Upgraded Greg's Extruder for Makerbot

thingiverse

Significant alterations have been made to the original design. The primary change involves utilizing the Makerbot gear, initially intended for gripping plastic, on this extruder. This results in improved grip compared to relying solely on the screw's threads for gripping the material. Additionally, several minor modifications were implemented: 1. The mount was flipped to prevent the Stepper motor from running out of cable length. 2. Extruder holes were repositioned so that they directly align with Makerbot's mounting points. 3. The small gear's center hole was enlarged to accommodate the Stepstruder motor on a Makerbot printer. These enhancements, particularly the increased grip provided by the geared extruder, allow for higher printing speeds on your Makerbot. New photographs will be added soon. To assemble, ensure you have a screw that can pass through the original gear on the Makerbot. You'll also need three 608 or 606 bearings (the SCAD file includes an optional module for 606 bearings). The screw may not fit tightly into the bearings; in this case, print a small cylindrical washer-like object to fill the gap. Adjust the size and settings according to your specific screw and printer configuration. Alternatively, you can use a slice of paper wrapped around the screw as a temporary solution for centering the Makerbot gear on the screw. If needed, grinding down one side of the screw may improve grip by providing a flat surface for the gear to engage with. Lastly, consider flipping the extruder along the x-axis to position the Stepper motor closer to the cable entrance. Assembly remains identical to Greg's Extruder design.