Extruder Block Top Plate Enhanced Upgrade for Dual Extrusion

thingiverse

This design allows consistent filament feeding by providing enough space for both extruders to utilize the "Minimalistic MK8 Upgrade" alongside my "Spring Enhancer / Spring Compressor". The standard plate shipped with the Replicator Dual is a bit too wide, hindering the range of motion of the Minimalistic MK8 Upgrade arms. To address this issue, I simply incorporated tube holders into toreg's original design. Next, I removed the small grey cylinder objects from the original plate that came with the replicator and inserted them into this modified "Replicator Extruder Block Top Plate Enhanced". These grey components are beneficial because they permit the filament tubes to swivel as the extruder block moves during printing. I recommend also printing the cable/wire manager pole found at http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:607733 to alleviate tension from all the wires connected to your extruder block. DUAL EXTRUSION SUCCESS: Using the "cone" and "pendant" examples from MakerBot Desktop, I successfully tested dual extrusion. The pendant turned out perfectly, while the cone is a bit messy due to being printed at an improper orientation (sideways on the build plate). This was done to evaluate color-matching rafts and supports. You might notice that the picture with the cone looks messy, but it still turned out relatively well. Instructions: Print this model as-is without using rafts or supports. The STL file is intentionally printed upside down to avoid overhangs. After printing, carefully remove the grey cylinder objects situated inside the filament tube holes from the original extruder top plate and replace them with the corresponding components in this new piece. Please note that I utilized the following print settings: MakerBot Desktop PLA LOW Resolution settings, 0.3mm Layer Height, 10% Infill, to achieve successful results. However, it may seem peculiar that the tube holder for the left extruder is positioned further from the center compared to the right extruder. This was done deliberately, as I found the optimal alignment of the tube holders with the Minimalistic MK8 Upgrade's holes by measuring them precisely. Note that this measurement may not be applicable across all Replicator models, and I have specifically identified the left extruder's filament hole to be about 1.65cm to the left of the center screws and the right extruder's filament hole to be approximately 1.4cm to the right of the center screws. UPDATE: Despite these efforts, my right extruder experienced random jamming, so I implemented this filament duster and applied a few drops of safflower oil onto the spongy material for additional lubrication.