Any hints/ideas how to attempt to salvage this mess ?
Unable to remove the bottom part of the cover or the extruder
Just like any printer, heat up the hot end and try and peel it off with a tool, it’ll free up at the nozzle almost instantly, hope it hasn’t made contact with much else.
It’s not that bad by the looks of it
Tried that. Didn’t work.
The plastic is everywhere.
The cover broke while removing it, the bottom part of the cover is stuck in the plastic.
I don’t want to put too much pressure on the carbon rods
You gotta admit though, it’s kind of pretty!!!
I’ve seen worse, not much worse, but worse and by my own hand I hate to admit.
Of course you can salvage this and of course you can remove the bottom cover. I assume you have nippers, side cutters(sometimes called Dykes) and or a Dremel. Just cut the damned housing off so you can get to the screws of the hottend.
Now if you don’t have these in your toolbox, then now is a great time to justify getting some. If for no other reason, these are a necessity for properly trimming stubborn excess plastic.
They range in price from $5–$30.
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=side+cutters
I have a pair of these for close up work.
And for what you want to do, you’ll need some very sharp ones. This is another pair I use specifically to cut into thick plastic models that let’s say turned out bad but had something inside that I wanted to retrieve like an expensive neodymium magnet. They will let you gnaw away at something as bulky as what you’re showing and are just the right too for this job because of the sharp ends. They’ll also make quick work of the rest of the fan housing, of that I am sure.
Alternatively, you could use a heat gun to soften the material which is what I would try first. Those too can be had for cheap and are great to have on hand anyway. This is one I use in my electronics work for shrink tubing. Just be careful as these can get very hot and can melt things you don’t intend to but they can be used to soften filament, just be patient and let the heat do the work.
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It’s the holiday season, so the printer provided some holly berries…
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If you own a blow dryer, or your significant other owns a blow dryer, use that as a heat gun to soften up the plastic so you can pull it loose. It’ll take a bit of time, be patient, plastic is a good thermal insulator so the heat needs time to propagate to the interior of the blob. Also, wear gloves, the plastic is going to be hot when you try and peel it off.
If you don’t own a blow dryer, buy one. Or if you want something a bit more heavy duty, a place like Home Depot will sell a heat gun intended for softening/removing paint but these will work well for the purpose of melting off that blob.
Ideally, you want a “hot air rework station” which is used for soldering, and can direct a narrow stream of very hot air. More controllable than a heat gun. But a bigger expense for something you might not need again vs. a blow dryer.
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