Stuff in 3DSolex Ruby....What could this be?

[kmanstudios 1,120]

Ok, after a few weeks of having to actually do production work, I am getting around to getting to the bottom of why my 0.40 Ruby Nozzle in a 3D Solex will not print properly.

When I would do a cold pull, it would come out with a bifurcated tip instead of the smooth bullet shape. So, I opened it up and found something in there that I could not get out with atomic pulls, hot pushing through, etc.

Clog 1 is inside the 3D core itself

Clog 2 is inside the nozzle

I ask because I do not remember putting anything white into the nozzle to clean with and if this could be some internal part that got messed up somehow printing with the copperfill.

The nozzle came off with minimal effort on torque the first time. I put it back together and used the torque wrench and when I got the camera ready to take pics, it did come off with much more difficulty.

My next step is to break out the heat gun and try to get at it that way, but I am not sure I have anything small enough to get in there and get a good grip on it.

But I do worry about it being some sort of internal sheath, part or something.

Edited December 5, 2017 by Guest

[kmanstudios 1,120]

an add on question would be this:

Is it detrimental to the core or printhead for the core to be heated in the slot without the nozzle.

I would like to use the printhead to heat it and force filament through it to try and flush that gunk out, whatever it is.

in theory, it should work, but I am not knowledgeable enough on those cores and how things shed or share heat may cause an issue.

This would allow me to heat the nozzle in the socket without worry of damaging the core and it also allows for the whole core to heat up for flushing.

The current print is 7 hours from being finished. It would also be a good time to do a bit of maintenance on the printhead as a whole as it could use it after 2 months of non-stop printing since the last cleaning.

[kmanstudios 1,120]

So, i did the heating the core without the nozzle and it helped a great deal. Once I got the core cleaned thoroughly, the nozzle cleaned out just fine. Whatever the jam was, it is now doing a test print and seems to have good, even flow.

I am not putting copperfill through it yet. Right now I have to get a print out that is PETG. I am familiar with the properties of this filament and will be able to get a much better idea of how it is working.

[neotko 1,417]

So, i did the heating the core without the nozzle and it helped a great deal. Once I got the core cleaned thoroughly, the nozzle cleaned out just fine. Whatever the jam was, it is now doing a test print and seems to have good, even flow.

I am not putting copperfill through it yet. Right now I have to get a print out that is PETG. I am familiar with the properties of this filament and will be able to get a much better idea of how it is working.

Copperfill it's a filament that heats fast, copper has good thermal conductivity, and since the UM3 cores (3dsolex too) have a steel heatbreak, it should be easy to clog one just by using more than a few retractions. Tunning that material for a hotend like that would need to think of the material as if it where wood or flexible on a full metal hotend. I would start by reducing the retraction amount on the same area and increasing a few mm the minimum print before retraction. That should cut down fast the heat crawling up on the copper filament. Probably also you might need to tune the retraction for tool change.

Also mind that 3dsolex 'ruby's are not the same as Anders Olsson ruby nozzle, they are based (or you could say 'inspired' XD ) on his first beta design but not on how he evolved the design to cut down the need for more temperature and optimize the precision of the ruby holes or the kind of rubys used. 3DSolex just added their 'patented' two holes exit to compensate for the need of more temperature of that old design.

Edited December 6, 2017 by Guest

[kmanstudios 1,120]

So, i did the heating the core without the nozzle and it helped a great deal. Once I got the core cleaned thoroughly, the nozzle cleaned out just fine. Whatever the jam was, it is now doing a test print and seems to have good, even flow.

I am not putting copperfill through it yet. Right now I have to get a print out that is PETG. I am familiar with the properties of this filament and will be able to get a much better idea of how it is working.

Copperfill it's a filament that heats fast, copper has good thermal conductivity, and since the UM3 cores (3dsolex too) have a steel heatbreak, it should be easy to clog one just by using more than a few retractions. Tunning that material for a hotend like that would need to think of the material as if it where wood or flexible on a full metal hotend. I would start by reducing the retraction amount on the same area and increasing a few mm the minimum print before retraction. That should cut down fast the heat crawling up on the copper filament. Probably also you might need to tune the retraction for tool change.

Also mind that 3dsolex 'ruby's are not the same as Anders Olsson ruby nozzle, they are based (or you could say 'inspired' XD ) on his first beta design but not on how he evolved the design to cut down the need for more temperature and optimize the precision of the ruby holes or the kind of rubys used. 3DSolex just added their 'patented' two holes exit to compensate for the need of more temperature of that old design.

Thank you very much for the information. right now, I am printing in PETG to see if it prints smooth....so far so good.

It never occurred to me that the retraction would cause the heat issues you mentioned.

as soon as I get this print out (24 hours to go) I will try a copperfill print again with the information you mentioned.

Muchas Gracias Mi Amigo