Salvaging a stopped print

Ender Series Creality Ender-3 V2
1

I was printing a pad, for a woodworking clamp, with TPU filament. I had to stop mid print to go to a visitation for a friend’s mother. The print had just reached the 7mm layer when I stopped it. I tried “pause” hoping the bed and hot end temps would go to 0, and I could just leave the machine on, reset temps on return, and then “unpause”. Nope. During “pause”, it does not give you access to control temps either. So, I stopped it and shut it down.

To restart, I went back into TinkerCad and erased the bottom 7mm of the clamp pad. I then uploaded it to AstroPrint and generated the new gcode. On the Ender 3, I changed the “Z offset” from 0.02 to 7.02. It restarted the print at the right place and completed the print correctly. It did have an issue with bonding the new print to the bottom print on one side of the pad. E0006 adhesive repaired it. If I do it again, I’ll take a heat gun to the bottom print and bring it up to 70° or 80°C before restarting the print on top of the bottom print.

Remember to reset your “Z offset” back to your original setting after the print is finished.

2

Interesting solution.

I have to ask how long were you gone? I’ve never stopped a print to go somewhere. In fact I’ve sat in my barbers chair and we watch a print I had going while out and about. Looked at prints in progress in the grocery store, my cousins house and have had prints go into the wee hours of the morning while I sleep.

3

It was a good 3 to 3.5 hours. I’ve got a Kasa camera on mine to watch it from my recliner. If I have to leave, I can watch it and text the wife to cut off the printer when it is complete. I don’t leave it running while asleep or gone.