Difference between revisions of "Mashup Sliced Wade's Geared Extruder for Makerbot (Q49422)"

This is a mashup/redesign of several designs and documents, for me the most useful to undertand Wade's extruder was certainly droftarts' pdf http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:8072 and KurtcCircuit's Sliced Wade's Geared Nema 17 Extruder http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:5548 Wade's original design: http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1794 Some ideas like the smooth central PTFE contact surfaces are derived from the Makerbot^s plastruder MK5 http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3290 The steppers inclination allows for better equilibrating the center of gravity in relation to the stand and platform, while providing a reasonably straight path for the filament. Cut in 6.75 mm plywood and 5.3 mm PTFE (the three central layers), this thing feels sturdy and heavy like a tank. As a consequence, it is mainly adapted to configurations with a stationary extruder like the Makerbot, and Bowden extruders. Both gears were dipped in marine (very fluid) epoxy, assembled, and allowed to cure for several days, the resulting composite has very interesting resistance and surface properties. This is a work in progress: I see a need to implement some real quick release lever system instead of the quick hack (works but has some kludges, would not allow a quick change of filaments for example). For now the first aim was to get printing quickly with the homegrown/pirated cupcake, and printing it is. Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPwZG3rEj5U Attached to it is a standard reprap hotend (needed some additional PTFE rod to get to the appropriate length). Driven by a RAMPS board.