I want to start experimenting with glass, glow in the dark, and carbon fiber filament and it is my understanding that these 3 types are extremely hard on the standard 0.4 mm e3d v6 nozzle, and it’s recommended to increase the size to 0.5 mm or higher if those types are used. Another option is to replace the nozzle with hardened steel or a brass one with a ridiculously expensive corundum tip.
Are there any cons to replacing my standard nozzle with hardened steel, other than spending an additional $12 on a stronger material that won’t wear out very easily?
Also, if i go with the hardened steel, can i use the 0.4 mm in order to get the detail i want? Will there be issues with 0.4 mm hardened steel?
From what I’ve seen, the main negatives are higher cost and increased risk of damage to your print surface if you crash the nozzle into it. The brass nozzles are cheap enough that I generally just replace them if they get badly clogged, but with a more expensive nozzle you might want to spend the time to clean it out.
The smaller nozzles are more likely to get clogged, especially when you are printing the materials that require hardened nozzles.
More information from e3d about their different nozzle materials: https://e3d-online.dozuki.com/Wiki/Nozzle_Materials
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@Christian have you messed with the metal composite filaments much? I want to figure out a way to experiment with them without breaking the bank.
I was just reading the hardened steel nozzle loses heat easily, so that might make for a rough looking print, with temperature fluctuations.
I wonder If the copper plated ones would work well with the metal composite filaments. They’re only $13 each, which would be much more affordable than the olssen ruby or nozzle x.
My guess is whatever way I go, I better upgrade to multi material extrusion first, so i can print supports with soluble or regular pla. I would imagine it would be an expensive nightmare tearing off the metallic support materials especially if I use a .5 or higher nozzle.