Z Brace Yourself - Alternate Straight Braces for Wanhao i3

thingiverse

Human: An innovative set of Z Braces designed to significantly enhance the rigidity of your Wanhao i3 (also known as Cocoon Create, Mono Select) 3D printer. Compatible with this popular model, these braces are carefully crafted from scratch, drawing inspiration from Typhon's principles https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1359774 and Azzas excellent design https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:921948. These cutting-edge braces boast straight rods for a sleek aesthetic appeal while maintaining the highest level of rigidity. Unlike Typhon's Top Braces, which encroach into the build area, reducing the usable Z height by 20mm, these innovative brackets cleverly relocate the rod mount above the inner bottom screw to regain that valuable space. To further boost stability and rigidity, these brackets securely clip around the front and back of the base. This thoughtful design ensures a rock-solid foundation for your printer. **Build Requirements:** * 8x 3/8" Hex Nuts * 2x 3/8" Threaded rods (cut to 365-375mm) * 20x M3 x 15 mm screws * Optional Anti-Vibration Pad (available at https://www.bunnings.com.au/whites-100mm-x-1m-anti-vibration-pad_p3961983) - a must-have for significantly reducing vibration and sound levels. **Update: June 2017** To take your printer's rigidity to the next level, we've added several optional parts: * Tower feet (increases lateral stability) * Front brace (with zip tie gap to secure Y-pulley) * Rear brace (reduces flex) * M10 Metric Editions of existing parts (in response to popular demand) New photos showcase these new parts and the rubber vibration pad used to isolate your printer from the ground. For Tinkercad enthusiasts, the source link is: https://tinkercad.com/things/9eYjIPDR2y8. **Print Settings:** * Printer Brand: RepRap * Printer: Cocoon Create * Rafts: No * Supports: No * Resolution: 0.22 * Infill: 50%+ **Notes:** * PLA is highly recommended for printing at 45%+ infill. * Supports are not required; four outlines plus the recommended settings will suffice. **Instructions:** 1. Begin by installing the top mounts using 4x M3 screws each. To prevent frame shifting, do not unscrew all four screws simultaneously. 2. Install the Bottom Rear left and right brackets with 3x M3 screws each. 3. Screw the threaded rod into the top mounts and secure it with two nuts on each side. 4. Attach a nut to the end of each rod, followed by the front bracket, then another nut. Secure the front bracket to the frame using a square against the vertical frame to ensure perfect 90-degree alignment. 5. Tighten the rods back and forth as needed until the vertical frame is perfectly level. **Optional:** Cut the dampening pad into shapes matching the bottom brackets and glue them to the base using gel or superglue. This decouples your printer from the ground, reducing vibrations and making it significantly quieter.