After Print Best Practices Help Hey guys, I must have missed this in the volumes of data out there on printing. Basically, once I've printed something on my Prusa I3 Rework, with PLA and Bowden extruder, what's the best practice to prevent clogs? What I do now is bring the temp down to 80, and then retract 20mm. I've tried other variants, including not doing anything, and every time my hot end gets jammed. Tried different hotend, etc. Recommendations would be greatly appreciated. Would like to be able to print more then one print in a day! Thanks, Chris https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?262,737012,737012#msg-737012 Sat, 08 Aug 2026 17:56:53 -0400 Phorum 5.2.23 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?262,737012,737789#msg-737789 Re: After Print Best Practices Help https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?262,737012,737789#msg-737789
(edited for clarity)]]> JamesK Printing Wed, 11 Jan 2017 14:25:06 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?262,737012,737787#msg-737787 Re: After Print Best Practices Help https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?262,737012,737787#msg-737787
Quote
JamesK
Well found, and a classic photograph to illustrate the problem. PTFE liners that don't go all the way to the nozzle junction are a real pain and very prone to exactly the problem you had. You really want at least two hotends, one just for pla with the PTFE to the nozzle, and another for everything else without a liner.

I'd have to disagree with that to a degree. If you buy a cheap clone, sure you might need a PLA only hotend with the PTFE liner, but if you use the geniune E3D V6 hotends you should be able run anything through it. I use the E3D V6 (all metal version, not the lite6) with PLA and don't have any issues with it. The only thing I've ever had to change was the nozzle when I wanted to play with a 0.3 nozzle, and I've run PLA, ABS, Ninjaflex, PETG all through the same hotend. I've also got a roll of wood filament and nylon to monkey with too when I get some time to play with it again.]]> PDBeal Printing Wed, 11 Jan 2017 14:20:28 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?262,737012,737760#msg-737760 Re: After Print Best Practices Help https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?262,737012,737760#msg-737760 JamesK Printing Wed, 11 Jan 2017 13:10:55 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?262,737012,737078#msg-737078 Re: After Print Best Practices Help https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?262,737012,737078#msg-737078
There's a picture attached if you're interested. I tried reinserting it and hope its a better fit. The ambient temperature in the room I do printing is about 17.5 degrees, so its a little on the chilly side. But I'm Canadian.

Thanks,

Chris]]> spin99 Printing Mon, 09 Jan 2017 14:29:06 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?262,737012,737068#msg-737068 Re: After Print Best Practices Help https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?262,737012,737068#msg-737068 MechaBits Printing Mon, 09 Jan 2017 14:00:44 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?262,737012,737047#msg-737047 Re: After Print Best Practices Help https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?262,737012,737047#msg-737047
Direct drive extruders without great reduction are operating at about the limit of torque. If things get a little sticky in the hot end, many don't have enough torque to push the filament through. Extruders with gear reduction/torque multiplication don't seem to have such problems.

If you're looking for a recommendation, my BulldogXL and e3d v6 combo has experienced exactly one jam in 2+ years of daily printing. Of course, the pair costs as much as many people pay for their entire printer, but sometimes you get what you pay for.]]> the_digital_dentist Printing Mon, 09 Jan 2017 13:30:16 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?262,737012,737037#msg-737037 Re: After Print Best Practices Help https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?262,737012,737037#msg-737037 This is with ABS but ive done the same with PLA before.
Retracting 20mm is probably whats screwing you up and making jams.]]> Floyd Printing Mon, 09 Jan 2017 13:10:38 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?262,737012,737012#msg-737012 After Print Best Practices Help https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?262,737012,737012#msg-737012
I must have missed this in the volumes of data out there on printing.

Basically, once I've printed something on my Prusa I3 Rework, with PLA and Bowden extruder, what's the best practice to prevent clogs?

What I do now is bring the temp down to 80, and then retract 20mm. I've tried other variants, including not doing anything, and every time my hot end gets jammed. Tried different hotend, etc.

Recommendations would be greatly appreciated. Would like to be able to print more then one print in a day!

Thanks,

Chris]]> spin99 Printing Mon, 09 Jan 2017 12:06:14 -0500