Petsfang E3D v6 Creality Direct Drive Mod

thingiverse

This is a reimagined version of the Petsfang system (E3D v6 edition) that converts the Ender 3/Creality bowden extruder gear into direct drive mode, essentially relocating the stepper motor/extruder gear above the E3D v6 hotend. The creator of Petsfang no longer permits linking to remixes, but this build is based on a combination of the original Petsfang and the direct extruder version. View the designs here: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2759439 and https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2907538. I must also give credit to a fellow maker who sparked this idea with his Creality direct drive mods; I simply adapted it for Petsfang. You can find more of his work here: https://www.thingiverse.com/s_gutz/about. This build utilizes the MacEwen3D all-metal extruder gear, but you could also use the stock or other all-metal extruder gears available for the Ender 3/Creality machines. There might be a slight difference in alignment from the extruder gear filament outlet to the E3D v6 hotend, which could be resolved with some washers. A minor bend in the filament feed won't affect performance. To mount the extruder gear and stepper motor, I used the 3 longer screws that came with the MacEwen3D extruder gear, and for the shorter screw (which ends up underneath the retractable arm), I used a screw (and lock washer) typically used to clamp the heater cartridge onto the E3D v6 heater block. You may need to get creative with the screws you use to mount the extruder gear and stepper motor; this is DIY, after all. The rest of the assembly follows the Petsfang installation instructions. When mounting the hotend, start by inserting the PTFE tube into the hotend and then slide it up into the extruder gear filament outlet. There's also PTFE tubing going into the extruder gear's filament inlet, just like you would with a normal [bowden] configuration for the MacEwen3D extruder gear. You can get creative with how you guide the filament into the hotend and do whatever works best for you. The 40mm cap I'm using is the same as the one found in the original package (https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2759439). The cap included in the direct extruder version seems to be the same, but includes some space to feed the hotend wires through (https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2907538). Either will work. The fan duct used is the E3D version from the direct extruder package (https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2907538). Pros: • Less retraction should reduce the likelihood of jamming, especially with softer filaments. • Reduced retraction, resulting in more consistent filament flow. • No more wasting that last 500mm of filament :P Cons: • It's heavier, not so heavy it'll ruin your prints or machine, but when the motors are disengaged it has a chance of sliding down the Z axis. I work around this by not disabling the motors when a print finishes (print end script) and ensuring to home Y (bed) before shutting the machine off, so that the nozzle doesn't hit the bed if it slides down. • Increased motor current vibration; this isn't a guarantee, but I had moire lines appear after performing this mod. A TL-Smoother on the extruder stepper motor resolved it.