FT-5 Chimera & BLTouch X-carriage

thingiverse

Still a work in progress. ***edit 9/25/17*** All parts are uploaded. I haven't printed with this yet, however, I discovered some problems with the BLtouch hitting the cable chain when homing. This may necessitate a new cable chain mount or replacing FT9 so that the cable chain rides parallel to the y axis. I'm currently working on that model. Also, I uploaded all of the parts upside down... sorry, I'll correct that with the next upload *** I intend to redesign the duct and BLTouch mount to bring the BLTouch closer to the hot ends and make the ducting system look more appealing. This is my first custom X-carriage and I'm new to the FT-5 but this is my fourth machine. I would recommend printing in ABS or PETG for temperature stability. This is a Chimera mount for my Folgertech FT-5. It replaces the entire X carriage. I never utilized the original hotend so I'm not sure how much room you lose when using this, however, it's modeled after the original mount. It features an adjustable BLTouch mount on one side. I attempted to make this printable without supports but the rear section and fan duct will require a few. It also contains a 40x40mm fan for part cooling along with a ducting system. I tried to sneak this into the design, it's a bit clunky but should work decently enough. I tried to include sufficient extra holes for future bolt-on parts like nice captive wiring connectors. There are some tabs built in to handle the wiring efficiently and flexibly. There are several bolts that are intentionally undersized for M3 screws to thread into the plastic. Additionally, all bolt holes were modeled at 3mm to provide a small amount of stock to drill out for an M3 screw. I intend to design a front section that can be machined from aluminum. *insert something about how engineering projects are never finished just abandoned...* If you have any comments, positive or negative, let me know. If you have any ideas for how this could be improved, I'm all ears.