# Form 1+ Ball bearing / plunger alternative

**URL:** <https://forum.formlabs.com/t/form-1-ball-bearing-plunger-alternative/15248>\
**Category:** Form 1/1+\
**Created:** [October 2, 2017, 4:29pm UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/form-1-ball-bearing-plunger-alternative/15248 "2017-10-02T16:29:41Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![QuietMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/958977/32.png) [@QuietMan](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/QuietMan)\
**Post date:** [October 2, 2017, 4:29pm UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/form-1-ball-bearing-plunger-alternative/15248/1 "2017-10-02T16:29:41Z")

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Hello,

We recently got our tray stuck in our printer. We got it out with force but found that 3 of the balls that hold the tray are stuck in their plungers. We tried soaking them in IPA as well as acetone with no change. I opened a support ticket but they said there was nothing else to do except send it in for a another one or keep applying force to them. Trying to save $800, does anyone have any ideas if I was to remove the three plungers all together, how I could secure the tank?

While looking for ways to get out the tray I saw a post about someone who made something, but I cannot find it.

Thank you

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**Author:** ![Randy\_Cohen](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/forum.formlabs.com/randy_cohen/32/1500_2.png) [@Randy\_Cohen](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/Randy_Cohen)\
**Post date:** [October 4, 2017, 12:02am UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/form-1-ball-bearing-plunger-alternative/15248/2 "2017-10-04T00:02:49Z")

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Remove the ball plunger things and drop them in clean IPA overnight. Then hit them with a good dose of WD40 and let them sit overnight. Then see if they free up. If they do, put 'em back in the IPA overnight, remove, dry, and apply a (really) small amount of WD40 and reinstall.

Alternately, you can be almost 100% certain FL didn’t get their ball plungers custom made. Odds are they’re a standard size. You could measure one, diameter and length and see if you can source a replacement someplace like this: [https://www.carrlane.com/en-us/product/spring-loaded-devices/ball-plungers](https://www.carrlane.com/en-us/product/spring-loaded-devices/ball-plungers)

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**Author:** ![QuietMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/958977/32.png) [@QuietMan](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/QuietMan)\
**Post date:** [October 4, 2017, 4:05pm UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/form-1-ball-bearing-plunger-alternative/15248/3 "2017-10-04T16:05:30Z")

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Thank you for your suggestion and link Randy. I have not tried WD40 yet, I will give that a go.

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**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/uploads/formlabs/original/3X/5/b/5bc2bdf993ff27c2e0eecab5010b25626fbb327a.png) [@system](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [October 19, 2017, 10:05pm UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/form-1-ball-bearing-plunger-alternative/15248/4 "2017-10-19T22:05:38Z")

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