Silicone Heated Bed Bushings

thingiverse

22/06/16 - Follow up video published I stumbled upon this silicone bushings mold earlier, but it was designed specifically for a Prusa Frog carriage. Since my setup is just a flat base, I couldn't use it as-is. This design yields four 10mm tall and 16mm wide M3 bushings that can replace the springs on your heated bed. You can create them using simple builders caulk. The idea is to eliminate that final bit of z wobble by allowing more even pressure distribution and absorbing inertia. Check out the assembly and usage section below for more information, along with some in-situ pictures and test prints when I get a chance. Print Settings Printer Brand: RepRap Printer: Prusa i3 Rafts: No Supports: No Resolution: 0.2mm Infill: 20% Notes: These values are arbitrary; you just need their shape and a decent base for M3s to screw into. Post-Printing Moulding Your Bushings Once printed, you'll want four M3s at least 20mm long, which will serve as the centers of the bushings. Place your mold on plenty of paper towels; you'll need these for the goop that's about to come out. Use your builders caulk and fill it with the nozzle from the bottom up, working your way up. This method makes it easier to get into the corners than filling around the screws. Now comes the messy part... Put a screw through the goop and through the hole when you've managed that, wipe off any excess. I left mine to dry for four days before removing the screws; they should just thread out with a slightly rubbery sound telling you it's set. Leave it to dry some more as the increased surface area will help excess moisture evaporate. When you're sure it's dry, take a sharp knife and use a fast, slow sawing motion to trim off any excess from the tops of the bushings. Use tweezers or another method to pull them out carefully; be careful not to damage them too much.