Making the Extruder Body Parts - TechforTrade/Thunderhead-Filament-Extruder GitHub Wiki

This page describes how you might make the parts for the Extruder Body. Keep in mind that there are probably many other methods that will work. Choose a method that works for you. If a particular part requires an expensive tool you don't have, consider having a friend or local machine shop do it for you. If you have any recomendations, tips or questions, please don't hesitate to contact us. - Thanks

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1. Flange
2. Feed Throat
3. Barrel
4. Breaker Plate
5. Nozzle
6. Hex Bolt 9-16 in by 1 in long
7. Cooling Tube
8. Heater Zone 3
9. Heater Zone 4
10. Heater Zone 5

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Item No.	Image	Name
1		Center Punch
2		Countersink bit
3		Digital Calipers
4		Divider
5		Drill Bit 1-4 in
6		Drill Bit 3-5mm
7		Metal Lathe
8		Welding Equipment
9		Vise

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Item No.	Image	Name
1		Metal Lathe
2		Reamer 1-2 in
3		Hacksaw
4		Vise
5		Angle Grinder
6		File - Flat
7		Combination Square
8		Scriber
9		Digital Calipers

Step 1: Cut the piece of DOM tube slightly longer than length indicated in the drawing.

Step 2: Use a metal lathe to face both sides of the tube and bring it to its final length.

Step 3: Cut threads in both sides of the feed throat so that they mate with the 1 in to 1/2 in reducer and the 1/2 in. merchant coupling. Note that the lengths of the threads are different. The threads on the barrel side must be long enough so that the feed throat and the barrel make contact when coupled together.

Note: The feed throat is not complete, but will be finished during the assembly of the extruder body.

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Item No.	Image	Name
1		Metal Lathe
2		Reamer 1-2 in
3		Tap 9-16 12 tpi
4		Vise
5		Digital Calipers

Step 1: Cut the piece of DOM tube slightly longer than length indicated in the drawing.

Step 2: Use a metal lathe to face both sides of the tube and bring it to its final length.

Step 3: In one side, cut threads so that they mate with a 1/2 in. merchant coupling. The threads must be long enough so that the feed throat and the barren make contact when coupled together.

Step 4: Tap the other end of the barrel with a 9/16 tap. Make sure that the threads are cut deep enough so that the 9/16 in. bolt screws all the way into the barrel.

Step 5: DOM tube is 0.499 in. in diameter. It may be useful to ream it out to 1/2 in. so that the ship auger fits inside. Another possibly better option is to remove just a small bit of metal from the outside of the cutting end of the ship auger so that it fits into the barrel.

Step 6: Wait until step 2 and step 8 of the assembly of the extruder body to make the hole for the set screw.

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Item No.	Image	Name
1		Drill Bit 1-16 in
2		Center Punch
3		Tap 3 mm
4		Drill bit 3-32 in
5		Vise
6		Drill Press
7		Drill Press Vise
8		Hacksaw
9		File - Flat

Step 1: Cut a piece of 1/2 in. aluminum bar about 1.5 in in length. Use a lathe or careful strokes with a file to make sure the end is smooth and perpindicular.

Step 2: Laying out the hole pattern to be drilled in one end of the bar. An easy way to do this is to print the pattern onto a piece of paper, cut it out and tape it onto the end of the rod. Use a center punch transfer the locations of the holes onto the rod.

Step 3: Clamp the rod into a drill press vise and make sure that the rod is vertical. This can be done by first chucking the rod into the drill press and then clamping it in the vice before releasing it from the chuck of the drill press.

Step 4: Drill all the required holes in the end of the rod. Make sure they are a bit deeper that the final thickness of the breaker plate.

Step 5: Tap the center hole of the breaker plate for an M3 bolt.

Step 6: Layout and cut the breaker plate off of the rest of the bar. clean the cut face up with a file or sand paper.

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Item No.	Image	Name
1		Metal Lathe
2		Combination Square
3		Tap 3-8 in 16 tpi
4		Drill Bit 5-16 in
5		Drill Bit 1-4 in
6		Drill Bit - 4mm
7		File - Flat
8		Vise
9		Digital Calipers

Step 1: Turn a section of brass rod to the dimensions provided in the drawing.

Step 2: Using a lathe, drill a series of stepped holes through the nozzle as shown in the drawing.

Step 3: Tap the threads in the end of the nozzle so that it can be coupled with the cooling tube.

Step 4: File flats in opposite sides of the the nozzle so that a wrench can be used to tighten the nozzle onto the cooling tube.

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Item No.	Image	Name
1		Hacksaw
2		Drill Press
3		Drill Press Vise
4		Drill Bit 5-16 in
5		Tap 3-8 in 16 tpi
6		Vise
7		Countersink bit
8		Center Punch
9		Digital Calipers

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Item No.	Image	Name
1		Die 3-8 in 16 tpi
2		File - Flat
3		Metal Lathe
4		Digital Calipers
5		Vise
6		Pipe Bender
7		Hacksaw

Step 1: But a piece of brass tubing slightly larger than the length indicated.

Step 2: Using a lathe, face both ends and then turn the thin section in one end of the tube.

Step 3: Use a 3/8 in die to cut threads into both ends of the tube as shown in the drawing.

Step 4: Use a file to make flats on opposite sides of the cooling tube so that a wrench can be used to tighten it onto the other parts.

Step 5: Don't bend the cooling tube until you are doing step 17 of the extruder body assembly.

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Item No.	Image	Name
1		Soldering Iron
2		Solder
3		Wire Cutters
4		Ruler

Step 1: Cut a length of nichrome wire such that it will have a resistance of 4 ohms and strip about 3/4 of an inch of the insulation from each of the ends.

Step 2: Cut two pieces of 18 awg wire about 9 inches long and remove about 3/4 of an inch of insulation from both sides.

Step 3: Twist the nichrome wire around one end of each of the other pieces of wire leaving a bit of space between wraps.

Step 4: Take a piece of a lighter gauge bare copper wire and wrap it on top of the nichrome wire again leaving gaps between the wraps.

Step 5: Solder the wrapped joints. NOTE: Solder doesn't tend to stick to nichrome wire, this is the reason for the over wrap of the thin copper wire. Make sure that the solder wets out and holds the nichrome wire in place. A better way to do this is to just use crimp-on non-insulated butt connectors.

Step 6: Neatly cover the soldered joints with Kapton tape.

Note: An alternate method for making the joint between the copper wires and the nichrome wire is to use a butt splice which is crimped into place. Also don't coil up the heater. This will be done when the heater is installed on the cooling tube.

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Item No.	Image	Name
1		Wire Cutters
2		Solder
3		Soldering Iron
4		Ruler

Follow the steps for heater zone 3. They are the same.

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Item No.	Image	Name
1		Solder
2		Soldering Iron
3		Wire Cutters
4		Ruler

Follow the steps for heater zone 3. They are the same.

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• By Allant - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link
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