Has anybody tried acupuncture needles to clean out nozzles?

I have micro drills but it seems like 50% of the time I use them to clear out a nozzle jam they break off in the nozzle (too hard and brittle) but I noticed acupuncture needles seem to be flexible and they come in many sizes in from .40mm to .12mm and lots in between including .35mm & .30mm & .25mm.

I use .35mm nozzles but was thinking of trying some .30mm or even .25mm just to poke out any debris stuck in the nozzle.

I decided to call a local acupuncture place to see if I could get a few to try but for some reason they are all closed around here (Yesterday was a holiday but not today). I can buy them online but thought I would ask first if anybody had tried it already and if so how did it work?

... I tried, but they are smooth/slippery, so not very efficient with removing material.

Better search dentists root treatment needles and drills - they are thin, conical and made especially for removing material out of tight bores

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My thought is more of just poking them into the orifice to remove a single blockage (like junk that was in the filament) not really cleaning it out like a brush. I print mostly ABS and will soak tips in acetone but something is in there that won't dissolve so I think it's debris in the nozzle that I just need to "poke" out. I even thought about sewing needles but I think they are too thick.

I'm a dentist (don't tell anyone they treat you differently when they know) but these might help if your nozzle is 0.5mm (Gates Glidden Burs)

The diameter of the cutting bud on the GGD #1 is 0.5 mm, #2 is 0.7 mm, #3 is 0.9 mm, #4 is 1.10 mm, #5 is 1.3 mm and #6 is 1.5 mm

However most root canal instruments k-files etc.. are tapered so careful measurement of the diameter you want at some point along the file, and only using the file up to that length should suffice. The advantage of this approach is one file might clean all your nozzles. The older type are stainless steel, the newer are nickel-titanium.

Despite having quite a few of these things available I just use micro twist drills, but only on heated nozzles and then only by hand, it is a bit like doing a root filling I suppose!

Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 07/05/2016 08:08PM by DjDemonD.

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Simon Khoury

Co-founder of [www.precisionpiezo.co.uk] Accurate, repeatable, versatile Z-Probes
Published:Inventions

So the k-file thing, is the tip smaller than .35mm? that is the nozzle size I use the most.

Some say guitar strings are good

you can cut chisel / butt end for poking or cleaning

typical set of "light" electric strings: .010 .013 .017 .026 .036 .046 ("ten to forty-sixes")

and there are all different gauges.

I actually just looked up on McMaster Carr and found music wire (piano wire) and it's very strong and flexible and available in all the needed sizes. I did not think Piano Wire was available in such small sizes but it is. And it's fairly cheap.

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DjDemonD
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However most root canal instruments k-files etc.. are tapered so careful measurement of the diameter you want at some point along the file, and only using the file up to that length should suffice. The advantage of this approach is one file might clean all your nozzles. The older type are stainless steel, the newer are nickel-titanium.

K-files sound like a good idea, but they may do more harm than good if they start tearing up the nozzle. The files are probably a lot harder than the brass nozzle. I'm a dentist too, so I can bring a few home and try them on some crappy nozzles, then take pictures of the result through a microscope.

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Ultra MegaMax Dominator 3D printer: [drmrehorst.blogspot.com]

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tmorris9
So the k-file thing, is the tip smaller than .35mm? that is the nozzle size I use the most.

Yes I think the way they are measured is that they are in ISO sizes so size 20 is 0.20mm at the tip and k files usually taper 2%.
So you could use an ISO 35 file but only the tip. So maybe an ISO 25 or 20 and just use calipers to mark the point which is 0.35mm.

But yes they are much harder than the nozzle, however they are not as hard as tungsten carbide drill bits - its the taper which is the issue.

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Simon Khoury

Co-founder of [www.precisionpiezo.co.uk] Accurate, repeatable, versatile Z-Probes
Published:Inventions

I use welding wire or a welding tip cleaner like these (http://www.ebay.com/bhp/welding-tip-cleaner). But that's just because a friend gave me some of these.

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See my blog at [moosteria.blogspot.com].

Update:

I got my acupuncture needles today. I ordered .25mm and I know it's undersized but will still work for me.

First off these things are scary thin and sharp but also cheap ($8 for 100). Now the reason they work for me is that I use ABS almost exclusively and when I do get a nasty clog I soak the nozzle in acetone but bout half the time I still can't get the last little blockage out (assuming it's from debris in the filament or that fell into the extruder). So I will acetone soak the nozzle overnight then clear out the bulk of the ABS and then use the needle to poke out the actual culprit of the clog.

Apparently (speaking to a supply house and an actual acupuncturist) I am not suppose to be able to buy these (come on people it's only a thin needle) but thanks to ebay I was able to get them.

Hope this helps someone else.