Crashed Extruder

Well, yesterday I experienced one of my worst setbacks to date.  While installing the new silicone heat beds, I realized I would need to print out Ian's great thumbscrews.  The print had finished on a plate of 9 thumbscrews, when disaster struck. 

My wife came in and sat a bag on my workbench near the keyboard.  The bag shifted and an item within press the space bar, which caused the Restart button to be pressed.  I made a mad dash to try and prevent the inevitable.. but I was too late.  The crunch of snapping ABS plastic filled my ears as I watched the X-carriage snap into pieces.

Knowing that it would likely not help me immediately, I contacted Solidoodle support and told my sad tale.  They recommended I purchase a replacement assembly via their website.  Needing all my printers running this weekend to fill an order.. I did the only thing I could: reversed engineered the X-carriage.

I created a complete part, which was very close to the original.  However, I soon realized that the rods are glued in.. I decided not to break them out, for fear of having to reverse engineer the end pieces as well.

A lightbulb came on in my head, and I went back to my trusty Sketchup and slice my X-carriage in half, and created new holes.  Essentially creating a clam shell.  After printing the top and bottom, I set to work filing the pieces to the exact tolerances necessary.  After a couple of hours of filing, assembly, removal to file again.. I was finished.

Is it perfect? No.  Does it work? Yes.

I wanted to share this with everyone else.  Because if you experience the same horror that I did, I want you to know there is hope (assuming you print this our beforehand.. or have more printers).

In some spots I did not bother putting nuts back in, simply threading the machine screws staright through the plastic holds it well.  The screw holes on the front are just a hair too far apart, so I substituted a smaller screw for one of them.  Threading them from the front, rather from from the rear.

One last area to note, the front of the clam shell is simply too thin to put screws through, without altering the overall design.  I zip tied them together, then screws in the screws on the back half.  Afterwards, I cut off the zip tie and adjusted the screws until I had the proper tension on the bushings.  There is a gap in the front where the two halves come together, but it does not seem to be on the verge of exploding either.

I've attached pictures of the aftermath, as well as my Sketchup files.  Feel free to refine them.  I may do so in the future, but for now I want to put this horrible incident behind me!

PS. I printed these are 100% infill for strength.