Maintenance ProTip

[claudermilk]

ProTip: if your printer suddenly prints like poo with multiple issues, check that your nozzle isn't worn out.

Ask me how I know.  Trident has been struggling lately. Wouldn't print a decent first layer to save its life--I had to reduce speeds to 50% and squish the heck out of it. Wouldn't bridge for anything and could hardly handle overhangs. It looked like I had to re-run input shaping for no apparent reason. Basically only top surfaces looked decent.

I got a new 0.4 high flow nozzle for Christmas to play with. When swapping I noted the old (very old) standard 0.4 looked like the end of the nozzle was pretty smashed. As soon as I tried a print with the new nozzle everything suddenly worked again. Plus now I've just about tripled the speed settings. So, yeah, check that your nozzle isn't worn out if there's lots of hours on it.

[SuperBoppy]

Good advice. Perhaps investing in a good hardened steel nozzle or even a tungsten carbide or a diamond nozzle is not such a bad idea.

[RopusLongus]

In my opinion a harness or thungsten is worth the effort. I print with lots of carbon or fiber infused filaments or glitter and such stuff. I just change the hardened stell nozzel for bigger or smaller one ( 0.4/0.6/0.8)

Never hat problems there, only use of normal nozzel with airbrush tips is when I print with 0.3 or 0.2 but lalrly I'm doing this prints with my resin printer .

[Penatr8tor]

I use a Diamondback nozzle in all my printers. Or let me say more accurately... the standard 0.4mm nozzle is in all of my printers. I do swap out for a 0.8mm nozzle on occasion but for the most part, I'm using Diamondbacks. I will say this about them tho... the 0.4mm works great, it prints a bit different than steel and even brass nozzles, it's kind of hard to explain but the 0.4mm works great, the 0.6mm I have I had a really hard time getting good prints. Other nuzzles of note that I've used are the Phaetus steel and plated ones that have come with their hotends have performed really well and I used a CHT with very good results as well. In the end I guess a lot of it is about personal preference. 

[claudermilk]

I looked at the Diamondback at the local Maker Fair last year and it was interesting. But really pricey. That said, I've got 3900 hours on this printer, the vast majority of it on that nozzle, so it was definitely due. I have to say I'm really enjoying the high flow nozzle--printer speeds are faster, times are shorter, and quality is like new. I'm actually reprinting a bunch of parts from a project that was giving me fits because of the worn out nozzle.

[Penatr8tor]

40 minutes ago, claudermilk said:

I'm actually reprinting a bunch of parts from a project that was giving me fits because of the worn out nozzle.

And exactly why I felt ~$100 was a cheap price to pay to never have to do that again. Ever... Because... it never ever wears out, not ever... the planet could explode, and that little diamond tip will float around in space for trillions of years the only remainder of a once loved Voron printer. 

If ya know what I mean... cost is all a matter of perspective. 

[sleepster217]

8 hours ago, Penatr8tor said:

And exactly why I felt ~$100 was a cheap price to pay to never have to do that again. Ever... Because... it never ever wears out, not ever... the planet could explode, and that little diamond tip will float around in space for trillions of years the only remainder of a once loved Voron printer. 

If ya know what I mean... cost is all a matter of perspective. 

Sounds good I had one of my hard ones block up. don't know why and for the life of me cannot work out what is blocking it so I had to put a new nozzle in it I am using them triangle labs v6 ones that fit the rapido seem to work well might try some abrasive fillament later. my voron only has around 150 mabie 200 hours on it has been printing a lot lately for my new mods 

[Penatr8tor]

I run Rapido's on all of my printers except for the VzBot. They all use V6 nozzles so it's nice that I don't need anything special. Don't get me wrong... I have a bunch of really cheap brass nozzles in all sizes for experimenting. Printing with a big 0.8mm nozzle is a real hoot. 

[claudermilk]

Obxidian High Flow....best of both worlds! I might have to invest in one or two of those. I'm really liking the speed bump. Maybe wait for next Black Friday sales and look for that one--I should be set for at least this year now.

[TitusADuxass]

18 hours ago, Penatr8tor said:

I run Rapido's on all of my printers except for the VzBot. They all use V6 nozzles so it's nice that I don't need anything special. Don't get me wrong... I have a bunch of really cheap brass nozzles in all sizes for experimenting. Printing with a big 0.8mm nozzle is a real hoot. 

I must try a 0.8mm nozzle.

[TitusADuxass]

Those Diamondback nozzles are eye-wateringly expensive!!

But, it should be a one time purchase, so maybe...

Me being as tight as I am have gone for a cheap set of hardened steel from SIUTEC. I can get 36 nozzles (12 ea of 0,4/6/8) for the the same price. Even if they wear out I'll just order another set.

[atrushing]

Tungsten Carbide nozzles should be a worthy option. Its thermal conductivity is on par with brass and its hardness is about twice as high as tool steel. 3DMaker and Dyze make them for €50-60. Of course diamond tops the chart in both hardness and thermal conductivity but tungsten can be machined through EDM which helps keep the cost down. The 3DMaker nozzle is solid tungsten so that should transfer heat better than the steel body of the Dyze nozzle.

[sleepster217]

4 hours ago, TitusADuxass said:

I must try a 0.8mm nozzle.

Do the .8 do good prints ?

[Penatr8tor]

1 hour ago, sleepster217 said:

Do the .8 do good prints ?

If you like the look of large filament then it can look absolutely stunning.

Plus, you need to pick a part and material color that pops.

This is transparent blue PETG with a 0.8mm nozzle and the slicer settings are 1mm wide extrusion with x .5mm thick layers.

The paper bag prints in the background are printed with a standard 0.4mm on the right and the 0.8mm on the left.

...and a close up.