Ponoko RepRap Extruder Socket Assembly

Note: DO NOT remove the backing paper from the two long strips off the 3mm sheet (shown brown in this photo).

The Extruder Socket accepts the "handle" on a RepRap lasercut extruder, or one of the printed RepRap exchangeable extruders. This allows you to quickly change between extruders loaded with different materials without having to ream out the hot extruder.

Get these parts together. Note that the rectangle with a dotted horn may only be a rectangle in your cutting:

Fit washers to 8 M5 30mm screws, and insert them into the Extruder Socket Base. The dotted section is optional, and is used for experimental work - it can hold a lever that the carriage can push things with to move the Z axis, fill hoppers, clean the nozzle etc.

Stack first pair of long rails onto the bolts, keeping the square cutout in them towards the rear of the base as shown in the photo. Keep the chamfered corners facing in to each other so that it is easier to guide an extruder's handle in. Stack the two 3mm rails, leaving their protective paper attached - they make convenient paper shims. If you have removed it, cut something out of thick letter paper and use it instead. Without this, it is hard if not impossible to fit the extruder handle in.

Fit the top pair of rails in the same manner as the bottom set, then fix the carriage on top of the stack with washers and nuts. Note that the two rearmost nuts are nyloc nuts (locknuts are fine) and they should not be done up tight. These will be adjusted when you get around to attaching an extruder.

This is what the entrance to the extruder socket should look like.

You may find you need to thicken the paper shims or even remove the front pair of M5 screws if your extruder handle will not fit later.

Locate the 8mm thick D Connector Holder and the D connector itself. You will also need two M3 acrylic washers; pick the narrowest ones from the 5mm sheet. These are uses to space the D connector away from the D Connector Holder itself.

Attach the D connector using two M3 25mm screws and fastenings (washers on both ends and nuts) as shown, then put the washers on four M3 16mm screws and push them through from the side with the D connector on it.

Finally, locate the D Connector Holder on the front of the X Carriage and secure with four M3 nuts in the captive slots. Remember that you will need to adjust the precise positioning of the D Connector and its holder to ensure a snug fit with the extruder later.

When the X Carriage is fully assembled, it looks like this:

If yours does too, congratulations.

-- VikOlliver - 21 Oct 2008
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