I am using a P1S with no AMS; I am also using old flashforge PLA which I want to use up, and running from a heater box to help deal with filament breaks that do happen from time to time with old filament.
I have found that I still get little bits of old filament into a print with a new color. The photo shows a benchy and a fedora printed in a yellow filament, and you can see little touches of blue in there, which was the previous filament I was using.
I am not sure how there can be left over PLA in the extruder path. I had a close look at the hot end and I see some blue gunk there (picture attached) but I think that is some resin which is properly part of the hot end construction, holding things in place.
I’m doing another benchy print now, but I think all the blue is finally purged. Anyone else ever had this issue?
PS. Nope… still a tiny little smudge of blue in the second benchy.
That blob of blue is definity not normal, there is no resin or glue in the hotend, it is 100% metal. Your hot end must have a break in it and it’s leaking filament.
You try running it super hot while extruding? I always do this. Especially after using a filament that has a higher melting point than the one im changing to.
That blob looks like you need a new hotend though.
Thanks everyone. You helped give me confidence to assume the blob is PLA.
I did have a failed print just recently in the blue… a bed adhesion problem that produced a lot of spaghetti. I am hoping it is simply a bit of blue spaghetti melted onto the hot end.
Anyhow, I heated it up to 210, and gently pulled the blob off with a pair of needle nose pliers. It came away pretty nicely. So now I am starting up another print to see what happens. If a blob reappears I will assume a hot end problem. Otherwise I am guessing it was just PLA from a failed print that melted onto the hotend without doing any other damage.
Thanks for your help and wish me luck. I’ll let you know how the next print goes.
Still having adhesion problems; but the hotend seems to be working. I’ve put some glue stick on the plate; is there a recommended way to clean a plate after I’ve used glue on it?
I am using PLA (an old roll of the flashforge I had previously) on the gold PEI plate. I was a bit surprised to find the adhesion so bad. Not sure what is best to try. Perhaps throw away my old PLA? Reluctant to waste it; was hoping it would work out for prototyping some stuff. May increase the temperature a bit. I’m at a bit of loss on that matter. Going to try washing as you suggest. I don’t like all that gunk on my nice new printer’s plate.
I use an eSun drying box to deal with any moisture it may have picked up over the last year. It is prone to break, but I’ve been able to use it for some things ok. This roll seems to be a bit worse, however. Probably it is the filament degraded so I might try a hotter build plate this weekend.
Hearing you’re having multiple adhesion issues with the better gold PEI plate makes me think you need to start over and clean that plate. Gotta give it a nice cleaning with some hot soap and water. Probably not needed but after I towel dry the plate I do a quick IPA wipedown with a microfiber and PLA sticks like glue to the plate and just falls right off once the plate is cooled. If I am not having adhesion issues I also I like to do IPA wipe downs as maintenance after so many prints. Maybe once every month or two I will still do a dish soap and water cleaning regardless. Like I said maybe I am doing it overkill but for at least PLA I don’t have adhesion issues and I have the older Black Textured PEI sheet. Good Luck!
