Burnt Toast

So big milestone this afternoon.  I just extruded by first bit of ABS from my new extruder!  I used a modified stepper driver that turned one step each time I clicked a button.  The thermocouple IC that I ordered for filtering and amplifying the thermocouple output still hasn't arrived so I just switched the heater on and off manually watching the temperature readout on my handheld multimeter closely.  I got the barrel up to about 235˚C and then pushed the ABS through.  I tried at 225˚C but nothing came out.  You could tell the motor was encountering resistance (probably due to the ABS not being completely melted yet).  I was running the 8 ohm heater at 12V for 1.5 Amps of current so getting up to 235˚C did not take long at all.  Here is a few pics of the aftermath.

A couple concerns to point out here.  

1.  The heater still smoked a little as mentioned previously.  This time because I kept the heater on longer it was clear that the smoke was from the exposed nichrome wire melting the insulation.  You can see that pretty clearly in the second pic above.  

2.  The JB weld discolored to a brown, toasted color.  It didn't turn black anywhere as it does when it starts to break down, but it still noticeably changed colors.  I hope this doesn't mean it was getting too hot.  My thermocouple is glued right on the brass barrel so I have a feeling it gives a pretty accurate readout to what the max temp is.  

3.  The PTFE thermal barrier actually discolored a little simply by proximity to the nichrome!  The PTFE was definitely not in contact with the wire, but it was close enough to heat up.  

4.  Maybe a dumb questions, but I wonder what happens to the ABS that is stuck in the barrel once it cools?  Will it simply re-melt and be extruded the next time the heater is turned on?  I guess we will find out tomorrow when I do more testing.  

When I get the .100" pin header connectors in for the heater I will have to take care to not allow them or the nichrome to touch anything as apparently it gets pretty hot.  Maybe I'll just JB weld them on the current JB welded blob and then add some insulation to keep the heat in.  Either way, if anyone has thoughts about the concerns above feel free to post comments as I could use the advice!