Z extender
Description
Designed to be quick to print/assemble/install without having to dismantle your cupcake.
WARNING !!! It dramatically decreases X and Y !
Z: Up to 220mm
X: Up to 65mm (it could easily go up to 80mm)
Y: Up to 60mm (55mm?)
Those are sizes for the whole length. At some Z levels X and Y may be bigger.
However it uses the whole length of the Z rods (there's a lot of designs that can fit here) and you can switch from this thing to the standard cupcake setup in a couple of minutes.
More pictures: aubenc.imgur.com/cupcake_cnc_zextender#mdmpi
(The example in the picture is a 220mm tall print)
"z-ext.zip" contains all the other files available to download.
Instructions
Plates and springs: Print one of them (front or back), when the built is done, mirror the model (X or Y) and print it again! Repeat for the other (back or front).
Springs: You may choose between the 3mm ones (for the rods that are more bend) or the 5mm ones. You can also use the scad file to change the height and thickness (I hope it works)
Bridges: Print two of them.
M6 rod/long screws: I used 4x 120mm length. They can be shorter but it all depends on your cupcake setup (low riders, HBP or not, ...). Also you may like to use something different than M6, hopefully: no problem! use the scad to generate the parts to size.
While you print the parts, cut the acrylic plate to size (sorry, just a sketch with -hopefully right- measurements) and the rods to size.
So... print/clean/snap together the parts and then, add the hardware and assemble everything to the acrylic plate.
Raise Z that you can access the 4 M5 bolts that hold the extruder assembly.
Unscrew the extruder and put it aside (wires here may make it a little bit more difficult: time to route the cabling by the top and the back of the printer)
Lower the Z stage without the extruder and replace the stock acrylic plate by this thing.
Install again the extruder (don't forget the bolts!).
Print something tall !!! like thingiverse.com/thing:7704 by aubenc :-)
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What a great excuse for the inventive mind. I even just saw the video of the very long rod with knurling at both ends. You should link your tall print video here to prove that you did it.
Tis very, very good! :-D
A way to not use up the X and Y travel, would be to put the plates and springs inbetween the Z rods and the body of the printer. I will try to draw it once I can get to a computer with inventor on it.
It seems to me that you can, but you'd have to cut the top slightly to make room. In the middle of the top of the sides, simply cut them back to about 1/4". Then your vertical supports can travel up past the top of the machine yet still be between the z rods on both sides.
I don't see how you'll get the extruder out of the printer like this but...
COOL! I love to see other things (derivatives or new) based/inspired/whatever in this thing :)
License
More from aubenc
This is a fantastic contribution. I don't have a makerbot yet, but this sort of sacrifice from users really is great. Thanks for your work and generosity.
Thank you!