FlashForge/PowerSpec glass-bed z-axis shim

thingiverse

The Flashforge Creator X (and re-badged PowerSpec 3D X) printer ships with an aluminum bed. Some owners prefer a removable glass bed for ease of cleaning and setup. Using a glass bed (I have both 1/8" and 1/4" glass) causes the limit of z-axis travel to be offset, such that the limit switch won't engage until the extruder has tried to punch through 1/4" or so of glass. To correct this, you need a shim to raise the effective height of the bed support to match the increase caused by the glass. Some shims have been produced that slip into a slot on the back of the bed support, or that move the z-axis switch an appropriate distance. I figured that a parameterized shim that was easy to install and remove would be an interesting alternative. This thing is the result. Instructions I was teaching myself openscad while I was developing this, so the .scad code is not elegant. I figured that a clip that would hold the shim in place between the z-axis support rods would be easy to install and remove. A cross-bar then extends. underneath th z-axis limit switch. There's no pressure on the shim, so the little bit of play in the mounting isn't an issue. The sample .scad file has a height of 5.5mm. My 1/8" glass is 3.2-3.3mm in thickness. However, my particular printer is properly leveled with the stock bed only when the adjustment screws are pretty much locked down. I added ~1.5mm of extra height so I have some additional adjustment room during bed leveling. I also have a 1/4" bed that I purchased from FlashForge. (7.4mm thick). I made a shim 9mm tall so I can use either bed interchangeably. The print settings are pretty forgiving. I used .20mm, 10% infill, 2 shells. As I said above, there's no actual pressure involved, and the shims are working very well in my printer.