PitStop extruder: compatibility aspects

Prusa MK3S, stock firmware, MMU2S, Bear Frame, IGUS bearings, dry box, adapted revised X-axis, new motors and drivers. All compatible with the PitStop Extruder.
I'm not suggesting that anyone should do all these mods, just saying that they're possible.
Adapted revised X-axis page mihaidesigns.c...
Chris Riley's channel (SKR and other mods) / chrisriley
Chris Warkocki's channel / codiac2600
Original Prusa MK3S printer shop.prusa3d.c...
MK3 to MK3S sensor upgrade shop.prusa3d.c...
Multi Material Unit shop.prusa3d.c...
Bear frame on RatRig in Europe www.ratrig.com...
PitStop Extruder page mihaidesigns.c...
Patreon / mihaidesigns
Buy me a coffee mihaid.com/coffee
Instagram: / ​
mihaidesigns.c...
#mihaidesigns

[@marsgizmo]

now I realise how much work you put into this, this is a great design! congrats! 🙌 looking forward to print it also 😊

[@MihaiDesigns]

Thanks, marsgizmo!

[@BrianBlakGuldager]

Love your work . Just bought a box for my filament yesterday and are looging for a way to setting it up, so YES show your drybox setup :-)

[@MihaiDesigns]

Sure, it's planned but may take some time before I get to it. People pushing me to finish all the PitStop videos... I wouldn't have guessed making videos is that much work haha!

[@JasonSexton2010]

Definitely interested in your dry box setup. I think I have similar containers but I haven't tried feeding filament from them, they're just storage for now.

[@MihaiDesigns]

I'm glad to hear more people are using dry boxes. I have a video planned for these ones, but it'll probably take a month or so to get to it.

[@Raiscan]

@@MihaiDesigns I hope you have good time management :D

[@billyjoe3309]

Here's what you do. Contact Chris Riley, send him your parts printed and ready. He'll try them for you. Chris is awesome! And you are awesome to. I love your extruder! You may not know it yet, but your channel will explode eventually. Perfect video content with good music in the end. As well as a great product. Mark my words, you'll go places mate!

[@MihaiDesigns]

Hi Billy, thanks for believing in me! I love all your comments. Maybe I'll talk to Chris one day, we'll see. Shipping stuff from Europe is not that cheap; not a fortune, but I had to quit my job to start this channel and am trying to not spend all my savings and be forced to get back to corporate, and who knows when I'll be able to make a living doing this. For now there are more people interested in testing this extruder than I had hoped. A bit too many I'd say. I like slow starts to have time to get feedback and improve the design before more people try it out.

[@billyjoe3309]

@@MihaiDesigns The community will help you get this product out as it's a very good one. Keep the videos coming and keep doing what you do. It'll turn out great!! :)

[@TheMobilemak]

@@MihaiDesigns do you have a patreon site? I would support you for your efforts.

[@MihaiDesigns]

@@TheMobilemak Thanks. I'll be setting up a Patreon page at some point. Focusing on releasing the extruder atm.

[@basementdwellR]

Kudos for the Chrisii shoutouts.

[@MihaiDesigns]

Sure. They're awesome guys and some of the very few who dare venturing far from the beaten path.

[@mehmetmustafa2112]

you should definitely design the Bltouch adapter :)

[@MihaiDesigns]

I'm thinking of doing that for my SKR printer at least. Not sure what to do about the stock Prusa firmware though. I'm hoping there's a branch that gets regular updates and supports Bltouch. Maintaining firmware is not that fun.

[@AdrianLuben]

can you please show us also the dry boxes for the filament in the future? they look neat! :) also looking forward to print the Pitstop :D

[@MihaiDesigns]

Coming up in a couple months I hope, thanks!

[@liamthedevastator]

Your videos are great, thanks for making them.

[@MihaiDesigns]

My pleasure!

[@houyuanjiangshi7767]

Ahh i love your presentation, cute 😍

[@MihaiDesigns]

Thank you!! 😊

[@vishwasshivnani9198]

Nice man it took lot of efforts for you to make a video.A subscriber from india

[@MihaiDesigns]

Hey Vishwas, thank you. Have an awesome day!

[@Nikitaman]

Great vid! Keep it up!

[@MihaiDesigns]

Thanks, will do!

