Filament Stuck in Print Core. Can't Remove Print Core.

[SamMcBride 0]

Hi everybody. I was following the procedure to clean the print core, hot then cold, and during the hot phase, the PLA filament broke off just above the housing to the print core, a BB 0.4. I can't pull it out and can't push it in, with or without heat. I'm tearing my hair out. I'd happily toss the print core but I can't get it out because of the protruding filament. 

 

It's an S3, purchased around May 2020. Ideas? -Charlie

 

Charles McBride

Beaverton, OR

Edited November 2 by SamMcBride
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[RonaldKeller 0]

Hello Charles,

 

I am very new to 3D printing so I am certainly a beginner but I would think you should be able to pull the filament out if you heat up the print core. I know you said it did not work cold nor hot. But I think you should try again by heating the core. Maybe by setting the temperature VERY high it should work.

You can achieve this (as you probably know) by going in the printer's menu.

(English is not my native language so I hope you understand what I meant)

 

 Ronald

[Torgeir 137]

Hi Charles,

 

As the bowden tube is removed you can just lift up the withe locking ring, now you'll have enough space to use a "long" a tanned tip rod to grab that filament.

Heat the nozzle to 200 deg. C., then pull it out, but be careful and not clamp the filament to hard.

Never over temp the filament, as this might harden filament very much and destroy your print core.

 

Anyway, good luck.

 

Thanks Torgeir

Edited November 4 by Torgeir
Text.

[Torgeir 137]

Hmm,

 

Here is two pictures, showing how to do, -using an UM2 head top, same size as UM S3..

 

 

 

Thanks

 

Torgeir

 

Edited November 4 by Torgeir
More text.

[Torgeir 137]

Hi Ronald,

 

Welcome in here,

Here you will find lots of stuff about 3D printing, -this is the right place to be.

Good luck with your new hobby.

 

Thanks

Torgeir

 

[SamMcBride 0]

Thanks everybody. I heated the print core to 280C and pushed the filament down further. After 20 minutes, with serious effort, I pulled it out with needle nose pliers. 

 

Victory!

 

Much appreciated. -Charlie

 

Charles McBride

Beaverton, OR

Edited November 5 by SamMcBride
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[SamMcBride 0]

Shoot. It's weird. We were able to run a clean cycle of print core, the one that we unstuck, in the #1 spot, which worked fine, but when we unloaded and loaded filament, there was no extrusion. We swapped the AA 0.4mm for the other AA 0.4mm print core into the #1 spot and tried to unload and load and still did not get any extrusion. 

 

We moved the previously clogged print core from the #1 spot to the #2 spot and it worked fine, so it's not the actual print core that is faulty, but the #1 spot. 

 

 

 

What do you suppose is preventing the #1 spot from being able to work properly?

 

Thank You. -Charlie

 

 

[SamMcBride 0]

P.S. #1 spot = #1 extruder

#2 spot = #2 extruder

 

[Torgeir 137]

Was there any error code related to this during the "heating period"?

There have been some issues with correct seating -due to remains of filament, also dusty contacts inside the head that's attached to the cores when installed could create erratic contact problems.

Maybe something happened here during the cleaning -"cold" pull?

Only clean carefully with alcohol and clean rag..

 

Thanks

Torgeir