What's a good way to unjam the hot end?

[dbarrans]

Well, tonight I had my first ABS jam in the hot end. Took a while to untangle the filament from the extruder, now I need to figure out how to clear the jam. What's a good way to do this? When I try to unscrew the nozzle, the joint between the hot part and the thermal break loosens. I can hold the hot part, but there's really not a good way to hold it, especially not when it's hot.

Any ideas?

I think I'd like this thing to have flats for a wrench, or some other way to keep it from turning. Hmmm. Maybe I can push a rod (or a screw) into the second thermistor hole.

- dan

[dbarrans]

Or maybe a nail with the point cut off.

- dan

[mhackney]

I use channel locks. Then heat the hot end to soften the material, and remove the nozzle with socket so it doesn't drop into your hand.

Once removed and while still warm, I use a toothpick to pick out as much plastic as possible. Make sure the jam is in the nozzle and not the PTFE tubing before going further. You don't want or need to mess with the nozzle if that is not where the jam was actually occurring. I have maybe had 1 legitimate nozzle jam in over a year of printing and that was with PLA that got overheated. I have had jams that occur right at the end of the PTFE tube. You can see the filament is glossy and impossible to remove from the tube without heating or using tools.

If you really do need to clear the nozzle, I recommend soaking it in acetone for ABS over night and using a toothpick or wire to pick out the plastic. This is much safer IMO than heating the nozzle to melt/char the plastic out.