[@reality-builder7909]

HI, I have a question: is the pitstop compatible with stock mk3s frame? thankyou! edit: sorry I kept watching and saw, I want to add the bear frame but is expensive for me in Australia where else the pitstop looks more of an upgrade for less cost but hopefully it works just as fine of the stock frame! another edit: the revised extruder motor, does that require a new board or firmware changes?

[@MihaiDesigns]

Yes, someone confirmed it works.

[@MihaiDesigns]

Update: it seems that there might be an issue with the PitStop carriage hitting the PSU screw at the right side of the frame. I'll have to figure out a solution. For now I think the back of the carriage can be filed at the point where it would hit the screw.

[@edmonddyogi6411]

I really like your design so I decided to purchase the MK3 to MK3S upgrade from Prusa (I have MK3 printers). Looking forward to your release of the STLs! Are you planning on releasing STEP files as well? Are you happy with the Igus bearings?

[@MihaiDesigns]

Cool! I like the new sensor compared to the old one. Not sure what I will do with the STEP files, but I might make them available later. I am happy with IGUS bearings, BUT they usually have a very very little amount of play under high load. I haven't noticed any print surface problems, but I know it's there. You can't tighten them too much as they would stop sliding. Still a bit better than the pre-compressed version because there you have no control.

[@edmonddyogi6411]

@@MihaiDesigns I might skip the IGUS bearings for now and stick with my stock ones. My MK3S upgrade kit is on its way! Looking forward to your STLs getting released, I'll upgrade to MK3S then and not before. :)

[@MihaiDesigns]

@@edmonddyogi6411 That's a good idea!

[@extectic]

There are better IGUS bearings to use than these. They also come in a metal version that looks like the stock bearings, but with an IGUS polymer bearing inside. They're considerably more expensive than these IGUS variants, but would probably work way better - I hope, since I have a set here I haven't yet fitted... I also bought new hardened aluminium rods since that's recommended with these bearings, steel will (oddly) cause more wear on IGUS bearings than hardened aluminium will. It's not a cost-effective upgrade though, between the expensive aluminium/polymer bearings and the aluminium rods it went way over a hundred euros.

[@ddrmaxb]

Hi, if you change to a SKR board, it means no Prusa firmware? or you could adapt the firmware to the SKR 32 bit board? cause I think the Prusa firmware can't be charged in a 32 bits board.

[@MihaiDesigns]

You're probably right. An SKR means you probably *want* to not use the Prusa firmware. Switching to an SKR board is venturing far from the beaten path and it's not easy. I wouldn't advise anyone to go in that direction unless they know what they're doing.

[@basementdwellR]

@@MihaiDesigns Like you mentioned though - Chris Warkocki has done exactly that and made videos on how to customise a "Prusa" skr1.4 marlin firmware. He's also released already compiled versions with a few differences for people that are not as tech savvy so I really recommend checking him out and also the "Pretty" profiles that are excellent base profiles.

[@MihaiDesigns]

@@basementdwellR Yup, I followed his tutorials when customizing my own Marlin. Haven't looked into the compiled versions as I'd have to adjust them anyways as I replaced my motors. I hear the Pretty profiles are pretty good; haven't tried them yet. I enjoy messing with all the settings way too much it seems.

[@basementdwellR]

@@MihaiDesigns Heh yeah, the pretty profiles incouraged me to make my own, totally got me into adjusting stuff, but I really liked the PETG one. I am kind of keen on looking into reprap on skr since it supposedly supports change on the fly rather than having to recompile firmware...

[@MihaiDesigns]

@@basementdwellR about time for firmware to enter the 21st century, yeah!

[@ErosNicolau]

Amazing work, Mihai! Truly inspirational. However: with such heavy modding on a Prusa, you're almost left with a monster in Prusa clothes. Is this just because you love that frame's look? I see such talent better used in developing a new printer from scratch, the likes of Voron or Hevort...

[@MihaiDesigns]

Thanks, Eros! Indeed, it's becoming a little monster. There's no need to have all those mods; I just like experimenting and thought it would be useful to share. Making a printer is cool, but takes a lot of time and there are some good options out there already. I'm sure we could have a great DIY printer in the $500 range, maybe a Creality with rods? I want to focus on other projects for now, but I might be revisiting printer modding in the future. For me this was a great project to learn CAD and understand better how printers work.

[@ErosNicolau]

@@MihaiDesigns I didn't mean you should build another printer for the sake of it. That's just a pretty pointless exercise to fend off boredom. What I meant is: if this is what you came up with just for tinkering sake and to learn some CAD, then I could easily see you behind a community design project like Voron / Hevort. But I totally get the lack of time - I myself would be all over this, had I had the time for it.

