Anet A8 Dial Indicator Holder Digital Bed Leveling

thingiverse

For no good reason, I'm still manually leveling my Anet A8 printer's bed. I built a holder that attaches where the front cooling fan mounts to hold an indicator in place. The idea is simple: with this setup, you can't accidentally pull or push something that throws leveling off balance. Here's how it works: first, I move the indicator to the center of the bed and "zero" it out. Then, using my printer's controls, I adjust from one corner to the next, making adjustments as needed along the way. In total, this process takes about 5 minutes and seems to last quite a while without needing any further adjustments. After that, all you need to do is fine-tune your Z height. In my case, that's just a matter of turning a threaded bolt one way or another until it feels right, and then I'm ready to start printing. I also added a screw hole behind the clamp so you can add extra clamping power if needed. One note: this design will easily reach the front of your bed but may only get within about 1.5 inches of the rear due to its attachment point on the X carriage. If that's a problem, I might work on another design later that covers more of the printing surface.