this post was submitted on 04 Nov 2024
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Hi, I have printed a small holder for a Bowden tube to print from my filament dryer outside of the enclosure, but the filament coming out of the tube is tensioned and I don’t know if it will cause problems later. Is this fine to keep or how can I fix this? This i a Ender 3 V3 SE btw.

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 week ago

I'll say that it can lead to uneven extrusion and even skipped steps on your extruder. How much, and how much that amount matters is entirely dependant on the setup and your workflow.

There are a few 3D printed solutions to keep filament tension neutral using a buffer system. It's not a bad idea to check out some of them.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Yes, that will cause problems. Don’t attach it to the frame. Attach it directly to the toolhead.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 5 days ago (1 children)

I think you saw what I saw. The tensioned Bowden tube going from the tool head to the frame. While that might be a problem I think he asked about something else. I only caught that after reading the other comments. But correct me if I am wrong :)

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 days ago (1 children)

In the picture is no tube going to the toolhead. The white line you see is the filament. The Bowden tube is only connected to the frame. That means that every time the toolhead moves to either side, it will tug on the filament. potentially creating artifacts in the print and maybe even causing underextrusion and slipping extruder gears.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 days ago

I stand corrected, sorry!

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 week ago (2 children)

What type of a spool holder you have in the dryer? It might be a good idea to get some bearings in there to help the spool spin as freely as possible.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 week ago

Recommend this. Have a similar setup and you can 3d print spools and order bearings for them. That being said my direct drive filament feeder on my prusa is quite strong. As long as you make smooth curves with your bowden tube it should be ok.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 week ago

It comes with 2 spinning tubes so it does spin freely

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 week ago (1 children)

That should be fine, I've printed tens of kilograms pulling the filament around a sharp corner. As long as it's dry, pla can handle quite a bit of abuse. And it's unlikely to damage your printer or dryer.

In the worse case you might have some dust buildup, keep it clean

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Re: dry. I'm convinced PLA doesn't care about moisture. Watched a video of a guy that soaked a roll in a tub of water overnight, then printed off the roll with it still in the tub. Looked exactly the same as it did before the soak.

Mileage may vary of course but ever since then I've been leaving my PLA out and it's never once given me trouble (the infused ones a little bit).

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 week ago

I've had filament sit for months before it started getting brittle. But it does get very brittle. At least the stuff I have bought so far has

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 week ago (1 children)

It might. Depending on how much tension there is. Too much and it will cause the filament to slip in the extruder causing under extrusion. If you are not seeing signs of under extrusion then you are fine for now - but that might change if you change filament or anything else. I would try to lower how much tension the filament is under to avoid problems in the future. Otherwise it would be something to keep in mind if you do start seeing signs of under extrusion.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 week ago (1 children)

But how do I lower the tension? I think its just the friction in the tube.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 week ago

It could be a tight bend in the line somewhere - make sure there are no tight bends. Otherwise if it is the tube then get a thicker tube.