Cupcake Inverted Z-Axis Idler Mount

This is a small mount for an idler pully to allow the MakerBot Cupcake machine to have a completly hidden Z-drive.

Instructions

Print one of these mounts. As you can see in my pictures, I removed the cover of the power supply, which allowed the Z axis belt to be placed in the bottom of the Cupcake. To install, simply remove all of the top pullies as well as the Z axis stepper. Shift the threaded rods so that the top bearing and nut are at the very top of the each threaded rod and reinstall. From the bottom of the Cupcake, you can then reinstall the pullies and stepper motor. (You will need to drill 4 holes to mount the Z stepper in the same location as it was in the top, but it must be inverted so the pully points down.)

Once the Z axis pullies and stepper are installed, you will need to find a suitable location for this new idler mount. I only use one idler, instead of the two that the Cupcake had on top. The idea here is to find a location that will allow the adjustment of slack as well as to allow the idler to "pull" the belt out of the way of any interference in the power supply. (Note: Make sure the power supply is not plugged in while you are working on this for obvious reasons!)

Once a suitable location is found, simply mark and drill the two holes for the idler and counter sink them from the top so that the head of the M3 bolts is flush with the top of the "middle" layer. That way, the XY axis can continue over the top of the bolts without interference.

One last thing... with the removal of the case from the power supply, there is now plenty of room to place all the electronics on the bottom board. You'll have to tidy up the wiring, but it looks great with a little effort.

Category: Other