Nozzle scrubber pad for Wanhao i3 and others

thingiverse

Want to add a new feature to your cheap 3D printer? Why not give it the ability to clean its print nozzle before every print? This mod is easy to do and gives you that feature in a cost-effective way. Using Velcro with a sticky back adhesive lets you easily remove and replace old and worn wiper pads. I use the wiper plate because it ensures I always put new pads in the right place, eliminating the need to change my start G-code. However, there is one issue: some coolers, like the DIII and CIII, may interfere with this setup. If you're using these coolers, consider attaching the Velcro directly to the bed without the plate. This will help you keep track of the pads' location, but try to outline it on the bed if possible. Check out my YouTube video for a demonstration: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydbMzVH3A2E Post-Printing Hardware Needed You'll need some hardware to get started. You'll require: * Velcro (the fabric side) * 1 M3 countersunk screw, around 20mm long (10mm may work if you're not using a glass bed) * 1-3 M3 nuts (you'll need more if you have a glass bed) Optional: 1 M3 locknut for a tighter fit How to Install To begin, check the back of your heat bed for a hole. The stock build surface will cover this hole, so look at the underside of the heat bed instead. My Wanhao I3 v2 has it, and I've heard that printers like the Maker Select v2.1 also have this feature. Next, cut the Velcro to size (around 10mm x 50mm). Each print may be slightly different, so just cut it until it fits within the indent on your print. Now that you have the Velcro in place, let's install the wiper onto your printer. If you're using a glass bed, add nuts to the screw to offset the print. I used 2 nuts for this purpose. If you have a build surface like BuildTak, make a hole in it where the screw hole on the heated bed is. You won't need height nuts since the print will lay on the build surface as is. Now, simply take the normal nut or locknut and tighten the wiper to the heated bed. You now have the wiper installed on your printer. We need to tell it how to use this new feature. Custom Section Edit updates: 11/13/17: Added an edit section. 3/20/17: Okay, I added some new pictures of a used nozzle scrub pad that I removed from the printer. 2/14/17: Well, I've been doing some tests with other cooling shrouds and I have some mixed news. The DIII cooler remix with the scrubber pad (printed part) was really limiting what the machine could do. So, I tested two more coolers that connect on the back side of the printer – the Cobra cooler and the CIII cooler. The CIII cooler had the same problem as the DIII, only since it's on the back it limited bed usage even more. So, I'd call it incompatible with this printed part. However, the Cobra cooler looks promising as it didn't run into the scrubber pad right off the bat. I'm currently thinking that the Cobra cooler may be a good choice if you plan to use this mod's printed wiper plate and I plan to start using it. 1/30/17: Hindsight is 20/20 here, I think it might be a smart idea to put something like an insulating washer on before tightening down the scrub pad. I'm not sure if the nut could scratch off the protective layer on the bottom of the bed.