steps to change filament spool

[aneco]

If I want to change the filament spool to print an object in another color, I try to retract the filamant completely out of the extruder by hand or via rephost. In both cases the last part of the filament gets stuck in the extruder and i have to disassemble the extruder to remove the last part of the filament. I hope it is easier to replace the filament spool. How should I replace the filament spool?

[mhackney]

Hmm, for all the filaments I use (PLA, ABS, NinjaFlex, LayWood, Taulman Nylon) I simply depress the pressure lever on the EZStruder and pull the filament quickly out of the hot end. I think because it is still molten, it squeezes enough to pass through everything.

[Jimustanguitar]

You have to do it while it's still hot. I disconnect my extruder every week when I transport my Rostock, so at the end of most prints I have it retract 80-100mm before the hot-end cools off. That way I can pop off one of the tubes and pull the filament through.

It's much easier with the EZStruder too. Hopefully your kit is one of the new ones, if not it's a worthwhile update.

[Batteau62]

Has to be hot, then release the hot end side of the bowden tube. Make sure you depress the lock(blue ring) or you'll strip it. Pull the filament out of the hot end. Trim the bulge of melted plastic off. Depress the red lever on the ezstruder. Wind the spool backwards until the filaments out of the ez. Insert new color until about 1 1/2" to 2" it's sticking out of the bowden tube. Re-insert the tube into the hot end. Extrude material until fully new color. Print

[mhackney]

Unless it's pink PLA.

[Batteau62]

LOL

[Captain Starfish]

I've thrown the following G-code into my standard post-print Slic3r settings to retract the filament at the same time as the carriage is sent to the top.

Code: Select all

M104 S0; turn off extruder
M140 S0; turn off bed
G92 E0; relative mode
G1 E-80 X0 Y0 Z300 F6000; retract filament, get carriage nearly home
G28 ; home

This makes sure it's whipped out nice and quick whilst the filament end is still hot but it will still jam in the EZ-struder so I wind it up to the top of the bowden tube, pop the tube out of the extruder, lop the centimetre long bulge off the end of the filament and then it pulls out easy.