Dial Indicator Holder For Printrbot Simple Metal

thingiverse

This Thing holds a pretty cheap dial indicator and helps me out with bed leveling and span calibration. Knowing the accuracy and repeat-ability of your machine is definitely worth the time invested. The Dial indicator fits snugly and requires assistance from the pry bar to get it in place. I used a dial indicator found here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002YPHT76 for about $30. I have a test routine and spreadsheet that helps me determine my current tolerance and repeat-ability, checking 75 points. One day soon I hope to replace this with a digital indicator and automatic engage/disengage system to monitor performance and let me know of possible issues. The screw holding it in place is a 1/4-20 X 1.75in Phillips head that works well with the nuts. I was able to print it and just thread it right onto the screw. Print Settings: Printer Brand: Printrbot Printer: Simple Black Rafts: No Supports: No Resolution: 0.2mm Layer Thickness, 0.4mm Nozzle Infill: 20% Notes: I do my calibration with a sheet of paper (0.08mm or 0.003in) and get it low enough that I see the needle move when I insert or remove the piece of paper. The calculations are very easy after that. Remember that 0.100in is 2.54mm, and give yourself good documentation when writing gcode. With my Printrbot, I removed the Z-probe and added a limit switch (which I glued to prevent the wheel from rotating since it was causing a variance of 0.020in). My zero is repeatable within +/- 0.0005, which is at the limit of what my measuring capabilities are. I wouldn't recommend modifying your printer as heavily as I have done unless you enjoy breaking things and spending 30+ hours calibrating them and writing your own gcode for various operations like removing auto-bed leveling and a 75-point check. The Dial indicator holder could be modified to work with a normal Z-probe by cutting out a small section of the taller hole so that it snaps over the sensor.