Hexagon hot end shroud for MakerFarm i3 i3v Wade's Extruder

thingiverse

The stock shroud supplied with the MakerFarm hexagon-style hot end is defective because it clips onto the heat tube of the hot end. This causes the shroud to soften and melt, frequently dropping onto the aluminum block where the melted shroud usually drips onto the print or print bed. The oversized fan and shroud also allow a significant amount of airflow to bypass the hot end heatsink, decreasing the quantity of cooling obtained. Two alternatives to the stock shroud are available here. Both use a 25mm fan like a 3 CFM Sunon MAGlev MC25101V2-000U-A99 to exhaust heated air towards the front of the printer. Both attach to the front of the MakerFarm Wade's Extruder base using the same mounting holes as the stock 40mm hot end fan. File hex_shroud_flush permits the 25mm fan to mount flush to the shroud bracket. File hex_shroud_angle10 adds a spacer block that tips the fan upwards by 10-degrees, minimizing the likelihood of fan exhaust from hitting the front of the heat bed. Note that the rear shroud component differs between the two designs. The flush-mount style features a round inlet hole to match the fan. The angled mount has the round inlet on the angle plate, and is designed for a better fit with the angled fan mounting screws. These shrouds are intended for use with the MakerFarm i3/i3v X-axis carriages that utilize a wood shelf along with an aluminum grooved plate for the hot end mount. Most corners are rounded to ensure consistency with the MakerFarm design style. The suitability of these shrouds for other hexagon hot end applications has not been verified. Instructions: Test prints were accomplished using Simplify3D with a 0.40mm nozzle, 0.20mm layer height, and 20% infill. Use of support should not be necessary; the maximum length of unsupported extrusion is around 4mm. The test prints shown in the gallery were printed with MakerBot Natural 1.75mm PLA at a temperature of 225 degrees. A 10mm-deep fan like the Sunon MAGlev attaches to the flush-mount shroud using 12mm long machine screws. For the angled mount, 16mm and 20mm screws are necessary. For both types, the upper screws must not protrude through the plate of the shroud or they will interfere with the wood shelf of the X-carriage. Fan mounting holes are designed for use with M2.5 or #3 machine screws. The amount of first-layer "squish" on a given printer determines if the machine screws should thread into the shroud without reaming or tapping – just provide enough encouragement. If there is a bit of squish to the first layer and a heated bed is used during printing, the holes will likely be undersized, and #2 machine screws may also work. For the angled mount, the fan attaches to the angled top-side of the printed part. The top surface should be sanded or filed as required to ensure an airtight fit against the fan. The fan should be mounted so that airflow is drawn from the hot end area and exhausted to the front of the printer. This keeps fan exhaust from affecting the print area under the X-carriage. The shrouds are designed for a clearance fit around the hexagon heatsink on the hot end. The heatsink needs to be oriented so that a point on the hexagon faces forward. Orientation of the heatsink with respect to the aluminum block can be adjusted by loosening the heat break tube and nozzle at the aluminum block, repositioning, and then tightening. The clearance fit around the hexagon heatsink should keep the bottom of the shroud from softening. Newer hexagon hot ends come equipped with an insulation boot; a proper fit with the boot has not been tested. I always use a few layers of kapton tape to insulate the aluminum block. Extreme installations might benefit from installing some fiberglass sheeting between the bottom of the shroud and the aluminum block as additional insulation. An insulator could also be created by wrapping kapton tape on itself several times, slicing it partway, trimming a hole for the heat break tube, and slipping it between the aluminum block and the shroud. Make sure the shroud is tightened to the X-carriage when it is up as high as possible. I prefer to keep all fins exposed on the heatsink, so I do not recommend using fiberglass or kapton sheeting between the heatsink and the shroud unless proven necessary.