Wanhao di3 x-axis belt spacer

thingiverse

This is another way of solving the problem of the x-axis belt rubbing against the bearing housings of the Wanhao di3. The concept relies on two home-made "rollers" used to push the upper part of the x-axis belt that tiny bit required not to rub against the housings, while at the same time reduces wear on the belt which is now in contact with a rolling, not a sliding surface This approach is less intrusive than the one involving trimming of the upper bearing housings with a hacksaw in order to increase clearance from the x-axis belt, but there are some things to consider (see further down). You will need 2 of each: The .stl file, M4x30 bolt and nut, nail about 1.2mm diameter and 23mm long, 18mm of plastic tubing 1.3mm inner diameter. (For this last item, I cut away the tubing of an ordinary used ballpoint pen...) Assembly: Print two spacers, pass the nails through the plastic tubing and snap them in place on the spacers as shown in the pictures. The plastic tube should be rotating freely round the nails. Then, put the spacers at the two ends of the upper housing blocks, aligning the openings with the lower, outer holes on the blocks. Tighten in place using the M4 screws or equivalent - see further below. You should end with the upper part of the belt touching the freshly added rollers, just 1-2mm below the bearing housing. Move the extruder assembly back and forth with your hands, the belts should move freely now without touching the bearing blocks and the ballpoint pen rollers should be rotating along, driven by the belt movement. And now for the fine print: I noticed that the spring tensioner of the x-xis belt was installed spring-up, reducing the clearance between the upper and lower parts of the belt, so I reinstalled it upside-down. This gave me some 2mm of clearance between the moving belts.... The spacers need to be secured (i.e.bolted) tight so that they can maintain the distance from the bearing housing during operation. I chose to use two M4 bolts through the lower outer threaded holes of the housings. The hard part was to extend the thread throughout the housing width using the right die, but it worked out fine without taking the extruder asssembly apart. Mind you, you need to make careful, slow and patient moves in order to avoid breaking, snapping or displacing something. Also, it would seem better to keep the extruder closer to the end of the rods, where they are stiffer and can withstand more pressure (when turning the die). Of course, you can save yourself the effort if you can use M3.5 or M3 screws, which should go through the existing holes without messing with the existing - partial - thread (only thought of this just now) Print Settings Printer Brand: Wanhao Printer: Wanhao Duplicator i3 V2 Rafts: Doesn't Matter Supports: Doesn't Matter Resolution: 0.2mm Infill: 20% Notes: Since the parts are rather small, neither the resolution nor the infill make much difference. Printed in PLA. Post-Printing Check the clearance between the belt and the block How I Designed This Although I 've been using the pronter for more than a year, I only realized that the belt was rubbing against the housing several months later, after I saw a video with various mods on youtube!!!! (Thank you for letting me see that...) However, I didn't want to tear half my printer apart nor I fancied the idea of sawing off the bearing housings with a hacksaw... Then I thought that if i couldn't remove some material from the housings, I could push the belt down and let it slide on a roller in order to minimize friction. That's were the nails and ballpoint tubing came handy. It's easy to built, takes about 20 minutes to print and another 10 to assemble and it works. Designed in FreeCad, sliced with Simplify3D and printed at home during a lazy Saturday afternoon...