1. Used teflon tape, but at the other end to hold the temp sensor on (so you'll be fine at the cool-er end It still gets 'burn you hot')
2. I pulled a knot into the power cord as a stress relief, in case of a pull
3. I agree the housing appears to be a mm or so off, its a real pain to get the bolts through
4. Super Glue works for holding the switches in (so I had the opposite problem)
I don't think you need to dry your first pellets that came with the Filastruder, they are meant to be extruded and thrown away, not 3d printed with!
If you're looking for some inexpensive pellets I have had great results with these, nicely packaged and I didn't need to dry them to extrude or print.
]]>I also filed down all the sharp edges on the aluminum channel, pipe and had to remove some poorly manufactured splinters from the auger. I then wiped it all down with some alcohol to help clear oil residue and filings.
I added lock washers to the outside of the pipe floor flange, this makes it easier to install the nuts and I don't like to tighten loose bolts later on. I also added some very thin washers to the inside of the aluminum channel to prevent the grade 5 bolts from chewing into the soft aluminum, however this may have been a mistake as the tolerances for putting the housing together are too tight, no wiggle room.
I had to file down the motor stall protection board bracket to prevent pressure being exerted onto the electronics. I hope later to design a breathable housing for this board to protect it more from dust and accidents in the future.
The switches would not lock into place on the acrylic, so I took my rotary like tool and routed the inside 2 edges down by 1mm or 0.5mm and they locked in nicely.
I used a hose clamp to secure the fiberglass insulation for easy removal and installation, instead of using the tape.
I also cut the fiberglass near the end where the heating element is, to allow for the clamp and screw of the heating element giving me a tighter fit around the pipe and heating element. It was easily cut out with a sharp carpet knife.
My auger was sticking out too far, and I was informed to put spacers by the motor end, but I did not want to readjust my 2 settings on the collar and socket, so I printed out a spacer for the pipe floor mount. This will be easy to remove and change the spacing if I feel the need. This will require longer bolts.
I cut a hole in the back of the acrylic housing down by the PID. I ran my wires through here because the two holes given were too tight for my liking to fit the wires through. I will print out a terminal housing and put in a positive and negative terminal block for easier replacement or removal of the fans and stall board wires.
I folded the power cord inside the box, (with a loop in it) and zip tied the loop to where it was not crimping the wires. This will allow a good jerk/pull on the cord without dire consequences.
I also enlarged my 4 mounting holes on the side plates, but still was unable to install one of the bolts. The housing is slightly misaligned with the aluminum channel.
I just need to dry my sample and run it through now. Wish me luck!
P.S. Tim was very helpful and friendly to work with. He offered assistance when asked and resolved problems without delay!
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