80mm cooling fan for Mk8 dual extruder by Geeetech/ LEDs

thingiverse

This is an 80mm fan mount for pre-assembled Mk8 dual extruder by Geeetech. I'd like to thank "bmxorcist" who inspired me to create this mod for my Hictop Aluminum Frame printer. He provided the firmware update and his Prusa i3 Dual Mk8 X Carriage design (http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1347192). Not having a dedicated fan for cooling the extruder left me unhappy, so I explored alternative designs with multiple fans before creating this one. This design uses a single 80mm fan to cool both extruders and hot ends effectively. It works well, but perhaps too well - caution is advised. Running the fan at full speed can warp prints severely. To avoid this, I only run it at around 50% for most of the print, reserving higher speeds for critical moments. My extruders remain cool, and I repurposed two 40mm fans from the old design to cool my y and x axis motors. For added flair, I incorporated LEDs into the design - why not? The improved visibility through the fan is a welcome bonus; you can now gaze directly through it and see both extruders clearly.