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Is this hotend salvageable?  

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bmorgenthaler
(@bmorgenthaler)
Eminent Member
Is this hotend salvageable?

I installed the Bondtech Extruder recently and decided to also try out their heatbreak as well. Well printing PETG has been great but going back to PLA for couple of pieces and whoo boy, lots of problems. Going through this thread and trying everything but a lot of the mentions say go back to the stock heatbreak. Well my heater block was a mess from a few blobs of death which appear to have gone up the threads of the nozzle and around the heatbreak's threads. My question is can I salvage it? That is all PETG stuck/burned/etc. on there so acetone won't do anything.  Can I soak it in MEK or Toluene? I've ordered a couple of spares from Prusa but they aren't here yet.

MINI+ with FW:4.3.3, Bondtech IFS Extruder, drilled out PC4-M8 couplers, 1 piece Capricorn bowden.

Posted : 19/09/2021 2:20 am
Steve Smith
(@steve-smith)
Trusted Member
Not sure if this will work for you

Hard to tell how bad it is without pictures..
But When things like that have happened to me, I grab the wifes creme brulee burner, hold the hotend with pliers and heat it up, then use tweezers to pull out the filament and a wire brush to clean it. 

My Mini has: A SuperPINDA + Bondtech Heatbreak + Bondtech Extruder installed

Posted : 19/09/2021 6:37 am
cwbullet
(@cwbullet)
Member
Yup

Photos will help.  They might be worth 1000s of words.  

--------------------
Chuck H
3D Printer Review Blog

Posted : 19/09/2021 11:19 am
bmorgenthaler
(@bmorgenthaler)
Eminent Member
Topic starter answered:
1000 words

Woke up this morning and brushing my teeth I thought, "You know, I don't think I uploaded or attached an album to that post last night".  What do you know, I didn't.   😆 

Here we are - Imgur album - Will it blend?

MINI+ with FW:4.3.3, Bondtech IFS Extruder, drilled out PC4-M8 couplers, 1 piece Capricorn bowden.

Posted : 19/09/2021 3:07 pm
BogdanH
(@bogdanh)
Honorable Member

This hotend can be salvaged, of course. Because I didn't have such case yet, I can hardly say what's "the best" approach. Anyway, what I would do is, heat up parts on some mini gas torch and scrub the filament with brass brush.
The question, which only you can answer is, is it worth the time to rescue the nozzle? I would probably just take the new one and work on this one when I'm bored 😏 

Btw. Looking at first photo, I'm quite sure that the whole mess happened because you didn't install hotend (heatbreak/nozzle) properly. And I just need to say, that majority of Mini owners agree (including me), that Bondtech heatbreak is better than stock.

[Mini+] [MK3S+BEAR]

Posted : 19/09/2021 4:35 pm
cwbullet
(@cwbullet)
Member
remove

Easily salvageable.  Use a mini torch with care or a hot air gun. Use a tooth brush to remove the heated and melted filament.  

Posted by: @bmorgenthaler

Woke up this morning and brushing my teeth I thought, "You know, I don't think I uploaded or attached an album to that post last night".  What do you know, I didn't.   😆 

Here we are - Imgur album - Will it blend?

 

--------------------
Chuck H
3D Printer Review Blog

Posted : 19/09/2021 5:04 pm
bmorgenthaler
(@bmorgenthaler)
Eminent Member
Topic starter answered:
toothbrush?

Toothbrush not brass wire brush?

Posted by: @cwbullet

Easily salvageable.  Use a mini torch with care or a hot air gun. Use a tooth brush to remove the heated and melted filament.  

Posted by: @bmorgenthaler

Woke up this morning and brushing my teeth I thought, "You know, I don't think I uploaded or attached an album to that post last night".  What do you know, I didn't.   😆 

Here we are - Imgur album - Will it blend?

 

 

MINI+ with FW:4.3.3, Bondtech IFS Extruder, drilled out PC4-M8 couplers, 1 piece Capricorn bowden.

Posted : 19/09/2021 10:23 pm
bmorgenthaler
(@bmorgenthaler)
Eminent Member
Topic starter answered:
Heatbreak

Honestly, I couldn't care less about the nozzle, I just want to salvage the heatbreak. I put on the Bondtech because I ordered it with the extruder (why not, only pay shipping once) and needed a heatbreak. Unfortunately though I wasn't having any issues with PETG when I switched over to PLA it's been nothing but terrible prints. Running through the thread on this and trying the different suggestions 1 at a time to see if they help. A common "fix" is the stock heatbreak, so I want to go back to it, but not in it's current condition.

Posted by: @bogdanh

Btw. Looking at first photo, I'm quite sure that the whole mess happened because you didn't install hotend (heatbreak/nozzle) properly. And I just need to say, that majority of Mini owners agree (including me), that Bondtech heatbreak is better than stock.

Yeah I had a mess early one when switching between PETG and some offbrand PLA that I was gifted. I disassembled everything after a major clog and then didn't get it back together properly.

MINI+ with FW:4.3.3, Bondtech IFS Extruder, drilled out PC4-M8 couplers, 1 piece Capricorn bowden.

Posted : 19/09/2021 10:31 pm
cwbullet
(@cwbullet)
Member
Nylon

I use a nylon toothbrush and not a wire brush.  The nylon prevents damage to the wires and nozzle.  

Posted by: @bmorgenthaler

Toothbrush not brass wire brush?

Posted by: @cwbullet

Easily salvageable.  Use a mini torch with care or a hot air gun. Use a tooth brush to remove the heated and melted filament.  

Posted by: @bmorgenthaler

Woke up this morning and brushing my teeth I thought, "You know, I don't think I uploaded or attached an album to that post last night".  What do you know, I didn't.   😆 

Here we are - Imgur album - Will it blend?

 

 

 

--------------------
Chuck H
3D Printer Review Blog

Posted : 20/09/2021 12:08 am
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