Z18 Replacement Brush

thingiverse

My trusty Z18 extruder brush had seen better days after a bad print job compromised its effectiveness. Cleaning attempts only made things worse, so I set out to find a replacement that would finally get my printer back in working order. Unfortunately, the original brush's design flaws meant it often pulled back metal wires when parking the extruder, causing clogs and jams. When molten filament flowed around these wires, they'd sometimes get trapped, pulling them further out of the brush - a vicious cycle that left me with a brush barely clinging to life. Determined to find a solution, I discovered a silicone basting brush head rated for 240°C on Amazon, sold in sets of three for just $5.99. I designed a custom holder and ordered the replacement parts, eager to put my printer back online. However, attempting to use the brush head straight from the package was a disaster waiting to happen. I took matters into my own hands by cutting the brush down to size, trimming it along the narrow dimension and then across the second row of 'fingers' to create two identical parts with the same number of fingers. This clever hack allowed me to print a custom holder that would securely lock the silicone brush in place with minimal force. With the new brush assembled, I snapped it back into position and gave it a test run - and was thrilled to see it work like a charm! The softened filament glided through effortlessly, thanks to the silicone's non-stick properties. And when the extruder passed through, the silicone simply sprang back into place, ensuring that filament extrusions continued uninterrupted. If you have any suggestions or improvements, please share them with me - I'd love to hear your ideas!