[@MihaiDesigns]

@@ErosNicolau I am actually working on a larger project right now (but had to take a break to film all these videos while waiting for hardware to come). Not a 3D printer, but does use motors like a 3D printer, so lots of challenges there. We'll see if it turns out to be as useful as I'm hoping.

[@ErosNicolau]

@@MihaiDesigns I'm honestly dying to know what that project is 😁

[@TheBekker_]

Would this work with a stock MK2.5S ? i would think so right? as far as i know the extruder i the same as the MK3S?

[@MihaiDesigns]

Hi Christian, I haven't tested, but if it's the same extruder it should work. I'm hoping that someone in the community will try it out on a MK2.5S.

[@TheBekker_]

@@MihaiDesigns I'll see if I can't make one when the files are released :)

[@MihaiDesigns]

@@TheBekker_ Cool! Looking forward to seeing how it works out.

[@TheMobilemak]

@@MihaiDesigns i'll try it on my mk2.5s

[@BrazenRain]

Would the MMU2S unit still function with the old steel ball mechanism?

[@MihaiDesigns]

For MMU2S you replace the steel ball with a lever that gets triggered by the idler door. You still need the two magnets even though the stock extruder version for MMU2S does not use them.

[@BrazenRain]

@@MihaiDesigns Actually just realized the answer working on an unrelated upgrade- MMU2 requires a fully constrained filament path which the steel ball is not. My printer's been pseudo-jamming trying to print a large headphone stand in wood-fill filament and after changing to a bigger nozzle, slower speed, and a retraction-less profile to no avail, the motor/gear cooling is now my most suspected failure mode. I'll be switching to the Pitstop Extruder soon!

[@MihaiDesigns]

@@BrazenRain Cool! If you end up switching, let me know how it works out, especially if you encounter any sort of issues. I'm all about improving the design, but I haven't used my MMU2S much.

[@TheMobilemak]

I just purchase the prusa i3 MK3S. not shipped yet. should i upgrade to the bear frame? I'm new and i'm reading that if upgrade the bear frame, you will need custom code for x distance. Prusa customer service says the bear doesn't make any difference in performance. is that true? should I switch to the bears you using? where to get them. Should i upgrade the motors? where to get them? I would like to keep using prusa firmware b/c i don't have time to learn to write my own custom version (unless there are good written instructions) . feedback is greatly appreciated.

[@MihaiDesigns]

Hi Dennis. I wouldn't recommend any mods for starters. Take some time with the printer and see how it goes. You might have to learn a lot about how to use it. If having trouble, ask the community or the Prusa support. If the printer works I wouldn't go down the rabbit hole of mods too soon. With many mods it's possible to end up with worse quality and will have to troubleshoot on your own with almost no support or resources. It's time consuming and not fun. I designed the PitStop extruder for people who have clogging issues and need to take apart their extruder often. It's out of necessity. If that won't be the case for you, then stay with the stock extruder. Try to enjoy your time printing things you like, alt least in the initial period.

[@TheMobilemak]

@@MihaiDesigns thank you for your feedback. I will keep the i3 mk3s stock when i build it to test it. I will upgrade the mk2.5S to bear upgrade likes yours excluding motor upgrade. Can you tell me what kind of motor you upgraded? You are still using prusa board and firmware?

[@MihaiDesigns]

@@TheMobilemak I've got 0.9 degree motors for slightly smoother prints. If you get a 1amp one then you can still use the Prusa board, and stock firmware will probably work. Works for X, Y, and E axes. However, these motors are a bit weaker. I do not advise getting the large motors like me because you then need new board and firmware and it's a bit painful to configure. You can change the motors at any time, but I'd stay with the stock ones unless you're sure you want to experiment with 0.9 degree motors. The 0.9 degree extruder motor had the biggest impact for me on flat surface finish, but it's not significant.

[@ELValenin]

Can you make a video about the dry boxes?

[@MihaiDesigns]

I will, soon after I finish the PitStop videos (a few more to go and am rushing them)

[@poonampadhi658]

I didn't under stand what bearing you swapped with which bearing 3:00

[@MihaiDesigns]

It was IGUS DRYLIN, but I don't recommend them for starters because they are tricky to get to work right.

[@cristianopersi7953]

Do you have one for Slice Mosquito?

