Favorite Purge procedure when swapping filament types

[Vandal968]

What's everyone's favorite way to clear a nozzle of one filament before switching to another?

cheers,
c

[insta]

Ram 100mm of the new stuff through and blowtorch the V4 nozzles as they clog.


... incidentally my advice should not be taken seriously.

[Jules]

Stop that insta! Someone might take you up on it.

If it's the same kind of filament, (like a different color of PLA), I just retract the first filament and extrude enough through until the next color comes out clean. (Usually about 100 mm or so.)

But when I extrude it, I do it in batches of 20 mm or so.

If it's a different filament (like going from PLA to PETG), I retract the first filament at whatever temperature is correct for that filament, run through a cleaning filament at the first temperature until the cleaning filament comes out clean. Then I'll retract the cleaning filament, increase (or decrease) the temperature to the correct temperature for the second filament, and extrude enough of that through until the remnants of the cleaning filament are extruded. Again, depending on the filament, I'll only extrude in batches of about 10-20 mm at a time. (Retractions are done at 100 mm pops, no matter the filament.)

[insta]

It's what *I* do, but I also have about 5 backup V4s (not mounted in machines) and 10 nozzles.

An oxy-MAPP torch makes really short work of clogs and 10 minutes in the ultrasonic cleaner makes the nozzles almost like new again ... just ... less shiny.

[Jules]

It's what *I* do, but I also have about 5 backup V4s (not mounted in machines) and 10 nozzles.

An oxy-MAPP torch makes really short work of clogs and 10 minutes in the ultrasonic cleaner makes the nozzles almost like new again ... just ... less shiny.

Hope it's a Turbo-Torch....they're the best.

[Vandal968]

ultrasonic cleaner makes the nozzles almost like new again ... just ... less shiny.

+
What chemicals do you use in the ultrasonic?

cheers,
c

[Bratag]

It's what *I* do, but I also have about 5 backup V4s (not mounted in machines) and 10 nozzles.

An oxy-MAPP torch makes really short work of clogs and 10 minutes in the ultrasonic cleaner makes the nozzles almost like new again ... just ... less shiny.

Had to employ the glowing red hot steel nozzle to clear a blockage in one of my nozzles recently (E3D - normally I would write off the nozzle but the hardened steel are 30 bucks a pop). The whole time I had a crazy insta laugh track going on in my head. FIRE FIRE!

[insta]

ultrasonic cleaner makes the nozzles almost like new again ... just ... less shiny.

+
What chemicals do you use in the ultrasonic?

cheers,
c

water and hate, mostly. Sometimes I'll add acetone or isopropyl alcohol. I'm not a fan of my process, it's just the quickest one I have that's not "discard the mostly good nozzle and replace it with a perfectly clean one", because that'd run me about $30 a week in nozzles and I'm too cheap for that.

[innkeeper]

What's everyone's favorite way to clear a nozzle of one filament before switching to another?

Here is what i do.

If i am going to like filament type but of different colors, i will just change filament and keep extruding until the color change seems complete. note, for some color/brands that can take a lot of filament. particularly when going from some brands of black filament. in those cases i may first run though some eSun cleaner filament in between at the same temerature.

when going from one type of filament to another, i will use cleaner filament at the temperature of the previously loaded filament or perhaps a couple of degrees higher to make the old filament more 'liquid'. once i have purged out the old filament successfully using the cleaner filament i then change the temperature to the new filaments working temperature then load the new filament at the new temp and purge out the cleaner filament.

doing this, i have not had problems with nozzle clogging due to changing filaments. I pretty much follow this procedure for all 3d printers i have used and with various nozzle types etc. seems to be universally successful for me.

Since i discovered cleaner filament, i don't leave home without it so to speak.... however...

if i do not have cleaner filament / before i used cleaner filament, i would and ease my way into the newer temperature from the older one. usually there is a common temperature range were both can extrude but not be too hot to burn the lower temp filament. so if going from pla to abs i will remove the pla load abs at a a temperature it will extrude and not burn the loaded pla. i know this is not an exact temp, but all filaments are different so depends on your filament brand / type etc. likewise if i am going from abs to pla i will lower the temp to the lower extraditable temp for the filament, then start loading the pla. There is usually a temperature range where they both can extrude and not burn the pla. once the nozzle is fully purged of the old filament i would set the temp to the new working temperature.

hope that helps some.
No blowtorch was used in the swamping of this filament