Aluminum angle iron for Y-axis support

thingiverse

Update 2-5-17. I noticed that bed leveling issues were still plaguing me, so I replaced the y-carriage with a new one made from high-quality aluminum and 3mm thick (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MUAMRN7/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1). This was in contrast to the original 1mm thick steel plate that came with my machine. What a difference it made! A picture clearly shows the thickness of the two plates versus the heating bed. According to my precision dial gage (http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2040422), the bed is now level within .010 mm (10 microns). I had noticed on my Wanhao Duplicator i3 V2.1 that my plate was not staying flat when trying to get the bed to level with the nozzle at all points. Upon closer inspection, it became apparent that the bed the Y-axis bearings are mounted to was flexing and this was causing two opposite corners to either be way too loose or too tight when screwing down the springs due to the flexing. I headed to my local hardware store and picked up a piece of 1/2 x 3/4 inch aluminum angle iron, as it was the only size available that would fit. I would have preferred 1/4 x 1/2 inch for this application. I drilled out two holes on each end of the 3/4 flat side and mounted the angle iron between the Y-axis carriage plate and the springs, then re-leveled the bed. What a difference it made! All four corners came into acceptable tolerances and were not ratcheted down all the way. It's fortunate that I did this, as at the back of the heated bed the wires are getting pinched a bit - not a good thing at all! Adjustments will have to be made there. There is enough material left over to run the angle iron down the sides as well, but it might not be necessary now. Print Settings: Printer Brand: Wanhao Printer: Wanhao Duplicator i3 V2 Rafts: Doesn't Matter Supports: Doesn't Matter Materials Needed: 1/2" x 1/2" angle iron - a 3-foot piece will cover all four sides.