<p>In principle you can re-extrude it with a somewhat simpler machine/setup than making filament from scratch, but controlling the diameter is the hard part of making filament - as you can see from how the manufacturer of yours botched it.</p>
<p>I would first try insisting on a refund without returning the item unless they pay return shipping, and that they cover the original shipping cost. The product they delivered is not usable for the purpose it was advertised for.</p>
<p>As for salvaging it - if that's what you really want to do, or if you end up stuck with it - as long as it's not too wide to fit through the filament path to the nozzle, an extruder that's spring loaded can <em>probably</em> manage to push it reliably. You will of course have pulsating under- and over-extrusion which will make it largely unusable for serious parts that need to be dimensionally accurate, strong, or visually appealing, but there are lots of things without these requirements it might be useful for. If your printer isn't capable of handling it, you could perhaps sell or trade it to someone whose printer can handle it.</p>
<p>Getting more on the wild end of things, there are filament diameter sensors that can be integrated with your printer and firmware (I'm pretty sure Klipper supports this; not sure about Marlin and others) to measure the diameter and compensate extruder motor steps to keep the extruded volume per requested E-axis length constant. This would in theory make it possible to use the bad filament for serious prints.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-04-30T23:54:37.827Z
I can't think of anything that doesn't need to be functional or visualing appealing. What on earth do you print? But in any case the deviation is not a small one, it won't print
Kilisi
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-04-30T23:59:48.140Z
Stencils, jigs for guiding a router, test pieces that are for calibrating a part of the printer where extrusion width accuracy doesn't matter (like input shaper), ... are a few examples of things that could be printed with low-quality filament.
R.. GitHub STOP HELPING ICE
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-04-30T17:18:15.033Z
2022-04-30T17:18:15.033Z
R.. GitHub STOP HELPING ICE
<p>Personally I store all my filament waste in tubs for the day a recycling/reuse solution offers itself.  You can &quot;compact&quot; waste prints using hot air which also sticks the whispy pieces together.   Someone will eventually come out with a &quot;re-extruder&quot; that simply cooks old filament and then produces a consistent 1.75mm or 3mm output.  Cost is the limiting factor here, both in up-front equipment and ongoing electricity cost.</p>
<p>Plain unused filament is specified as a pin for a hinge in some designs.  However that doesn't use very much.</p>
<p>It can also be used as string, but tends to break at the knot if tied tightly.</p>
<p>Filament could be platted into a rope, but that's going to be more decorative than useful.</p>
<p>Last thought, I've not tried it but filament has a low melting temperature compared to metals.  You may be able to &quot;cast&quot; a 3D shape in a metal mold an a hot oven or with a gas torch or perhaps even in a fire. Fumes could be an issue, and you'd have to somehow stop the plastic from igniting.<br>
I doubt it would be possible to cast a thin round cylinder; the top would be flat at best.</p>
<hr />
<p>I happened to come across a &quot;spring mandrel&quot; at <a href="https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:92266" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:92266</a> <br> One could soften the poor filament and then wind it around a structure like that, and when cooled you have a low-pressure coil spring of a length and diameter you chose.  Probably not that strong or robust, but worth a try if you need springs for other prints.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-04-30T23:21:58.497Z
2022-05-01T00:25:24.007Z
2022-05-01T00:25:24.007Z
Criggie
<p>I have a spool of PLA filament where the diameter is visibly inconsistent. So it will only print a meter or two and then start slipping instead of being fed into the nozzle. Is this still useful for anything or can it be salvaged somehow?</p>
<p>I can't return it, the shipping costs more than the spool.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-04-30T17:10:48.490Z
Try to get the seller to refund it without return. Any reputable one should do so. If they don't, leave bad reviews (either on the marketplace they sell on, or in relevant forums).
R.. GitHub STOP HELPING ICE
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-05-04T06:17:49.697Z
Do a CC chargeback for that roll of filament. You're *not* supposed to cover shipping in such a case.

As for practical use, I'd melt it down to make PLA plates from in an oven.
towe
<filament>
Is there any way to salvage PLA filament with inconsistent diameter?
Kilisi
# Is there any way to salvage PLA filament with inconsistent diameter?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2022-04-30)

I have a spool of PLA filament where the diameter is visibly inconsistent. So it will only print a meter or two and then start slipping instead of being fed into the nozzle. Is this still useful for anything or can it be salvaged somehow?

I can't return it, the shipping costs more than the spool.

**Tags:** filament
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Try to get the seller to refund it without return. Any reputable one should do so. If they don't, leave bad reviews (either on the marketplace they sell on, or in relevant forums).  
> **username_2**: Do a CC chargeback for that roll of filament. You're *not* supposed to cover shipping in such a case.  As for practical use, I'd melt it down to make PLA plates from in an oven.  

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2022-04-30. Score: 3

In principle you can re-extrude it with a somewhat simpler machine/setup than making filament from scratch, but controlling the diameter is the hard part of making filament - as you can see from how the manufacturer of yours botched it.

I would first try insisting on a refund without returning the item unless they pay return shipping, and that they cover the original shipping cost. The product they delivered is not usable for the purpose it was advertised for.

As for salvaging it - if that's what you really want to do, or if you end up stuck with it - as long as it's not too wide to fit through the filament path to the nozzle, an extruder that's spring loaded can *probably* manage to push it reliably. You will of course have pulsating under- and over-extrusion which will make it largely unusable for serious parts that need to be dimensionally accurate, strong, or visually appealing, but there are lots of things without these requirements it might be useful for. If your printer isn't capable of handling it, you could perhaps sell or trade it to someone whose printer can handle it.

Getting more on the wild end of things, there are filament diameter sensors that can be integrated with your printer and firmware (I'm pretty sure Klipper supports this; not sure about Marlin and others) to measure the diameter and compensate extruder motor steps to keep the extruded volume per requested E-axis length constant. This would in theory make it possible to use the bad filament for serious prints.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: I can't think of anything that doesn't need to be functional or visualing appealing. What on earth do you print? But in any case the deviation is not a small one, it won't print  
> **username_1**: Stencils, jigs for guiding a router, test pieces that are for calibrating a part of the printer where extrusion width accuracy doesn't matter (like input shaper), ... are a few examples of things that could be printed with low-quality filament.  

---

### Answer by username_3 on 2022-04-30. Score: 1

Personally I store all my filament waste in tubs for the day a recycling/reuse solution offers itself. You can "compact" waste prints using hot air which also sticks the whispy pieces together. Someone will eventually come out with a "re-extruder" that simply cooks old filament and then produces a consistent 1.75mm or 3mm output. Cost is the limiting factor here, both in up-front equipment and ongoing electricity cost.

Plain unused filament is specified as a pin for a hinge in some designs. However that doesn't use very much.

It can also be used as string, but tends to break at the knot if tied tightly.

Filament could be platted into a rope, but that's going to be more decorative than useful.

Last thought, I've not tried it but filament has a low melting temperature compared to metals. You may be able to "cast" a 3D shape in a metal mold an a hot oven or with a gas torch or perhaps even in a fire. Fumes could be an issue, and you'd have to somehow stop the plastic from igniting.  
I doubt it would be possible to cast a thin round cylinder; the top would be flat at best.

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I happened to come across a "spring mandrel" at <https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:92266>   
 One could soften the poor filament and then wind it around a structure like that, and when cooled you have a low-pressure coil spring of a length and diameter you chose. Probably not that strong or robust, but worth a try if you need springs for other prints.


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