Anet A8 Z Axis Brake

myminifactory

Results 4/19/17 - I installed the upgrade parts for my X axis carriage perfectly horizontal by measuring with a digital caliper from the rods to the stepper mounts. Since then, the carriage has remained unchanged. I've not had to adjust my auto level sensor, whereas before this mod, I adjusted it every day. This is the best mod I've ever done for my printer, and it's super easy! What's Next? As soon as I printed other upgrade parts for my X axis carriage, I noticed that the entire carriage started to fall down when powered off. The weight of the X carriage was turning the Z axis rods very slowly overnight, causing them to get out of level. It seems Anet intentionally misaligned those rods to create some friction. If you're experiencing this issue too, here's a fix for you! This will stop your Z Axis from falling down when your printer is off but won't prevent your z-axis from moving because your motors overpower it. Install if you have a squashed first layer - make sure to clean that off where it rubs on the shaft collar or else it'll cause a lot more drag than intended. You might also run into an issue with too much drag, in which case the Z steppers will be unable to overcome this brake. You can either sand down the breaking surface or adjust the potentiometer for your Z axis until your motors can overpower it. Alternatively, you can adjust the scaling or use the included Fusion 360 project to fit your printer or application. For more cool projects and upgrades, don't forget to follow me on Thingiverse and check out my YouTube channel, Gear Down For What? https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCERyl8JwFJuCISJfcnpCvwA