Universal Gearless Extruder Build Instructions
Presentation
Instructions
Extruder Build
- Unpack heater block from baggie.
- Screw in the 2 heater block screws lightly
- Screw in the thermistor screw lightly, so it still allows thermistor to enter
- Insert heater cartridge with wire on the side of the indent
- Insert thermistor with wire pointing in the same direction as heater
- Screw down the thermistor screw lightly using a 1 mm allen wrench to fasten the thermistor, but very lightly as the screw can go right through the thermistor
- Screw down the 2 larger screws using a 2 mm allen wrench, so that heater is secured. Do this evenly by screwing down one screw then the other and alternating 4 times
- Screw in the 1.2 mm extruder nozzle, until there is 1/2 thread exposed
- Screw the heat break on the other side.
- Heat tighten by connecting the heater to the power supply for 2 minutes. Once hot, place the heater block in a vise, hold the heat break with pliers, and screw down the nozzle with a 7 mm socket or adjustable wrench. Make sure that the nozzle bottoms out against the heat break, not against the heater block- the goal is to close the filament flow gap between nozzle and heat break.
- Once tightened, disconnect power from heater element
- After cooling so you can touch it again, screw on the 6 mm thin nut on the heat break
- Apply thermal paste to the heat break, to cover all threads
- Bend the heater cartridge wire out of the way so you can screw on the heat sink. Hold the bottom of the heater wire with pliers so that you can bend the heater wires down far without breaking them from the heater cartridge.
- Screw on heat sink, so that the heat break sticks out 2 mm above the heat sink.
- Clean off the 3D printed extruder main piece. Add an m6 nut in the middle, then mount the stepper motor. Fit a stepper motor and attach upper right corner using an m3x8 screw and a 2.5 mm allen driver.
- Mount the secondary extruder piece using 3 m3x8 mm screws
- Put heat paste on top of the heat sink and attach the heat sink assembly and fan heat sink to the stepper motor using m3x30 screws and a 2.5 mm allen driver. Do not tighten down fully, as the heat sink location will be adjusted.
- Put the drive gear on the stepper motor shaft, keeping the screw loose
- Insert a piece of 3D printing filament into the heat break, and align the extruder gear with it. Once gear is aligned, tighten down the gear.
- Tighten down the heat sink once the gear is aligned, with the inserted 3d printing filament as the guide
- Insert the 8 mm bearing onto the idler pin of the idler 3D printed piece.
- With gear set, add the idler piece by screwing it down with an m3x18 mm screw, and a 2.5 mm Allen driver.
- Insert the spring into the extruder
- Screw on the fan with the fan blowing into the extruder. Use m2.7 self-tapping screws.
- Screw the blower to the secondary extruder piece using two m3x18 screws
- Insert the height sensor and screw it down using an m6x18 bolt. The bottom of the blue plastic should be 4 mm above the nozzle tip
- Connect the 1 meter long stepper wire to the extruder motor.
- Bundle the wires such that when looking at the front of the extruder, the wires are sent to the right hand side. Use a zip tie to hold the wires together,
- There should be 6 sets of wires, totaling 15 wires: fan, blower, heater, thermistor, height sensor and extruder motor.
- Insert the wires through the split wire loom.
- The black beauty is now ready to run.
Development Pictures
