Success, then frustration

[hubrigant]

After months of tinkering around, I finally got my RoMax dialed in and successfully printed out a large pencil holder (5-6" tall, and perhaps 8" across at its widest point on the base). Due to negligence on my part (forgot to turn infill back down from the 40% I'd set for a structural part), it used up almost half of my spool of PLA, but it worked. There were some thin strings from the nozzle moving around, but it stayed stuck down to the bed, and looked gorgeous.

Since then, I haven't gotten a single thing to print right, even using the same settings. The PLA went from printing nicely at 185C to exceedingly goopy/stringy, nothing wanted to stick to the bed, etc.

I ran out of the PLA, so I switched to the spool of ABS I have, and that's been even worse. I've tried hairspray, glue sticks, and Kapton, and still my prints either don't want to stick the first layer at all or curl off the bed. In order to even come close, I have to set my bed temp to 100C+, but it takes 45+ minutes to warm up. The ABS doesn't come out at all at 220C, but is goopy at 225C. I get the parts to curl the least with the door to my enclosure pretty closed with a 1/8" gap, but at the bed/extruder temps, the RAMBo hits thermal shutdown after around 2hrs of printing.

Attached is my most recent ABS failure. It shows pretty well the problems I'm having.

[Eaglezsoar]

It sounds as though something may be causing a partial plug of your nozzle.
Heat hot end to temperature and remove nozzle (be careful of the heat), let everything cool down and inspect the nozzle.

[hubrigant]

Yep, it was partially plugged. Now, thanks to my stellar skillz, it's now 100% plugged, mostly with PLA it would appear.

So, given the tools/skills at my disposal, I'm going to need a new nozzle. I'd been contemplating an E3Dv6, so this seems like perhaps a good time to make that move, although the length of time it's taking to heat the bed makes me wonder if this round of updates shouldn't be a new power supply.

So, if I could only do one or the other, which should I get, the nozzle with a new PSU or the all-metal hot-end?

[Eaglezsoar]

Yep, it was partially plugged. Now, thanks to my stellar skillz, it's now 100% plugged, mostly with PLA it would appear.

So, given the tools/skills at my disposal, I'm going to need a new nozzle. I'd been contemplating an E3Dv6, so this seems like perhaps a good time to make that move, although the length of time it's taking to heat the bed makes me wonder if this round of updates shouldn't be a new power supply.

So, if I could only do one or the other, which should I get, the nozzle with a new PSU or the all-metal hot-end?

I would purchase the E3Dv6 1st, with a couple of extra nozzles.
After installing and getting everything to print well I would save the money for a 24 VDC power supply that connects to the Heat Bed via an SSR.
The bed then heats up much more rapidly then it does on 12V. See this link: http://forum.seemecnc.com/viewtopic.php?f=55&t=5406
There are many topics that deal with converting your heat bed to 24 volts. Search in Mods and Rostock topics to find some more.
Best of luck!

[hubrigant]

"...with a couple of extra nozzles", with nozzles being consumables, or as in get a few different sizes?

[SFX Group]

Wanted to ask.... as i am looking at getting a MX v2 and printing some VERY large items (4x8x12 inches, about 4 of them) for the first prints.... is the supplied head not up to this (will be using PLA) or should i be buying a new head to start with?

[geneb]

The stock hot end has no issues at all printing PLA (or ABS for that matter).

g.

[Nareikuk]

A clogged nozzle unblocks quickly and effortlessly with a bit of heat applied from a small blow-torch Most of the plastic causing the blockage just runs out and anything left turns to ash and can be washed out with acetone or IPA.

The E3D is a great hot end too. The stock hot end also copes just fine with ABS and PLA, even with a broken cooling fan

[hubrigant]

Somehow, I appear to have gotten the "simple" blow-torch fix wrong. I have a small butane-fueled pencil torch that I used long enough that the vice grips I was holding the nozzle with got too hot to handle (and, yes, I was heating the nozzle, not the grips ), but not much filament came out, and what was left solidified into a complete plug.

[hubrigant]

Gah! I tried clearing the nozzle again last night. Instead of holding the nozzle directly by the vice grips, I held a nail and balanced the blockage on the nail, thinking that perhaps the vice grips were acting as a heat sink. Heated the nozzle until it was glowing. Not only is the nozzle still plugged, I somehow managed to clog the torch, as well.

Perhaps I should find a new hobby. Fingerpainting, perhaps?

[Eaglezsoar]

Gah! I tried clearing the nozzle again last night. Instead of holding the nozzle directly by the vice grips, I held a nail and balanced the blockage on the nail, thinking that perhaps the vice grips were acting as a heat sink. Heated the nozzle until it was glowing. Not only is the nozzle still plugged, I somehow managed to clog the torch, as well.

Perhaps I should find a new hobby. Fingerpainting, perhaps?

Nah, then you would clog your fingers!