When you get a hot-end blockage or your extruder's filament drive fails on your 3D printer, the signs are usually obvious: The stream of plastic starts to lessen, and then stops; the printer keeps trying to print, but extrudes layer after layer of nothing. The first thing to do is stop the print and check to ensure that the heater block on your hot-end is still at the expected temperature.


  • Push The Filament Into The Extruder:
               One of the first things you may want to try is manually pushing the filament into the extruder. Open the cura software and heat your extruder to the appropriate temperature for your plastic. Next, use the Controls tab to extruder a small amount of plastic, for example, 10mm. As the extruder motor is spinning, lightly use your hands to help push the filament into the extruder. In many cases, this added force will be enough to advance the filament past the problem area.


  • Reload The Filament:
            If the filament still isn’t moving, the next thing you should do is unload the filament. Verify that the extruder is heated to the appropriate temperature, and then use Cura

  machine control panel to retract the filament out of the extruder. As before, you may need to apply some additional force if the filament isn’t moving. Once the filament is removed, use a pair of scissors to cut away the melted or damaged portion of the filament. Then reload the filament and see if you are able to extrude with the new, undamaged section of filament.


  • Clean Out The Nozzle:
            If you weren’t able to extrude the new section of plastic through the nozzle, then it’s likely you will need to clean out the nozzle before proceeding. Many users have had success heating their extruder to 100C and then manually 

pulling the filament out There are plenty of other methods, so please consult your printer manufacturer for precise instructions.