Prusa I3 Pro B "Pertinax" frame top bar strengthening brackets

thingiverse

Since I replaced the Z-axis spindles of my low-cost Chinese i3 clone with better trapezoid threaded rods, I have two spare wobbly M8 rods left over which were meant to go into the frame, intended for strengthening it. The top horizontal bar on those printers is a prime candidate for attaching all sorts of things like reels with filament, tools, displays, and filament guides, which can put considerable loads on this skimpy part of the frame, making support necessary. One of those spare M8 rods will do just fine for this purpose, thereby also increasing resistance against torsive forces in addition to providing support along the gravitational vector. Here are the rather simplistic brackets that go with it. The presets fit my "Zhuhai Prusa i3 Pro B" with layered 5.5mm Pertinax-like frames nicely. They attach to the frame just behind the Z top brackets, holding the M8 rod which is oriented along the X-axis, slightly elevated to provide space for mounting things on it. A version that integrates these brackets into the Z-axis top brackets has been published at http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1792366