FLSUN Large Gear

thingiverse

This is an intriguing remix - quite frankly, I have no idea where the extruder package originated from. The intention behind this NON-FUNCTIONAL gear is to visually confirm that the filament is successfully entering the Bowden tube. It has been designed and reworked to be a snug press fit onto the shaft of the NEMA 17 stepper on the Bowden extruder. Before implementing this solution, my approach was to sit still and carefully observe for subtle movements in the filament spool. However, during instances of filament jams, it's difficult to determine if the filament spool is actually moving or if I simply had one too many beers the night before. With this gear installed, there's no question whether the filament is feeding or not. Nevertheless, it may be essential to remove the gear prior to swapping out filaments. Personally, I found the default extruder to be satisfactory (if a bit clumsy) for my needs. I experimented with several different extruder designs, but unfortunately, none were completely reliable. Furthermore, I appreciate the fact that having this gear fitted gives the impression that I invested significant time and effort into a sophisticated extruder when, in reality, I didn't.