I may have broken my Bowden HELP! - solved

[shadowfiend 9]

Hi there,

After trying to dismantle the hotend on my Ultimaker original, only to get the fan out, I accidentally pulled the white bowden tube clamp up the PTFE tube. I know that this is not coming down again.

Any suggestions from anyone that has done the same thing would be most welcome.

I feel like a complete idiot :c/

Many thanks.

 

[tommyph1208 55]

Im not sure i understand... do you have a picture? sounds wierd rhat it cant come back down if it could go up?

[shadowfiend 9]

It's the little white clamp that I foolishly allowed to slip up the tube. It has little teeth that only let it move one way and bite in hard the other direction. As there is one on the other end of the tube I'm a bit stuck :c/

 

 

[3dcase 37]

Hi,

Pushing down the white clamp, while pulling the tube, should work for getting the tube out.

Might need some force, Bowden tube might be grooved from the Bite

The metal teeth 'Bite' only when you or the filament pull the tube.

Pushing in should go easy, don't forget the 'horseshoe' to keep the clamp up.

You might need the alankey (screw)driver to guide the tube in the white Teflon hole, Does not always line-up perfectly.

 

[shadowfiend 9]

I remember back when I was assembling the printer the first time that I had let this happen. Even with the force of the four long thumb screws this thing was not moving. Fortunatly back then I had not put the clamp on the other end of the tube, so I just slid the clamp all the way down the tube and off.

The problem now is that there is one at each end. I suppose I cut a bit off the PTFE tube at the extruder end, but I'm still thinking there may be another way.

Thanks

 

[IRobertI 516]

Don't worry, I can't see how you could've caused any sort of harm. Just remove the blue (or red) horse shoe that sits around the white piece. This should be enough to let you slide the white piece off the tube. If not, try to use your nails to bend the four tabs out a little bit so that the metal blades inside no longer bite into the tube and slide it off (or maybe use a collection of tooth picks or something ). But it really should be enough to remove the horse shoe.

 

[shadowfiend 9]

Ahh good thinking IRobertI !!!

I think that the very next thing I will be printing is a Bowden clamp extractor tool ;c)

Many thanks guys, I'll let you know how I get on :c)

Ian.

 

[shadowfiend 9]

IRobertI, you are a Genius :cD

I found a thin scrap of polycarbonate that I lifted just one of the tabs and down it came. Minimal effort and took no time at all.

Brilliant :cD

I can’t thank you enough.

 

[IRobertI 516]

No worries, glad I could help

 

[shadowfiend 9]

Thanks again everyone, I'm back up and printing again

YAY :c)