Creality printer mods

thingiverse

It seems like you've undertaken a comprehensive upgrade to your Creality printer, addressing various aspects such as mechanical stability, electronics, and performance. Let's break down these upgrades: ### 1. Pinch Gear Upgrade - **Upgrade Reason**: To improve the filament feed mechanism with a more aggressive pinch gear for better grip and reduced feeding issues. - **Modification Details**: Replaced the bearing in the lever arm to a flat-faced bearing and modified the drive block to accommodate the larger diameter of the new pinch gear. ### 2. Idler Supports - **Upgrade Reason**: To stiffen up idlers, reducing vibrations and ringing by supporting them on both ends with printed supports. - **Modification Details**: Printed custom idler supports for both X and Y axes, which have interior space for standard extrusion stopper nuts and allow the use of a long M3 bolt as the axle. ### 3. Vertical Tower Stabilization - **Upgrade Reason**: To provide additional support to the vertical tower, reducing movement and potential instability. - **Modification Details**: Installed an L-plate on both the vertical tower and the horizontal member for added stability and considered adding M4 bolts through the bottom plate into the tower. ### 4. Drag Chain Installation - **Upgrade Reason**: For a heated build plate, which requires mechanical isolation to prevent it from moving or warping during heating. - **Modification Details**: Installed a drag chain with a custom printed mount for the end of the long horizontal extrusion. ### 5. Power Inlet Upgrade - **Upgrade Reason**: To handle higher currents required by a heated bed. - **Modification Details**: Replaced the power inlet with a 20A Neutrik jack to safely and reliably supply power to the printer. ### 6. Electronics Upgrade - **Upgrade Reason**: For improved performance, reliability, and safety features such as heated bed support and web interface. - **Modification Details**: Upgraded to Duet 0.8.5 electronics with RepRapFirmware for better control and monitoring capabilities, including a PanelDue LCD touchscreen interface. ### 7. Heated Build Plate Upgrade - **Upgrade Reason**: To allow for larger prints with better bed adhesion. - **Modification Details**: Built a new heated build plate platform to accommodate a Thing-o-Matic heated bed initially, later switching to a silicone heater and moving to a 24V system for improved stepper motor performance. ### 8. Stepper Motor Upgrade - **Upgrade Reason**: To replace unknown-specification stepper motors with reliable and well-documented ones. - **Modification Details**: Replaced the original stepper motors with Kysan 1124090 stepper motors from Ultimachine, known for their quality in 3D printing applications. These upgrades demonstrate a thoughtful approach to improving the performance, reliability, and usability of your Creality printer.