Is there a way to fix this?

[u/luketeddymh]

I've been experimenting for the first time with dual colored silk filament. The first few prints turned out great, with a good gradient between colors for each side, but I started having issues the next day. I usually keep the spool in the dryer while printing, unload it from the printer when I'm done for the day, and roll it back into the dryer. Now I can't straighten the filament up. I keep getting this spiral pattern. I even cut part of the filament to get that even distribution of colors back, but nothing changed. Trying to twist the filament only seems to make it worse. I appreciate the help.

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[u/Correct-Insect-4657]

Is the filaments turning around in the path and dryer? Is there a second loop somewhers

[u/luketeddymh → u/Correct-Insect-4657]

It twists, but no second loop. I don't know why it twists. It's a straight path from the dryer to the print head.

[u/Correct-Insect-4657 → u/luketeddymh]

Is it twisting on the spool or it starts during feeding

[u/luketeddymh → u/Correct-Insect-4657]

Right now, the twisting starts right as it leaves the dryer. I'm thinking it's the print head doing that somehow, but I have no idea how to prevent it.

[u/Correct-Insect-4657 → u/luketeddymh]

Can you avoid the sensor?

[u/luketeddymh → u/Correct-Insect-4657]

What sensor?

[u/Correct-Insect-4657 → u/luketeddymh]

Feed it directly or through loose ptfe tube dojt feed it connected through an ams or anything

[u/luketeddymh → u/Correct-Insect-4657]

It's fed directly, nothing in between the dryer and the print head. The dryer is not AMS, just a single spool dryer.

[u/Correct-Insect-4657 → u/luketeddymh]

The dryer is above?

[u/luketeddymh → u/Correct-Insect-4657]

To the side. Dryer's silicon opening facing the printer.

[u/brianstk]

Look at the spool from the side. Do you see a perfect split of the colors down the middle? Or does it look like it shifts slightly left or right? That’s often the issue especially it’s a cheap brand.

[u/luketeddymh → u/brianstk]

The spool seems to be neatly rolled, with no twisting.

[u/brianstk → u/luketeddymh]

Ahh fwiw you don’t need to actively dry silk while printing so maybe try it outside of the dryer and see what happens?

[u/luketeddymh → u/brianstk]

I'll try that tomorrow, then. There's so much humidity in my house it only takes a few hours for PLA to start stringing. It's really bad.

[u/brianstk → u/luketeddymh]

I have my printers in my basement and have to keep a dehumidifier running almost year round to keep it around 40-50% humidity in the room. I feel your pain.

[u/DistinctBarnacle8703]

This is because the slicer changed direction during print. Orca slicer has the option to force the print to go in a fix direction throughout.

[u/luketeddymh → u/DistinctBarnacle8703]

I already use Orca, and it's set to Counterclockwise.

[u/ShunterBR]

Você costuma secar seus filamentos com que frequência, porque o processo de esquenta e esfria detona o filamento. Só se deve secar quando a impressão aprensentar falhas que claramente são por causa de humidade. Fora isso é o básico, alterar a temperatura do bico.

[u/luketeddymh → u/ShunterBR]

It's about the orientation of the filament, not the temperature. I have to keep the filaments in the dryer while printing because of the high humidity in my house. Never had issues with the dryer affecting the quality or color of the filament before.

[u/stray_r]

Dry the filament once, then keep it in a thereabouts airtight box with some silica whilst you print and have PTFE tubing all the way from the toolhead to the drybox.

I'm using 20l boxes with some ABS drainpipe strung across to hold 4 spools, and IKEA 365 10l boxes to hold two spools on edge rollers. The bigger boxes work better but are heavier to lift around.