Y-Rod Alignment Helper for Prusa MK3 Bear Upgrade

thingiverse

I'm a huge fan of the Bear upgrade for Prusa i3 printers (Check out the details here: https://github.com/gregsaun/prusa_i3_bear_upgrade). When assembling the frame, I needed a tool that would help me get the rough alignment of the Y-axis rods just right. This Thing delivers exactly what I was looking for. I've worked hard to minimize the amount of filament used while still providing a stable base for perfect perpendicular alignment with the frame. To use this tool, simply press it onto one of the side V-slot extrusions and move it from front to back, ensuring that the rod is just touching both ends and thus parallel to the extrusion. The tool should now extend into the print bed area and lightly touch the rod. I recommend using this for rough alignment on the left-hand rod first, then fine-tuning with a pair of calipers for precise positioning on the right-hand rod. Keep in mind that the heated bed itself has some manufacturing slop, so you may want to revisit the final position of the rod after reviewing the XYZ calibration results. This tool should get you close enough to make adjustments easy, though. As always, I'm providing Fusion 360 source code in case you need to tweak the design. EDIT (2018-12-22): I cleaned up the sketch geometry in Fusion 360. This shouldn't significantly impact the STL file, but I've regenerated it just in case. I also parameterized the main dimensions, making it easy to adjust this design for customized Bear frames.