Filament Jams are a common problem for the Workhorse and Mini 2 printers.
You may discover a filament jam when attempting to load or unload the filament, or when starting a print and nothing comes out.
Before following the steps on the tabs above to take apart the toolhead and manually remove the filament, follow the steps from the Problems with the Printer section of the Basic Troubleshooting tab below:
"If the printer is not extruding at the start of a print, first double check the material settings to ensure that it matches the filament loaded into the printer. It is also a good idea to reset the profile to default in case another person has changed temperature settings on the profile and that is causing the issue. See the Problems in Cura section for more information.
As described here, one cause of the printer not extruding at the beginning of a print is that filament has leaked out and there is a void. It is also possible that, during the auto-leveling, filament has slipped partially out of the tool head. To fix this, heat up the hot end to extrusion temperatures and try re-feeding the filament into the hot end and extruding until it is coming out normally.
Also, make sure to check the hobbed bolt when you are having extrusion issues to see if the filament is being ground away. See the Routine Maintenance section for how to clean the hobbed bolt. If the hobbed bolt is clogged with filament, or if the screw on the idler retainer is not tight enough, it will have difficulty pulling the filament into the hot end.
If the steps above do not resolve the issue, it may be jammed. If using PLA, try heating the nozzle to 230 degrees (in case there is any ABS/PETG left in the hot end causing the issue) and purging the printer. You can also try these steps from LulzBot. If you are unable to clear the clog this way, the toolhead may need to be taken apart. Please contact Sarah Holland (sholland@ppld.org, x6611) if you would like assistance with this."
The filament has broken off inside the idler, this is common when trying to unload filament that has become jammed. Sometimes, broken filament like this can be forced through the extruder while heated using an allen wrench or another filament spool. Otherwise, it will need to be removed manually.
First the heatsink fan will need to be removed. The four screws can be taken off in any order.
Next, remove the four screws for the heatsink. It is easier to remove the bottom two screws first and allow the shroud for the hotend to drop. (Note: the bottom right screw holds the red heater wire in place and the bottom left screw is a bit shorter than the other three and should have a washer with it as well.)
Now you can pull the heatsink / hot end assembly away from the rest of the tool head. The black plastic filament guide tube is typically where filament jams have been occurring.
Jammed filament can sometimes be pulled from the guide tube using pliers. If this does not work, try putting the guide tube into a vice and use an allen wrench (smaller than 2.85mm in diameter) and rubber mallet to force the filament through.
These images show the proper assembly of the tool head without the heatsink / hotend assembly with the idler (left) and without the idler (right).
If the filament is stuck inside of the hotend/nozzle instead of the filament guide tube, the removal process can be a bit more complicated as it will need to be heated while disassembled. As there is a risk of burns and damaging electrical components, please contact Sarah Holland or Creative Services for assistance.
These images show the proper assembly of the tool head without the heatsink / hotend assembly with the idler (left) and without the idler (right). Make sure all these pieces are in position before attempting to put the hotend assembly back on the tool head.
The black guide tube will be loose and will need to balanced on the heatsink while putting the the hot end assembly back on the tool head.
Once the hotend assembly is back in place, it is time to replace the four screws for the heatsink. Start with with the two top screws in to help hold all the pieces in place, do not tighten screws all the way yet. Next, put the shroud and red wire in place, then replace the bottom two screws. (Note: the bottom right screw holds the red heater wire in place and the bottom left screw is a bit shorter than the other three and should have a washer with it as well.) Once everything is properly lined up, tighten all four screws.
Finally, put the heatsink fan back in place (sticker should be facing the heatsink) and secure with its four screws.
Once everything has been reassembled, make sure to turn the printer on and test loading and unloading filament to ensure everything is working correctly.