TAZ hot end leaks...

I’ve been doing a lot of work to un-do the calibration errors I caused (long story short, don’t use a feed rate of 3500 when moving the Z axis!) and I’ve noticed that my hot end is leaking material all over the hot end section. I’m using Lulzbot Translucent Blue PLA @ 185 and I don’t know what to do in order to stop this. It appears to be leaking where the PEEK section mates to the heater block.

As it is now, the hot end is coated with a thin film of PLA, from the top of the heater block down.

I’ve never run the hot end past 195 so I seriously doubt the PEEK is damaged. The trans. blue never gets run above 185 because that appears to me to be the “best” temp for it that I’ve found. The hot end has always leaked, but I assumed it was because I was running junk white PLA that I’d accidentally over-heated (it got a bit runny at 195), but I doubt that this is normal behavior at 185.

Help!

g.

We’ve found that the translucent PLA filaments like to run cooler than 185C, as they get watery at cooler temperatures. Have you tried extruding at 180C?

I have not.

I’ve also been fighting an horrible adhesion issue - would a cooler extrusion temp fix that as well?

I need to find some decent solid color material to test - I just wish it took 1.75. :slight_smile:

g.

For adhesion I have always used bare glass. PLA sticks well then releases easily at >40C

I don’t want to tear the PET tape off the glass and it appears that the bed heater is glued to the underside of the glass, so just swapping out glass would be problematic unless I just stick a sheet on top of the PET …

I’ve got zero adhesion issues with my Rostock MAX - I use a 10:1 white glue to water mix on that (on bare glass)

g.

I haven’t tried the PVA solution yet, I would place a bare piece of glass on top of the existing bed to print with PLA. In the case of the 101 the plate can be flipped. Do you apply the solution while the bed is hot or cold? How is part release?

I apply hot and let it dry. Part release is a non event. I’ll have to go find some glass to use on that as the only glass I have is the wrong size to easily clip to the existing bed.

I may also try blue tape.

g.

Blue tape is being problematic - might be able to tune it by decreasing the z height.

Can’t extrude the trans. blue at 180C. It just grinds a notch in the filament.

Hot end continues to leak - suggestions?

g.

Bump. :slight_smile:

What can I do to stop this thing from leaking?

g.

Print ABS :smiley:

Can’t help you much…I have not printed PLA yet.

Not gonna happen. :slight_smile:

g.

We’re looking at a couple different potential things to alleviate any of this, I hope to have some recommendations shortly.

Ok, thanks Orias!

g.

I’m also experiencing the leaking TAZ hot end :frowning:

John, is this also with PLA?

I’m not printing on a taz unfortunately but my new budashonzzle 2.0 is leaking the the same spot. I’m printing pla ( not luzbot one but from an european supplier) at temperature varyng from 185 to 178

The short answer is going to be something like PTFE tape for PLA (we’re going to do it between the threaded insert and the heaterblock). We’re still looking into the best way to resolve this, but that is one way. I also have seen mentioned people who say to print a few prints of ABS, then go to PLA, as the ABS will cause a seal. I haven’t tried that though.

Jebba, yep, it was PLA that was leaking on mine.

We found if you print slowly, it likely won’t leak, as the pressure doesn’t get too high. Not a permanent solution, but a workaround, at least.

Some users have encountered flaking or delamination when removing parts when printing on bare glass. We recommend printing with either the stock PET surface, or with the new PEI print surface that some of our more advanced users are using with great success.

Thanks!