Hello, the filament got stuck inside the extruder so I removed the hot end then tried to unscrew the cutter lever but I could not remove the screw and the hex key eroded and stripped the screw, so I tried, to buy new hex quality keys, then rubber band with the hex screw to get more grip. It did not work, I tried latex gloves, then I melted hot PLA inside, then tried to weld, then J-B weld. I finally used a stripped screw remover but it was a little to wide for that screw. Still tried but it got a perfectly round hole with no grip to extract. I will now try god or something like that.
How can I remove the screw from the cutter lever or deconstruct the hole assembly?
The screw is only partly threaded and that is in the lever. Remove the c-clip, on the shaft just below the screw, and you will be able to remove the lever. That should allow you to grab the smooth part of the screw that sticks out the back of the lever and unscrew it that way.
When trying to unscrew the screw in the future you should push in on the lever just a bit so that there is no pressure on the end of the screw.
It is a tricky situation. I got chilly; imagine if it was mine.
contact BL; I know it takes time, but if until then you haven’t found a solution, they will be the best chance for support. Maybe you’re not the first.
do you know any good repair shop nearby? Handy and experienced persons on detailed mechanics? I would rely on a professional, but only if he knew what to do. In my experience with screws stuck (never at this small scale), either the drill works or we move to a sacrificial part, which is destroyed to remove the screw without further damage to others.
Thanks for the advice. The cutter is blocking the lever from being pulled and I can’t pull up the cutter to make it fit through the hole because the extruder blocks it. There is a screw next to the cutter but it is partially blocked by the spring. I’m gonna try to force my way through or m’I missing something.
How exactly did you break the arm?
I think I’ll have to do the same but I don’t want to break anything else so it’d be nice if you could tell me the technique you used
When I stripped mine, I was fortunate enough that it still worked in one direction, I could not screw it in as far as it should but the head caught enough to get it out and I just used my lathe to make a new one from a regular 2.5mm screw.
This screw has stated above only screws in the lever, the tip is round and only slide left to right in a small oblong cavity in the extruder so as long as you can get the lever out, you can unscrew it from the back. I wonder if it couldn’t be removed as follows: push the lever as much as possible to the left, slide up the cutter to unclip it (1), remove the e-clip (2) and then slide the lever towards you (3). If it can be done, the filament cutter might not be flexible enough to unclip it, just cutting at (4) rather than the whole lever would seem to be enough. Otherwise just cut the filament cutter
Edit: I also think it might be possible to remove it as part of the extruder assembly by just removing the 3 screws holding the extuder and pulling it out may be not even completely but just enough (~4mm) to get the screw clear the recess and rotate it out to access to the back of the screw.
