EXTRUDER LIGHT MOUNT for the BIBO 3D PRINTER

When I start a print, I want to see if it's adhering to the bed properly. It's difficult to see a printed piece as it is being extruded. Putting a string of LEDs around the sides of the printer does not give enough light in the right place.

So, this printed piece holds two LED lights mounted under the print head assembly, pointing to each of the extruder nozzles. Now you can see what is being printed!

BIBO 2

No

No

0.2mm

10%

You'll need:

• one M3x12 bolt and nut (not shorter)
• two 12-Volt 5mm White LEDs
  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07T8H6V37/ ($7 for 30 LEDs)

Filament: PETG or ASA (heat and shrinkage resistant, but you can try PLA).
Infill: 10%
Layer height: 0.2mm
Print it on its side. No supports are needed.

You'll print one light mount, which will end up on the left side of the print head assembly. (The original design had a light on both the right and left sides, but it ran into the right-side limit switch. :-( So, we're putting two LEDs on the left-hand side, each pointing at a nozzle.)

After printing, and before you do any soldering, thread the two LEDs through the printed part. The holes for the two LEDs are angled so that the lights would point to the two extruder nozzles. Here's a catch, though: Different filaments shrink at different rates. Try to insert the LEDs through the back of the mount so that they stick out the front. Probably you'll need to ream out the holes to get the LEDs to fit. I recommend that you ream the holes from the back, no more than half-way through. But probably they still won't be aimed properly. So, as the very last step, after you've proven that the lights and the fans still work, manually adjust the bulbs in their holes and glue them into place.

You'll be connecting the lights into the wiring for one of the motor fans (not the front or back fans), as those are 12v that lead directly from the power supply. So, make a splitter so that you can plug both a fan pair and two light pairs into the lead that comes to the fan. Make them short. (see photo)

You will need to drill a hole on the left-hand side of the print assembly for mounting the new part. First, hold the printed part to the side of the print assembly, where it's going to end up. There are 4 nuts grouped together on the left; the printed part will be forward of those, 1 or 2 mm (refer to the photo). Use it to mark where to drill the hole. Then drill a hole to accommodate the M3x12 bolt. (You'll probably have to remove the print head assembly to drill the holes. Simply remove the two bolts from underneath, directly below the spring levers. If you haven't bought this tool yet, do it now: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0001P18P0/)

Install the new mount with the LEDs already in them. Insert the bolt from underneath, going upward, with the nut on the top side.

Connect the wires. Turn the printer on. Check to see that both motor fans and the new lights turn on. Then home Z and manually adjust the bulbs in their holes so that they point to the nozzles (front light to left nozzle, back light to right nozzle), and glue them into place. It's easier to align them if you pull the LEDs into the mount from the back so that they are not sticking out very much
.