I was having extrusion problems in the first few layers(the solid bottom part), it was splotchy in areas, so I did a cold pull (heat to 200, extrude a bit, cool to 100, pull filament manually) and found this weird spec of metal in the filament(pictures attached) is this coming off of my nozzle, or was there a spec of metal from manufacturing in it? (I use hatchbox 1.75mm PLA)
Sorry about the low picture quality, even with a macro lens my camera would not focus any closer, and this metal spec is tiny, so I had to crop it,.
I’d say it’s more likely that it’s particles from the nozzle mixed with carbon and plastic. Any plastic that remains in a nozzle through heating may eventually carbonize, which can lead to clogs and print issues.
I’d say do a couple more cold pulls, until there is no more black particulates. It may also be worth while to start the job with an over extrude, pushing out any badness, which you grab before the nozzle moves to start skirts/printing.
@James Alright, thanks. Should I replace my nozzle?
@Alexander_Pritchard I’d take a macro shot of it at the printer side tilted. If the insides look \ / instead of | |, then it’d be a good idea. Nozzles are considered consumables, and it’s always a good idea to have a spare on hand.
@James Do I need to take the nozzle off to take a macro shot?
Try doing another cold pull and look at the shape the plastic that was in the nozzle is pressed into. It might take a couple tries to get a good impression, but eventually you should be able to tell if the nozzle is still a nice smooth bore or if there’s a jagged chunk missing.
In your picture it looks decidedly brassy, so I’d guess it may be a piece of your nozzle, but doing another cold pull to get an impression of what the interior of the nozzle looks like should give you a better idea.