Needle probe

thingiverse

I decided not to replace my BLtouch because the cost was too high. Instead, I started searching for alternatives on Thingiverse and found Compact Opto Servo Probe designed by atsnailpace. I really liked his design, but my optical end-stop was different from his, so I chose to remix his work. Since I was creating a custom version, I opted for a smaller servo and a sewing needle as the actuator pin. The probe test pdf shows the results of 100 tests taken with octoprint. I purchased my original endstop from Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07MFT8NWJ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1. The connector on this endstop had to be relocated to the back of the board in order for it to work. The servo I used came from Micro Center at https://www.microcenter.com/product/508336/small-plastic-analog-servo. A bit of post-processing was required, including some hole clean-up. I used a #64 drill bit to enlarge the hole for the pin guide and a #63 for the pin holder-flag. To get the pin holder-flag to trigger the end-stop, I applied aluminum tape for sealing duct-work. As designed, it takes about .5 to 1mm to trigger, which looks like nothing is actually moving. I'm running Klipper firmware on my printer, so if you need help setting it up with Klipper, I should be able to assist. While I'm not extremely familiar with Marlin, I'll do my best to help if you need it. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask. If you're able to build this, I'd love to see your creation.