Paste Extruder

thingiverse

I've created a paste extruder based on RichRap's Universal Paste Extruder https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:20733 (CC-A). It fits perfectly onto my Quick-Fit X Carriage https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:19590 (CC-A), which I've adapted into a platform for the Snappy 3 (see https://github.com/Erhannis/quickfit ). The extruder utilizes my OpenSCAD translation of one of GearDownForWhat's gearboxes and is comprised of several parts from various sources. The snap-in joiners are likely sourced from BOSL, while the gear design is courtesy of GearDownForWhat and the gear teeth are credited to janssen86. I've also incorporated an attachment plate designed by hexdoll. For a more detailed breakdown of the dependencies, follow the links in get_deps.sh. The project's Git repository can be found at https://github.com/Erhannis/ceramic_extruder. For specific printing instructions and details, refer to the scad file. It's essential to print everything with a gear at -0.08 horizontal expansion and -0.3 initial layer horizontal expansion. Typically, I printed at 0.15 layer height and 0.4 nozzle diameter using PLA material. Note that half of the gearbox needs to be printed oversize; see the comment for "Gearbox gear sheath" in ceramic_extruder.scad. This extruder was designed with printability in mind, as I dislike lengthy third-party parts lists. You'll need a NEMA 17 motor, which can likely be found on your printer. Additionally, you'll require a 10 ml syringe; I used a luer-lock syringe with the widest available blunt needle tip from https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32617742465.html and also experimented with multiple blunt needle tips - my tests were conducted using 14 gauge needles. You'll also need a printer to mount it on, which can be found in the first paragraph above. This extruder was specifically designed for ceramic extrusion. I've been unable to locate my notes on the optimal ratio, but I believe 10 parts kaolin to 4 parts water by volume worked well. Feel free to experiment and adjust if you encounter any issues. A video demonstrating its functionality can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ErWMR7DQpo. My ultimate goal is to print ceramic molds for casting metal, with initial tests yielding mixed results - the metal tends not to conform to the mold. I've released my work in the public domain, so feel free to utilize it for positive change and help fix the world!