<p>I'd say you are quite lucky, the hotend (as seen in the second photo) is fairly intact!</p>
<p>I've had a similar problem recently, but in my case it destroyed an Ultimaker core module hotend, and salvage would have taken too much time.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>What happened during this print disaster</p>
</blockquote>
<p>What probably happened is that the print has become unstuck from the build plate or a part of the support is caught by the hotend blocking the deposition of filament to the print object and instead it ricocheted back against the nozzle. This is not uncommon.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>, and is it salvageable?</p>
</blockquote>
<p>I'd say yes. You should be able to get the silicone sock off and clean the hotend. Heating the hotend and scraping it off seems do-able from the photo you provided, it may require some time and elbow grease.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-12-25T14:01:00.037Z
2022-12-26T19:05:27.577Z
2022-12-26T19:05:27.577Z
0scar
<p>It's difficult to determine if there is anything inside this mass of plastic, but a heat gun applied carefully will allow you to extract it.</p>
<p>When a hot end is assembled, the heat sink (finned cylinder) has a heat break threaded into it (slender metal tube) which then threads into the heater block (block with wires for the heater cartridge and thermistor).</p>
<p>The heater block has the nozzle threaded into it, but it's important to not seat the shoulder of the nozzle on the heater block. Leave a gap of 0.5 to 1.0 mm between the nozzle shoulder and the heater block. Tighten the heat break into the block until it contacts the nozzle. Secure it firmly, but don't snap anything off!</p>
<p>Heat the assembly to the highest safe temperature, between 220 °C and 250 °C and tighten the nozzle again.</p>
<p>Step 7 from <a href="https://www.cnx-software.com/2017/06/26/raiscube-r2-3d-printer-review-part-3-how-to-install-e3d-hotend-clone/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">cnx-software</a> states the same thing as the paragraph above, but also provides a graphic showing the components:</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/G92bL.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/G92bL.png" alt="E3Dv6 clone hot end assembly" /></a></p>
<p>Your photo shows the results of a nozzle that might have been leaking filament at the top of the nozzle and below the heat break, leaking out of both the top and bottom of the heater block.</p>
<p>Melting the plastic with a heat gun may release the metal components and if you are very careful and very lucky, you won't damage the wiring for the heater cartridge and thermistor. One can expect that the wiring will be damaged, however and you may have to replace the two items. This is advised, as the melted plastic will bond with the wiring and insulation, making it very difficult to manipulate them during assembly.</p>
<p>If you are determined, you won't have to purchase a new hot end and if you have the financial wherewithal, you may want to purchase one anyway.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-12-25T12:21:05.113Z
It doesn't look like a leak from the heater block. More like the filament was coming out of the nozzle and spreading sideways and up, causing the heater block to be completely covered in melted plastic.
kosteklvp
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-12-25T00:30:44.537Z
2022-12-25T11:28:51.833Z
2022-12-25T11:28:51.833Z
fred_dot_u
<p>Well, I know what my critical error was, I was in a hurry and set a print running before leaving it unattended for about 8 hours; came home to a great enormous disaster.</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/ywdFK.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer" title="Photo of a large mass of filament sticking out of a silicone sock"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/ywdFK.jpg" alt="Photo of a large mass of filament sticking out of a silicone sock" title="Photo of a large mass of filament sticking out of a silicone sock" /></a></p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/YjQec.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer" title="Photo of the printer head from below showing filament and residue"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/YjQec.jpg" alt="Photo of the printer head from below showing filament and residue" title="Photo of the printer head from below showing filament and residue" /></a></p>
<p>What on earth happened?  Perhaps more importantly, is anything here salvageable, or do I just need to get a new printhead?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-12-25T16:40:37.207Z
Does this answer your question? [Is this hot end salvageable?](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/8252/is-this-hot-end-salvageable) Or this [Heatercartridge bolt stuck](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/7920/heatercartridge-bolt-stuck)
Trish
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-12-25T18:33:42.820Z
I don't vote to close this question as it is different as  in the [comment linked above](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/20373/what-happened-during-this-print-disaster-and-is-it-salvageable/20376#comment38777_20373) in that the blob is just a blob of filament with a silicone sock, the hotend doesn't look that battered as in the linked questions.
0scar
<creality-ender-3><print-failure><repair>
What happened during this print disaster, and is it salvageable?
Arcanist Lupus
# What happened during this print disaster, and is it salvageable?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2022-12-25)

Well, I know what my critical error was, I was in a hurry and set a print running before leaving it unattended for about 8 hours; came home to a great enormous disaster.

