Prusa i3 Mk3S extruder indicator

thingiverse

This little extruder indicator was inspired by others with similar designs that didn't quite meet my needs, so I created my own. My design requirements included: indication needed to be unique over a 360° range, no repetitive pattern, which is really helpful when watching live streams with limited frame rates via camera; it also needed a little extra thickness between the magnet and the plate, requiring only one magnet for height gain; PETG's notorious difficulty in gluing necessitated an uneven surface for magnet attachment; 8mm round shape in the middle allowed precise adjustment of an 8mm magnet exactly in the center; 42mm diameter fit the size of a NEMA17 stepper motor perfectly; completely round and even on the outside diameter avoided any snagging issues; and as little mass as possible at the outside to keep rotation inertia low. It may not be as aesthetically pleasing as other designs, but it is very functional and does exactly what I need it to do. Instructions: 1. Print in your chosen color and material (PLA is much easier to glue in step 2); 2. Glue an 8mm round neodymium magnet onto the 8mm round part on the backside; with PLA, use superglue; with PETG, use a suitable adhesive that grips into the little relief on that surface; 3. Ensure the glue is completely dry and the magnet doesn't come loose easily; 4. Snap the magnet to the axis of your extruder stepper motor; 5. Have fun watching and be amazed at how hard your extruder works going back and forth. I hope you like it. Happy printing, and please post a make if you use it.