My filament is not extruding, how do I check/clear a jam?

[ianchowmiller]

Hi,

I saw a lot of filament/extruder questions in the forums, but nothing as basic as mine (I think).
I have a new Rockstock Max V2. I got it working after a lot of trial and error and help.
I printed out some nose cones for rockets I plan to do in my class as a project.
Next, I tried to print out four of them at a time.
Each nose cone printed about 20 cm. high (the files were about three times that tall), and then I noticed the arms were moving above the objects with no filament coming out. I had a jam.
I cancelled the print. Went to the extruder controls in Matter Control and after heating the nozzle to 225C (I'm using ABS) I pushed the Extruder + button and nothing happened. Well not nothing, the white gear on the extruder spun, but no filament came out of the nozzle at the hot end. I tried this a few times and nothing.
So what is the safe and correct way to check for/clear a jam?

Thank you.

[Mac The Knife]

225 C may be to cold for the ABS filament you are using. Try raising the temperature to 240C, and see if it works.

[geneb]

240 is kind of extreme - I'd try 235 first.

You've also likely ground a notch in the filament, so you should heat up the hot end and pull the filament out and then feed "fresh" in. You should clean the drive gear on the extruder as well - it can get clogged up with plastic when the hot end jams.

You've got the PEEK fan installed and working, right?


g.

[Xenocrates]

I would personally heat it to ~235 (I assume you're using the stock hotend, so I want to leave margin in there for the PEEK/PTFE), and then depress the red lever on the Ez-struder. Push the filament by hand. If it doesn't go through the hotend at all, unscrew the fitting below the EZ struder, then push it through somewhat. There should be a crescent ground into the filament. cut the filament just above that, then slowly extract the filament from the bowden/hotend by hand. After that, disassemble the hotend (Remove the aluminum portion above the PEEK, then the PTFE tubing within. See if there is anything on there that doesn't belong, such as stuck ABS, or warping on the PTFE). If the PTFE is warped, then if you have extra length on your bowden tube, cut a replacement length from that. If not, order new PTFE and replace it.

If it went through the hotend when pushed by hand, make sure that crescent is below the drive gear, and then it should do OK.

If the hotend remains clogged, remove the nozzle and use a butane or propane torch to remove the filament, then immerse it in a cleaning fluid such as Acetone, or Isopropyl alcohol once it's cooled somewhat to remove any left-over crud, then polish the tip of it with a piece of leather or denim to clean it.

If there is no crescent in the filament, then you need to tighten up the grub screws on the drive gear.

In all of these cases, remove the clear plastic cover from the EZ struder, and while turning it, clean it with a brass or steel brush, or a firm brush of other composition.

Let me know if this doesn't cover it.

[ianchowmiller]

My problem apparently was more akin to fishing. The spool of filament was like a fishing reel where your line gets tangled. Turned out to be an easy (if not a face palming) fix. Thanks for all your help and advice everyone.

Ian

[Windshadow]

I had a backlash sort of snarl on a partly used reel of filament cause by not securing the free end to the reel edge when I removed it from the printer and put it in the sealed plastic box with the desiccant pouches... during spring cleaning one of my helpers pitched into the closest closet after yelling "hay anything fragile in this?"
i was lucky to see the snarl when I loaded the reel this weekend and so avoided any problem but I can sure see how it could mess up the feed