[![Photo of a large mass of filament sticking out of a silicone sock](https://i.sstatic.net/ywdFK.jpg "Photo of a large mass of filament sticking out of a silicone sock")](https://i.sstatic.net/ywdFK.jpg "Photo of a large mass of filament sticking out of a silicone sock")

[![Photo of the printer head from below showing filament and residue](https://i.sstatic.net/YjQec.jpg "Photo of the printer head from below showing filament and residue")](https://i.sstatic.net/YjQec.jpg "Photo of the printer head from below showing filament and residue")

What on earth happened? Perhaps more importantly, is anything here salvageable, or do I just need to get a new printhead?

**Tags:** creality-ender-3, print-failure, repair

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Does this answer your question? [Is this hot end salvageable?](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/8252/is-this-hot-end-salvageable) Or this [Heatercartridge bolt stuck](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/7920/heatercartridge-bolt-stuck)  
> **username_2**: I don't vote to close this question as it is different as  in the [comment linked above](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/20373/what-happened-during-this-print-disaster-and-is-it-salvageable/20376#comment38777_20373) in that the blob is just a blob of filament with a silicone sock, the hotend doesn't look that battered as in the linked questions.  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2022-12-25. Score: 4 | Accepted answer

It's difficult to determine if there is anything inside this mass of plastic, but a heat gun applied carefully will allow you to extract it.

When a hot end is assembled, the heat sink (finned cylinder) has a heat break threaded into it (slender metal tube) which then threads into the heater block (block with wires for the heater cartridge and thermistor).

The heater block has the nozzle threaded into it, but it's important to not seat the shoulder of the nozzle on the heater block. Leave a gap of 0.5 to 1.0 mm between the nozzle shoulder and the heater block. Tighten the heat break into the block until it contacts the nozzle. Secure it firmly, but don't snap anything off!

Heat the assembly to the highest safe temperature, between 220 °C and 250 °C and tighten the nozzle again.

Step 7 from [cnx-software](https://www.cnx-software.com/2017/06/26/raiscube-r2-3d-printer-review-part-3-how-to-install-e3d-hotend-clone/) states the same thing as the paragraph above, but also provides a graphic showing the components:

[![E3Dv6 clone hot end assembly](https://i.sstatic.net/G92bL.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/G92bL.png)

Your photo shows the results of a nozzle that might have been leaking filament at the top of the nozzle and below the heat break, leaking out of both the top and bottom of the heater block.

Melting the plastic with a heat gun may release the metal components and if you are very careful and very lucky, you won't damage the wiring for the heater cartridge and thermistor. One can expect that the wiring will be damaged, however and you may have to replace the two items. This is advised, as the melted plastic will bond with the wiring and insulation, making it very difficult to manipulate them during assembly.

If you are determined, you won't have to purchase a new hot end and if you have the financial wherewithal, you may want to purchase one anyway.

> **Comments:**
> **username_4**: It doesn't look like a leak from the heater block. More like the filament was coming out of the nozzle and spreading sideways and up, causing the heater block to be completely covered in melted plastic.  

---

### Answer by username_2 on 2022-12-25. Score: 7

I'd say you are quite lucky, the hotend (as seen in the second photo) is fairly intact!

I've had a similar problem recently, but in my case it destroyed an Ultimaker core module hotend, and salvage would have taken too much time.

> What happened during this print disaster

What probably happened is that the print has become unstuck from the build plate or a part of the support is caught by the hotend blocking the deposition of filament to the print object and instead it ricocheted back against the nozzle. This is not uncommon.

> , and is it salvageable?

I'd say yes. You should be able to get the silicone sock off and clean the hotend. Heating the hotend and scraping it off seems do-able from the photo you provided, it may require some time and elbow grease.


---

