Anet A8 Flex Extruder

thingiverse

UPDATES 02/07/2017: Updates arm for better spacing of idler and smoother rotation, also updates piece A to fit nut in place as a better threading solution for bowden tube as plastic tends to strip if pressure builds up or after disassembly for maintenance. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I needed to print flexible filament using my Anet A8 with Bowden setup. Existing solutions online required extra parts I didn't have or used hack jobs resulting in poor quality performance. With that, I designed my own solution around existing extruder format the A8 uses. This is designed to reuse parts in existing extruder including idler wheel and springs and screws. This also means if you're using existing extruder in Bowden setup, this is a drop-in replacement with whatever mount you are already using. The mount seen in picture I'm using can be found here https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2146021 These parts have been tested and proven to work. For best results, I have retraction turned off and ensure printer is levelled with 0.28 gap between bed and nozzle, (I use a glass bed). Experimentation with settings will be required to get consistent results. These parts prevent filament from flexing and getting tangled resulting in failed feeding of filament.