30mm Convertible Fan Mount (MP Select Mini) Incomplete

thingiverse

UPDATE Current Models have tolerance issues that I didn't catch in the simulation. Basically, the outer housing is too tight for the reproductive capabilities of my Mini, and I assume others will have the same issue. I will upload corrected models as soon as possible, but in the meantime, feel free to play around with these yourselves. Sorry if anyone wasted filament on these models, but a vigorous sanding of the internals will correct the problem. As I get farther into 3D printing, I want to work with different materials and take on tougher prints. Doing so requires a lot of time screwing around with my fan, trying to get air where I need it when I need it, and keep it away when I don't. I had seen a couple of projects that involved part fans you could turn on and off, and I invested in a serious fan upgrade. While I was waiting for the new fan to make it to Texas from the other side of the world, I looked into fan housings, and realized that some of the dual fan mods were probably beyond my capabilities (I'm a sculptor, not an engineer, which should be obvious later). I needed a simple way to get some versatility out of a single fan so I didn't have to monkey too much with the guts of my Mini. That meant blocking airflow to the part duct, but attempts at modifying the duct were problematic. Not a lot of room down there, and you don't want any tiny hardware that can fail or drag on your print. So instead of blocking the path of the air at the nozzle end, I decided to move the source of the air. The idea is pretty simple: hang the fan mount on a hinge, swing it back to send air to the part duct, or push it closed to send air just to the thermistor. Version 1 was too short in the duct for the fan mount to move freely. Fixed that in version 2, but then ran into some issues with printability. I want to be able to print the parts cleanly on my Mini without supports to keep the inside of the parts nice and smooth, with minimal cleanup. Version Three was better, but still had some crazy bridging, so I got rid of that for the models you see here, Version 4. For assembly, you'll need four small screws, a 2mm x 36mm pin for the hinge, and a small torsion spring. As an option, you could use a shorter hinge pin and cap the ends of the hinge with screws to hold the pin in place. A little CA glue might come in handy as well. This is designed to use the stock 30mm fan, but doesn't have ears for the spring clips or an interface for the thermistor, so it could be easily modified to fit any hot end. I'll be adding a stock hot-end adapter, E3D adapter, and a mod for a 50mm blower fan soon. Advice is always appreciated, and I'd be interested in any modifications you make. Printer: Monoprice Select Mini Rafts: No Supports: No Infill: 100 Notes: I suggest printing this in PETG for flexibility on interlocking internal parts. I don't have much experience with ABS, but it should work as well. Arrange the parts on the build area with flattest sides down to minimize the need for supports. Post-Printing Putting it all together... Once the parts are printed, clean up any threading with a little sandpaper time, paying special attention to the screw seats where the upper main duct meets the part duct and the faces of the hinge. Be careful and don't sand off the bumps that lock together on the inside of the part duct. First, fit the fan mount into the main duct so the hinge pieces fit together. Insert the 2mm hinge-pin halfway through the hinge. Place the torsion spring (see photo for reference) in the gap in the center of the hinge so that it forces the hinge open, and then pass the hinge-pin through the center of the spring and on into the other half of the hinge. Holding the hinge closed, mate up the screw seats on the main duct with the matching seats on the part duct and screw the upper and lower halves together (screw from the bottom up). A little CA glue in the gap might not hurt, either. Install the 30mm fan and whatever adapter you need for your hot-end, and you should be good to go. How I Designed This Modeled in 123D Design (free version) Motion testing done in 3D Coat. (if it doesn't work it's their fault) Test prints printed on MonoPrice Select Mini 3D Printer using e-Sun PETG filament.