Ender 5 Fixed Purge Bucket

thingiverse

I didn't want to change my printer's bed configuration so the X mounted purge bucket didn't work for me, and that was really frustrating. The bucket was supposed to be used with the top down, but that orientation just wasn't working out. To fix this issue, I decided to print the bucket with the top facing upwards as it should be in its original design. This simple change made all the difference, and the bucket started working perfectly. I also added some M3 x 12mm bolts to secure it in place, and two of them were sufficient for my needs. The trap door from the original design was still intact, but I did add a layer of aluminum or Kapton tape inside the ramp and wall to prevent the hot filament from melting the bucket. Since I printed the bucket in PLA, this precaution was absolutely necessary. When it comes to the nozzle, you'll need to use a spacer of some height depending on your specific setup. For my Creality MK8 nozzle, I used a 3mm spacer between the bucket and the 2020, but for an E3D MK6 style nozzle, you might need something different. Simply scale the part to your desired height using Z scaling. For the silicone wipe, I recommend checking out this product on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LNE8VD0. My wipe is cut to 45mm x 8mm, and it makes a solid thunk as it moves across the nozzle. I think 7 or 7.5 might be an even better size for optimal performance. To fine-tune the nozzle's contact with the wipe, simply experiment with different combinations of spacers and silicone wipes until you find the perfect balance. As for my X endstop, I moved it as far to the right as possible and reconfigured my firmware to allow the carriage to move out that far. This gave me a total of 239mm of travel, which was just what I needed during testing. When the carriage reached 237mm, everything worked like a charm. The purge.gcode routine is a simple script that moves the pre-heated hotend into the purge bucket and pushes out 50mm of filament while doing a little dance to wipe the head clean. It's a game-changer for my printing process, and I'm really glad I was able to make it work.