I need some input seasoning my all metal e3d hot end. I purchased and started using this new hot end a couple of months ago replacing my Jhead hot end specifically because the e3d can print at 3 times the speed. All has always been fine with printing ABS but after about a month I was basically unable get an acceptable print in PLA. In all cases after about an hour the hot end starts intermittently plugging, or better put sputtering.
I would disassemble the hot end clean it out and try again. To solve this problem I tried:
Switching extruders just in case the first one was slipping at the knurled nut.
Lowering the hot end temperature to keep any heat creep from going up the heat break.
Printed out a new duct to the cooling fan (in ABS) so that I could install a whopping 60mm fan with added cooling directly on the heat break.
New nozzle and cleaning of nozzle as completely as possible with acetone.
The pictures attached show that no matter what the hot end always started intermittently plugging after about an hour.
The only thing that I can think of it the “stickiness” that is reported with PLA and all metal hot end due the the sugars in PLA, similar to eggs sticking to a cast iron frying pan.
I found a few articles on “seasoning” all metal hot ends to solve this problem and was wondering if anyone in the forum had experience in this and if they did if they could give suggestions on seasoning methods that worked for them.
Could be inconsistencies in the filament, especially if you say the hotend was “sputtering”. Have you tried doing a cold pull after this sort of jam with some ABS or nylon? That would be the best and easiest way to clear most jams. Also what are your print temps, layer heights, and print speeds?
genuine or fake e3d? the genuine v6 doesn’t have any problems… heat up the hotend and push filament with your hand , you should be able to push it with very little effort… you can actually get away with a 25mm fan on a e3d at temperatures lower than 210c. do you have a thermometer to verify your actual temperature?
I would also agree with checking the temperature and would like to add to check your to make sure your PID settings are dialed in and that your hotend remains at temp on the firmware side throughout the print.
Before anything, is this a genuine e3d hotend? A knockoff might have alignment issues, burrs, or poor surface quality. If it’s not genuine, then you will have issues no matter what.
Then we need to rule out other issues. Be sure your extruder isn’t overheating and has good grip. The teeth on the drive need to be clean and clear of all debris. Use a needle and a brush to clean out each tooth.
If the motor on the extruder is too hot, it will skip steps. The easiest test is to put your fingers on it after it runs this long. If you can’t hold your fingers there for more than 10 seconds then it’s too hot.
Now, the easiest test to see if it’s PLA sticking is to switch to a different material. Try ABS or PETG. ABS is a good choice as it won’t stick at all, nylon is the best.
In fact, buy some nylon for cleaning the hotend. Look up cold pull techniques.
Now for seasoning, which I highly recommend doing before the first print because its better on a clean uncontaminated surface.
You will need to completely disassemble the hotend. If you’re printing with 1.75mm filament then you only need to season 1 part, the heatbreak. The method is the same as seasoning a cast iron pan. But first you need to clean it. Pla is tough because the solvents are particularly nasty. The easiest way is to burn/melt it out. I used an oven set at max temp. Put some aluminum foil to catch the drips. Some people use a blow torch, but if you’re not careful you can damage or deform the heatbreak.
Then clean with alcohol.
Use a cotton tipped applicator or a paper towel twisted up that will fit inside the heatbreak. Use a vegetable oil on the applicator and pull it through. Then use a clean one and pull it through. You want a very small layer of oil inside it. You won’t even see it. After applying the oil, bake for 30 mins at 450f. Pull it out, let it cool for 5 mins, then apply again.
I did this 6 times on mine. It turns this dark orange/brown color. You need to put a very thin amount each time, applying with one, wiping off with another.
@Nathan_Walkner . the only fakes that run flaulessly are the ones with a ptfe liner. the all metal ones have all sorts of problems and you have to be extremely lucky to have a fully functional one… polishing the inside of a stainless barrel is a pain and requires a lot of effort which our chinese friends dont put in…
I want to say I use Canola Oil for “seasoning” my E3D v6 hot end. I thought it survived hotter temperatures then vegetable oil.
