My 3D printer's extruder jammed right before a big cosplay piece was done

It happened yesterday after a 12 hour print, and now I'm stuck deciding if I should try to fix the hot end myself or just buy a whole new assembly. Anyone dealt with a clogged Micro Swiss all-metal hot end before?

3 comments

3 Comments

jason95816h ago

Is it really that big of a deal though? A 12 hour print failing sucks, but a jammed hot end is about as standard as it gets for this hobby. I've cleared my Micro Swiss a half dozen times with just a hex key and a heat gun, never needed a whole new assembly. People act like a clog is the end of the world, but it's usually a 20 minute fix if you're not panicking. Unless you've got melted PTFE or a snapped heat break in there, just heat it up, poke it out with a guitar string or a small drill bit, and move on with your life.

barnes.shane1mo ago

That Micro Swiss hot end is a beast to clear sometimes. Did the jam happen with regular PLA or were you running something more abrasive through it? I've had luck doing a cold pull with cleaning filament, but the all-metal design can be tricky.

zarap141mo ago

Oh actually, cold pulls are tough with all-metal hot ends! The heat break gap can catch the filament and snap it. I've had better luck just heating it up and pushing fresh filament through to clear the old stuff.