[@PhotoJoeAlaska]

Fun video style; Where is your accent from?

[@MihaiDesigns]

Romanian accent 😁

[@franferri]

When will you share the extruder files? Amazing work.

[@MihaiDesigns]

Hi Fran, in about a week I hope. I've been traveling for the last days.

[@franferri]

@@MihaiDesigns Really looking for it, my prusa is ready :) I assume it must be ASA since PLA will melt :)

[@MihaiDesigns]

@@franferri I suggest ASA if you can print it. Otherwise it should be PETG at least.

[@squirrelrobotics]

We need this for the CR-10, PLEASE.

[@MihaiDesigns]

Maybe I'll adapt it to the CR-10 with enough requests.

[@khenderick]

Oh, I can't wait to try it on my MK3sMMU2s 🤤. I currently have www.prusaprinters.org/social/7969-mykal451 installed; such an LED to indicate whether the sensor detects a filament would be an awesome addon 🙂

[@MihaiDesigns]

Cool! You know you can see that in the printer menu, right? Not as easy as looking at an LED though. I think there is room for one.

[@zero00tolerance]

Hi Kenneth I recently ordered the Mk3S kit on Prusa page still waiting to ship, do you know if I will get the new MMU2s in this one ?

[@khenderick]

@@zero00tolerance the MMU2s is a separate kit. But in any case, they always ship the latest iteration/version of whatever hardware you ordered.

[@plumpknight]

Can this unit be used on a Biqu B1?

[@MihaiDesigns]

This one is just for Prusa printers. I'm working on a new one that will be more universal. See my latest videos.

[@cbrandon88]

when will you be uploading stl files so we can start making it?

[@MihaiDesigns]

Hey Brandon, I might manage to upload them late next week.

[@KPTnVAN]

Hey Mihai, that‘s great! Is it possible to upload step- or other 3D-files also? I would like to modify the distance of the bearings for another printer. Very creative ideas you realized! Thanks a lot.

[@MihaiDesigns]

Hi Klaus, I haven't decided what to do with the step files, but I might share them. Remind me after I release the STLs, OK?

[@KPTnVAN]

Perfect! I‘ll do that! Thanks.

[@BrianBlakGuldager]

And with the skr board you can run reprapfirmware github.com/gloomyandy/RepRapFirmware/wiki

[@MihaiDesigns]

Yeah the SKR board opens up a lot of possibilities; I only tried Marlin 2.0 so far. Finally got rid of those antiquated 8 bits :P

[@MahmutGundogdu]

Hi Mihai, I have a question. I saw in the video, you are using igus bushing on X-axis. but I couldn't see the y or z-axis? is it igus or bearing? if it is bushing, what Is your y mount? U bold or custom ? Thank you.

[@hczylos2432]

I’m sorry but I’ll never be able to agree on the bear frame looking cool, it honestly in my opinion destroys the beauty, and simplicity of the prusa design, and it makes the printer look like a cheap knockoff/clone printer of AliExpress(no hate to AliExpress), but everyone has their preferences.

[@ayourk1]

I myself use SKR LBBR bearings. 8 races of balls vs 4

[@MihaiDesigns]

Oh that's cool! Using Bltouch or other mods?

[@ayourk1]

@@MihaiDesigns I did add cable chains to my printer. Did lots of different redesigns. My cable chain mod is famous for using removable clips on each chain link vs having to string cables all the way through. All my designs are in TinkerCAD.

[@MihaiDesigns]

@@ayourk1 awesome! I didn't know about your cable chain. Any thoughts on moving to Fusion 360? It's a bit buggy tbh, but after you figure out the workarounds it's OK even for complex projects. I'll be doing some videos some time. Got so many videos planed lol

[@ayourk1]

@@MihaiDesigns Let's discuss this more on Discord: discord.com/invite/wM797D7

[@MihaiDesigns]

@@ayourk1 logged in, but I'm a bit busy atm working on videos 24/7 haha

[@Raiscan]

Notes: 1. Your printer has more mods than a political subreddit 2. Your "Firmware" pronounciation is odd and took a moment to understand! 3. Have you tried your extruder on a stock i3 MK3? Do you even have one left?! :D

[@MihaiDesigns]

Indeed, one of my printers has a lot of mods. The pronunciation, I know, right? I hope it'll get better; I butcher a lot of words. And you guessed right, I don't have a stock printer anymore. Technically, I could still reassemble one back, but the time it takes...