All I do though is dip the tip of the filament in the oil before inserting it in the hotend, and only for “higher-end” filaments like ColorFabb when I have had samples. Don’t recall needing it for eSUN PETG however.
And @Nathan_Walkner is correct that any hot end can be reliable. However, a lot of the reliable knock-offs require a lot of post-processing work to clean out the passageways, especially when your hot end was drilled with older bits that E3D and other quality manufacturers would have long since replaced in their manufacturing.
Looks like heat creep. Did you use good quality thermal paste on the threads of the heat break that threads into the heatsink? I had these same issues and tried various methods of seasoning the hotend - they would all work but only temporarily. Once I used good thermal paste on the heatsink threads, I never had heat creep again.
Thanks for all your suggestions. As for the questions, yes it is a genuine v6 e3d hot end purchased from an official vendor of theirs here in the US.
As for retraction settings I have it set at 0.6mm which is a little under the 0.8mm maximum recommended on the e3d documentation so I do not think that is a problem.
I was sure that the problem was heat creep that is why I installed the 60mm fan with related ducting putting a portion of this air flow directly on the heat break. There is so much air flow that the nozzle temp can barely keep up. Matter of fact initially with the nozzle temp set at 220C my printer actually cannot reach that temp. Only after the enclosure it is in heats up can it maintain 220C, but no more. Thus I do not think that heat creep is a problem.
I do not think it is the extruder as I switched to a new, clean, extruder and still had the identical problem.
The e3d hot end prints ABS wonderfully. Matter of fact when I get a plug like this in PLA I run some ABS through it initially to clear the blockage and this usually works. I then disassemble the hotend and rod out the any ABS left in the heat break and nozzle while heating them up with a soldering iron. Recently I finish this cleaning by soaking these two pieces in acetone and removing any remnants of ABS. Of course this does not remove any PLA still in there, primarily in the nozzle. I get as much out as possible with a small drill bit turned by hand but I am sure there is still at least of film left in the interior of the nozzle even with that. I guess I could use NaOH (or simple drain cleaner which is basically just NaOH) but that would be a hassle, plus I do not know if this would really help as when I switched to a new nozzle I had the same problem. If this “sticking” of the PLA is the issue then I think the real problem occurs in the heat break tube itself.
Thus I will flush the hot end with ABS, then disassemble and clean it as I have before, then try seasoning it. I have seen with the research that many people season the hot end by dipping filament in oil and then manually push it through the hot end. Anyone used this method?
I use a sponge with a slit in it, with 1-2 drops of oil on it. The trick is not to get too much oil on it as it will cause layer adhesion issues.
A household sponge won’t absorb oil well, but a makeup sponge (it’s probably a polyurethane) works quite well.
i think a better way is just get a replacement heat break from e3d… i think u should also check your temperature . and last is the pla from a good source ?
Forget about PLA and all metal hotend, they dont like to work together, PLA tend to stick to the metal in this type of hotends, my sugesttion is to move along and get petg, its more durable and less painfull to print,
@lightshadown absolutely not… i have been mostly printing pla with a e3d v6 and have used almost 20kg till now… it all depends on the actual temperature of the block … most people dont measure it with a thermometer to cross check the thermister and end up cooking the pla, also most recent batches of pla are actually blended with other plastics to make them less prone to jamming,
ok, i have print only Craftunique’s PLA but switch to Honeycomb’s ABS due to that problem of jamming, i have try 220 C and up to 260 and adding kitchen oil to prevent stick to the metal but not a good result, just a side note im not using an e3d v6 im using a clone specifically desing (torture) to fit my printer, dont know if thats the problem but i didnt wana mess with the header at the time, will give it a try using another brand of PLA, might be the problem.
If you say the heatblock is having trouble keeping up you may be over cooling. Try a smaller fan. The original fan should be fine. Check all the temps.
