Extruder Jam Clearing Rod

thingiverse

Wanhao offers a similar cleaning rod for $5. This wheel will enable you to make your own at a lower cost. Buy any 1.6MM-1.7MM piano wire and create your own cleaning rod for less money. This can be used with many printers but is specifically designed for Wanhao I3/Monoprice Select IIIP models. On my Anet A6, I must remove the extruder motor to use it. Unfortunately, it appears that the hot end does not have a direct path from the extruder motor to the hot end. It works well at forcing broken filament or jams out of the hot end. I use it together with a flexible drill bit and have achieved great success. Nothing is more frustrating than a clogged nozzle, especially for beginners. This tool simplifies clearing jams when used in conjunction with flexible drill bits. The bottom of the blue tape marks the point where the rod reaches all the way to the hot end nozzle on my printer. I used tape but you can mark it with a permanent marker or similar. This wheel allows you to bend your own piece of piano wire and create your own tool. The holes enable you to use 2 or more needle-nose pliers to bend the wire into a circular shape. The center hole of the wheel is used to bend the corner between the circle end and the straight rod. See my pictures. If anyone living near Cincinnati, Ohio needs piano wire, I still have plenty of extra that I can sell at minimal cost. I recommend a 15-17CM piece of piano wire. 5MM of that will be used for the top bend. The key is to push the filament through quickly and somewhat forcefully. Do not leave the cleaning rod in the hot end for very long, as this may cause the hot filament to come near the cold part of the hot end or on the PTFE tube. Parts: Unlike other drill bits that break, flexible drill bits do not, at least not after several uses. Flexible Drill Bit .4MM size. (Highly Recommended) https://www.amazon.com/3maker-Extruder-Nozzle-Printer-Cleaning/dp/B01EN5B9G6/ref=sr_1_3?s=industrial&ie=UTF8&qid=1482036668&sr=1-3&keywords=.4mm+Trigorilla Flexible Drill Bit .3MM size. (Highly Recommended) https://www.amazon.com/3maker-Extruder-Nozzle-Printer-Cleaning/dp/B01EN5B83A/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1482036595&sr=8-5&keywords=.3mm+Trigorilla Print Settings: Printer: Anet A6 Rafts: No Supports: No Resolution: .2 Infill: 50%