Daring filament swaps

What do you do when you are just about to join in a networked game of pass the parcel and you discover that your 3D print job is just about to run out of decanted filament? I’m sure this is a problem that we have all faced from time to time.

Anyhoo, for me the solution was to pause the print from OctoPrint, unload the filament and replace it with a full roll and then resume the print again. And it worked. There was a bit of a blob on the print where the printer head had loitered for a few minutes but this is on the inside and not visible as it turns out.

So the lesson is that if you do notice that your filament is running low it is is possible to swap to a different reel during the print job. Just make sure you do it quickly.