UM1 Nozzle congested?

[cips 1]

Hi experts.

I'm asking for an advice.

I just updated my UM1 firmware with the one coming from the last Cura version. I don't think this is related to the problem, but I tell you to give the complete picture.

Anyway, it looks like the nozzle is in some way clogged: I'm able to push the PLA filament freely through the bowden tube, until the nozzle. Here, no matter how much I push, it looks like it is completely clogged.

I tried to increase the temperature of the nozzle, but no luck; nothing is coming out from the other side.

Do you have any suggestion to troubleshoot this? I don't know what is happened at all.

Thanks,

Cips

 

[cips 1]

OK, I was able to solve:

I tried to heat the nozzle at 230 degrees and then I left it for a while. Then I tried to push again the filament...a bit more and then.....SPLAT....a bunch of pla suddendly came out from the nozzle.

Ok, now it seems to be usable again. I don't know what caused this anyway.

One question for you: are the cleaning tool sold on ebay useful in these cases? I mean something like this:

http://www.goodluckbuy.com/drilling-head-for-3d-printer-nozzle-cleaning-0-5mm-0-4mm-0-3mm-3-size-pack-.html

Thanks for your attention.

 

[jameshs 42]

Some people find it useful for clearing out small bits of blackened (charred) debris.

You would do well to look for the 'nuclear' way of cleaning the nozzle - basically heating with filament, cooling and pulling the filament out to pull out all the stuff.

I always have a few spare nozzles around for the persistent clogs that need a syringe needle to clear them.

some filament is worse than others - but I put so many variants through the poor thing that I am always amased it works

The only other thing to do sometimes - once the filament hits the far end of the bowden it has to go into the melt end and sometimes it catches here - so I always clip my filament for loading with a 45 degree angle which seems to help it clear several of the bottlenecks.

James

 

[cips 1]

Thanks for your suggestions James!