J-Head Extruder Body

thingiverse

This is my latest remix. I have a larger 3D printer that features an extruder using the bearing holder as the primary spring. It also has excellent accessibility due to its design where the filament path is far from the hobbed gear. I prefer direct drive extruders because they seem more reliable and don't stall easily, even when experiencing minor "oops" moments. This extruder utilizes the Wade's Extruder with minimal adjustments, making it highly accessible by relocating the filament path closer to the drive. I use a 12mm filament drive gear and add two springs to enhance grip slightly. Note: After installation, this extruder works flawlessly so far, especially when using 1.75mm filament, which leaves little room for bending and getting stuck. Print Settings Printer: Home built Rafts: No Supports: Yes Resolution: .25mm Infill: 50% Notes: I tried to minimize support material usage but failed. Be patient removing the supports; it should come out nicely. Post-Printing BOM 3- 608 Bearings 2- .5" x .25" C-510 spring 2- 1-5/8" 6-32 bolt 1- 1/4" 6-32 bolt 4- 6-32 nuts 2- 6-32 flat washer 1- 5/16" x 2.5" bolt 1- 5/16" nut 2- 1/4" washer (These still fit over 5/16" bolts) 1- 5/16" all-thread cut to 3/4" 1- extruder gear with 5/16" or 8mm i.d. Assembly Begin by assembling the driven gear set after wasting too much time cleaning support material. First, drill and tap the 5/16" nut for a 6-32 thread, making it an excellent lock nut. Use the 1/4" 6-32 bolt as the set screw. Insert the 5/16" bolt through the driven gear, placing one washer on the bolt followed by a bearing and then the extruder gear. Insert this assembly into the extruder body, placing a bearing on the bolt then a washer then the nut. Be cautious not to overtighten the nut; it's made of plastic. Secure the set screw to keep the nut in place. Align the extruder gear with the filament guide. To facilitate alignment, insert a piece of filament through the extruder; this will help secure the extruder gear. Tighten the set screw on the extruder gear. Perform a test by spinning the assembly. If you have an 8mm i.d. version like me, your set screw might be too tall, requiring milling to make it suitable. Drill an indentation into the bolt if necessary. When I drilled my bolt, it was slightly off, which is why there are two paper washers in the picture to adjust the assembly left by .040". Cut the all-thread to length and use a Dremel cutoff tool to create a slot at the top for easier assembly and removal. Insert the final bearing into the tensioner and slide in the all-thread as the shaft, benefiting from its threaded design to keep it in place. Position the long 6-32 bolts and springs according to the instructions, applying minimal tension on the springs since the bearing already has a preloaded tension on the extruder gear. The springs are there for constant tension maintenance; tighten until they just touch the plastic. Install the stepper motor, drive gear, and J-Head hotend as you would with any standard extruder setup.