A challenge?

Okay so I got a ddmaterial tungsten nozzle. Generally very good, thermal conductivity is excellent so best used a few degrees cooler than normal.

The problem, it blocked and I attempted to clear the nozzle with a cheap and cheerful stainless steel 0.4mm drill sold for 3d printing use. However this snapped off in the end of the tungsten nozzle, the tungsten obviously much harder than the cheap drillbit. Unfortunately none is sticking out so despite all efforts to soak in acetone, poke, hand drill with another drill bit much more carefully I cannot remove it.

Any ideas? I don't have a lathe or possibly drilling the ss drillbit out with a tungsten carbide drillbit might be a possibility.

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Simon Khoury

Co-founder of [www.precisionpiezo.co.uk] Accurate, repeatable, versatile Z-Probes
Published:Inventions

Add heat.

If the material that the nozzle is tungsten carbide, there is no way that a steel drill bit got into it. You must be jammed on plastic. Plastic melts way below the tungsten. heat it up, push it out.

If it is a tungsten alloy like Anviloy, it could be cut/damaged with steel. Either way, you can't melt the nozzle, only the plastic.

Ferric Chloride etchant? I'm told it will slowly dissolve the stainless but shouldn't touch the tungsten, you'll probably want to do some research for yourself before dropping the nozzle into acid. There are acids that would dissolve the stainless faster but ferric chloride is relatively easy to obtain as PCB etchant.

Are you certain the drill bit is stainless steel? I've come across carbon steel and high speed steel drill bits as well as tungsten carbide but never stainless steel.

Idris

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{Precision Piezo} Accurate, repeatable, versatile z-probe plus piezo discs, endstop cables, pt100, 50w heaters.

I would try to use the shaft of the drill as punch and carefully hammer the drill out in opposite direction. Put some oil on it so it can't seize. Wear safety glasses in case the drill crushes, it could be heat treated. If you have one, attach a piece of aluminium to whatever hammer you use. The nozzle should be placed on a rigid plate.

Hi, guys thanks for the tips. I burned the nozzle out with a blowtorch, no plastic in there whatsoever.
I'm not sure what the drill bits are made of this is the set, the 0.4 is 3rd from the left:



Managed to get an image of the fractured bit in the nozzle orifice, on the microscope:


This is from the other end of the nozzle:


The piece of fractured drill bit is screwed tightly into the nozzle, which is of course being tungsten totally unyielding, as is the piece of drill bit.
I cant push it out. I've tried with other drill bits and a pin and a tool to tap it.

Do you think prolonged heating might corrode the steel drill bit in preference to the tungsten?

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Simon Khoury

Co-founder of [www.precisionpiezo.co.uk] Accurate, repeatable, versatile Z-Probes
Published:Inventions

I've emailed DDMaterial see if they have any ideas. I am sure if I returned it they could put it onto their CNC/lathe they use to drill the nozzle orifice and just drill it through, whatever they're using to drill it should make light work of my steel drill bit fragment.

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Simon Khoury

Co-founder of [www.precisionpiezo.co.uk] Accurate, repeatable, versatile Z-Probes
Published:Inventions

Well I got a reply from DDmaterial (on Sunday - impressed) who offered a replacement nozzle and a free roll of PLA. So that's the way customer service should work. I have offered to return the nozzle to them for analysis and suggested they develop a protocol applicable to tungsten nozzles for clearing a blockage. Clearly the methods applicable to brass nozzles are not suitable for this material.

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Simon Khoury

Co-founder of [www.precisionpiezo.co.uk] Accurate, repeatable, versatile Z-Probes
Published:Inventions

Micro drill bits are almost always carbide.

I don't think drilling is a practical way to remove blockages from a tungsten nozzle, heat is probably the best bet.

According to [www.lucasmilhaupt.com] tungsten has a lower coefficient of expansion than most other stuff, especially steels. So deep-freezing the nozzle may loosen the bit?

Look on the Bright Side it wasnt a Ruby Nozzle.

True. I wonder what the procedure for a blocked Ruby nozzle is?

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Simon Khoury

Co-founder of [www.precisionpiezo.co.uk] Accurate, repeatable, versatile Z-Probes
Published:Inventions

Diamond Drill Bit? or Torch it, same as yours, though I tried torching mine with PLA in it, and now its just solid black, maybe I need a proper blow torch.