fast-on-the-fly atomic.

 

Tried that with my other nozzles. It requires exquisite timing, or a stable source of heat at around 120C - 140C, which I don't have.

 

Also you could try to do outside atomic. Heat the nozzle to 120-160, try to push filament from outside to inside, then lower to 80-90 and pull the residue out, it might 'pull' the clog.

 

I should have thought of that :(

 

Other idea... Insert a 2-3ptfe tube as long as you can, then insert low pressure air to keep pushing the filament out. I did that once, it was a mess, slow, and not funny at all, but I did take the clog. Also, with a 2-3ptfe tube you can use it to insert it, and use it to do the atomic.

 

Excuse my utter ignorance, but what is a 2-3ptfe tube?

 

That's all I can think of that doesn't need something of the size of the nozzle.

 

Well that was pretty impressive, thanks!

[neotko 1,417]

Excuse my utter ignorance, but what is a 2-3ptfe tube?

 

Ah yeah, a ptfe tube 2mm inner dia 3mm outside diameter. The ones I used for my 1.75 conversion.

I used that method on my very brief time with 2.85mm filament to do atomics without using filament. I pushed it into the barrel up to the nozzle as much as I could and when cold I pulled the ptfe out. Also I used it connecting a Lego pneumatic thingy from my technics, I was able to push air into the nozzle to flush the clog (it worked quite bad, but I was able to generate enough pressure so the nozzle actually cleared). As you can see I tried very weird methods XD

[danilius 118]

The weird and the wonderful is what is pushing 3D printing forward a this crazy rate.