I made my Ender 3 cry...oops (and help?)
6Earlier this year, I had a problem with the extruder clogging, which started during bed leveling and I wasn’t able to fix it, so I ordered some stuff to help clean it out.
Sadly, I didn’t pull the filament out and got sidetracked for a couple of months. And the filament is as brittle as a potato chip. When I tried to pull it out this morning, it broke off in my hand.
So, I did some research and ended up thinking I had to take some of the machine apart to get the tube off. I did get the tube off at the top, where the filament goes in, but couldn’t figure out how to get it off of the bottom.
“Oh, gee, I know! I’ll take it apart!”
Bad idea, lisaviolet, bad idea. So, now, the filament is still stuck in the tube and I don’t know where to go from here. I started to unscrew the part that goes into the thingamabob (where that fan is) that pushes the filament threw to the extruder, but got nervous halfway through and now I can’t get it screwed back in, I don’t know how to get the Bowden tube loose from that so I can get the filament out and I wish I were a drinking woman right now.
I know you guys can give me instructions on how to fix this.
The problem -
What I had made the day before the problem started -
- 8 comments, 14 replies
- Comment
Well, I just got it apart and it looks like the clog was pretty bad, the filament won’t come out and the tube won’t either.
I need a new hot end and a new Bowden tube.
Yay. Ordered. Looking forward to this weekend.
@lisaviolet I have had it clog the bowen tube. But that is a Cheap fix, I also suggest a bi metal hotend. I have also replace the bed too. But the big problem I have is the leveling the bed correctly. I am hoping to solve that with “Filament Friday” (YouTube channel) device.
I do have the Ender 3 Pro, but also the CR6 Se & replace the hotend with the BiMetal hot end. Plus I updated it to the Community firmware upgrade. I’ve had more success with the CR6-se.
Yikes! I like the piece you made, though. It looks like it has a mirrored surface?
@Kyeh Thanks. I found it on thingiverse.
The filament is just a silk black, it looks mirrored because of the lighting.
@lisaviolet Oh, interesting!
@Kyeh @lisaviolet try the Gold silk too.
@Kyeh @lisaviolet @mycya4me the blue silk is reallly pretty too
I have this same problem but haven’t dedicated any time to dealing with it, supposing that once it’s bad, it’s not going to really get worse. Hope I’m not too wrong there.
@djslack I got a new hotend and bowden tube for under $25. And it’s not as hard to fix as I imagined.
@djslack @lisaviolet when I come to a issue I can’t fix right away, I will ponder it for a while. Look it up on YouTube, ask on the forums, order more parts, then ponder more by the a month has past so I then go & fix the issue. So I understand…
On mine, at some point in the past, a nozzle that wasn’t tight enough allowed the filament to ooze out the sides … and block off any possibility of getting a wrench on it or access to the grub screws.
Manually set the thing to preheat, then hit the power switch. Scraped off what I could, repeated the process again, and at that point, I could wrench off the nozzle and pull out the hot end for a deeper cleaning.
Also tagging @acraigl to this thread because he has an Ender 3 also.
@narfcake I have had that issue on both the Ender 3Pro & CR 6se… it is a lot of trouble trying that, sometimes I could not get any tools close enough to totally clean it off, it was easer (Especially on the CR 6se with it shorter leads)to get a new hot end, heater core, temp sensor.
@mycya4me @narfcake One of the sites that explained how to take the thing apart mentioned “extruder parts”. I went to Amazon, wondering exactly what “extruder parts” included, and said to myself “Yeah, that’s what I’m gonna do, just get a new hotend and Bowden tube”. (The Bowden tube was melted or permanently attached because of melted filament inside of the hotend. There was no saving it.)
@lisaviolet @narfcake The Creality printers come with the White Bowen tube. that was one of the 1st upgrades I did, with the Blue bowen tube, far better quality.
There is SO much help on YouTube & Message bases.
I can’t help with the problem but I like your artwork.
@yakkoTDI I got the file over on Thingiverse.
Here are a couple more. I added paper backgrounds to them.
You can’t tell from the photo, but I shaded the colors in the eyes and ears.
This file is no longer available and I was happy I downloaded it before the creator pulled it. It seems people were printing the files out and selling them. He wasn’t very pleased.
@lisaviolet @yakkoTDI love the “cu-a-ts”
I would get friendly with Harbor Freight, they have a great set of Metric T-Handle Hex drivers. A Variety of screws the small metric screws, sometimes you can find them at Lowe’s/ Home Depot.
@mycya4me Thanks. Right now if I need something I ask my husband. He has all sorts of stuff back in his shop and if he doesn’t have it, chances are his brother (who lives around the corner) will.
So far, so good. But if it’s something I’ll need in my stash instead of bugging him, I’ll keep Harbor Freight in mind.
@lisaviolet But I am finding so many have US type of tools & screws. The 3d printers use 100% metric everything… It has been a real education!
Well, it’s like they say, owning a 3D printer is the best way to learn about fixing 3D printers… Speaking as a “proud” Ender 5 owner, that goes double for Creality…
And I’m back in business! I had an issue with the temp sensor, first time the reading was 358°, but nothing was hot.
It was the screw that held it in place. “It doesn’t need to be tight.” Oh. Okay.
I learned something new this past week.