Filament cleaner for Velleman K8200 3D printer

People on different forums reported problems with clogged nozzle. One of the reasons may be a dust, powder or some other contamination on the filament.

I have thought, it would be nice to have a little cleaner before the extruder…
I designed it in the way that it can be easily mounted on the frame using one of my clips (FULL or FLAT) and 2 pins.

It can be moved left or right along the frame or rotated to put it in optimal position for the filament to go through.

I cut a small piece of a kitchen sponge – it does the job.

The only thing worth of considerations is that the material used to clean the filament is soft when it is dry as it needs to hold the filament tight – some of the sponges are rock hard when dry (will not surround the filament snugly enough) and get softer only when wet.

 

To download the files - visit my profile on Thingiverse (http://www.thingiverse.com/ljwinkler/designs) or use direct links below:

-        sponge holder (http://www.thingiverse.com/download:722623)

-        full frame clip (http://www.thingiverse.com/download:409393)

-        flat frame clip (http://www.thingiverse.com/download:416539)

-        pin (http://www.thingiverse.com/download:409394)

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Flat mounting clip for Velleman K8200 3D printer

Here is just a quick follow up on my previous frame clip (http://ljwinkler.blogspot.ie/2014/01/frame-clip-and-locking-pin-for-velleman.html). The middle section fits snugly into the aluminium profile only if there is no flat cable or other wires running along, that’s why I have created another version of the clip, this time with flat middle piece:

And here is the result:

The rest of the clip remains the same. It contains exact same rectangular holes on both sides and the pin designed previously will work as well. However, a countersunk M3 or M4 bolt needs to be used:

To download the files - visit my profile on Thingiverse (http://www.thingiverse.com/ljwinkler/designs) or use direct links below:

• flat clip (http://www.thingiverse.com/download:416539)
• full clip (http://www.thingiverse.com/download:409393)
• pin (http://www.thingiverse.com/download:409394)

 

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If you like my blog - please use the donate button :)  This will help me making new stuff. THANK YOU!

Frame clip and locking pin for Velleman K8200 3D printer

You probably discovered that mounting any accessories on the printer’s frame is a bit inconvenient. It is a good idea with these square nuts slid in the frame but unfortunately if you want to add something after the printer is fully assembled – it can be very ungrateful.

Some of the areas are easy to be modified, like the vertical aluminium profiles – it requires just removing the top caps. However, some areas are very hard to access (like the Z carriage arm) – you would need to tear the printer apart to get into the groove in the aluminium profile.

I had to figure out how to hang something on the frame without disassembling the printer or drilling holes in the frame. The list below shows what I would like to change/add to the printer:

• mounting the controller board on a separate base (probably with some cable tights)
• mounting the power supply on the side/back of the frame
• mounting the fan properly (it is very wiggly by default)
• adding a LED lighting (probably PWM controlled)
• adding a RaspberryPi to control the printer remotely
• adding a webcam to see the printing progress
• adding an extension lead where I could insert all the plugs (printer, RPi, LEDs)
• mounting the extension lead to the frame (the idea is to have the printer portable, with only one cable sticking out with the rest mounted securely)
• adding a filament cleaner
• adding a dishwasher (or maybe not, it would be too much for the frame :))

Here is a cross-section of the aluminium profile:

My first thought was to design a locking pin that would slide through the slot and then lock if rotated 90°.

After some measurements I came up with this bracket and pin:

I have created rectangular holes on the sides of the clip to allow the pin slide through.

Below are the printed objects.

A flat M3 bolt + washer or flat M4 bolt (like the one below) can be used.

To download the files - visit my profile on Thingiverse (http://www.thingiverse.com/ljwinkler/designs) or use direct links below:

• bracket (http://www.thingiverse.com/download:409393)
• pin (http://www.thingiverse.com/download:409394)
  

 

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If you like my blog - please donate :)