Hi! I'm building my very first printer -- a Prusa i3 -- and just got my v6 and need some explaining like-I'm-five. My Wade's extruder is the type with a socket for the top of the heatsink with two holes to retain it with M3 screws. Very similar to this one (http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:11152) in that respect. I managed to clean out the socket well enough to get the heat sink to go in and it seems to sit quite tightly and take the screws. But ... Am I supposed to have the PTFE liner in there? My guess would be that I need to insert it into the heat break and cut it off flush with the top of the heatsink and it would fit just the same as my test fit. However, my second guess would be that I'm supposed to run the PTFE all the way from the hobbed bolt if the point is to give the filament a smooth path all the way down. In that case, should I drill out the filament path so that it's wide enough to fit the tube? (4mm?) And maybe the bottom-line question: Should I skip the PTFE, learn how to print some PLA and maybe print a new better-suited extruder a little further down the line? Possibly go to Bowden when I'm comfortable with the printer? Thanks for any help!
I think that you need to insert it into the heat break and cut it off flush with the top of the heatsink and it would fit just the same as my test fit.
Hey, thanks! I'm slightly hesitant to drill out the filament path since I'm sure the part wasn't designed for the larger hole, but it looks like it probably wouldn't be too hard. Is there a recommended direct extruder for the v6?
Just to add my bit here:- First prize is to have the PTFE run all the way to the Hobb (either with or without the collet in place) We run Mendel90s and in one case, I re-SCADed the Wades Block to accept the PTFE, in the second case I simply drilled it out, but it is was 3.8mm(ish) hole to start with, so not a lot of material was being removed. If for some reason that is not a possibility then ideally you will cut the PTFE at the top of the black collet. Your extruder will need to have a little clearance to allow the collet to stick up above the top of the HotEnd. If there isn't space for the collet then you can take it out and cut the PTFE flush with the HeatSink. Because the collet is now not there to hold the PTFE central, you will need to add a few wraps of tape to hold the tubing central. I know that in the last case it is a bit of a bodge, but it is really just a stop-gap until extruder designs catch up.
Well, I drilled it and it all seems to go together tightly. I guess I won't know for sure until I run some filament through it. Thanks for the help!
Don't you have problems tightening the 3 bolts with that design due to the width of the heatsink? Or do you have a special tool for it?
