Hi everyone, I’m considering getting the new Aerostruder tool head for my Taz 6 since I want to start using flexible filaments. I know the the E3D has a number of different nozzle sizes, but wondering if the Aerostruder is setup in a way that nozzles can easily be swapped out, or if it’s more like the stock tool head where the nozzle has been machine tightened (I remember seeing something from Lulzbot recommending that people not swap the nozzle on the stock tool head, or they may have issues with accuracy).
Thanks!
ps. Is it just me, or did Lulzbot just quietly add the Aerostruder to the store without much fanfare? I heard about it a month or two ago as a “Coming soon” but didn’t know it had been released until this week!
Removing the fan shroud is a little different (the Lulzbot and itworks3d fan shrouds and mounts are slightly different), but the rest is the same with either design.
Thanks, that’s good to know! It was actually through IT Works that I saw the different sized nozzles available for the E3D. I supposed I could also reference Lulzbot’s Aerostruder build guide to get a good idea of how the nozzle is attached, and just reverse those steps to remove it.
Also, did some searching on the forum and found the post where someone had shared an email from Lulzbot tech support where they’d said taking apart the tool head wasn’t recommended. I must have mis-read it (along with a few others on that thread) and took it as “don’t remove the nozzle” instead of what they likely meant “don’t completely disassemble the whole thing!” Looks like a number of people have successfully swapped out the nozzle on the hexagon hot-end.
Lulzbot doesn’t recommend it because there are several chances to break things along the way. The heat break on the hexagon is easily broken if too much force is applied, nozzles leak if not enough force is applied. It also needs to be done “hot”, which presents a burn hazard and can lead to shorting heater wires when turning the heat block – which can blow out a rambo board.
So it is one of those “do at your own risk” procedures. That said, as long as someone has a little mechanical skill, is careful and follows the videos/guides available – it will usually turn out fine. There are a few threads here where people changed out the nozzles on hexagon. Beware that if the nozzle used is longer or shorter than the original, it also requires making some adjustments to scripts or firmware to keep the relative positioning from Z_Max endstop the same.
The aerostruder (in my opinion) is more difficult to fully disassemble than the hexagon. The idler spring can fly across the room, and alignment of the gears is harder to get right, plus the entire thing is so “compact” that it’s like a jigsaw puzzle going together. But changing the nozzle doesn’t require going that far.
There are a few threads here where people changed out the nozzles on hexagon. Beware that if the nozzle used is longer or shorter than the original, it also requires making some adjustments to scripts or firmware to keep the relative positioning from Z_Max endstop the same.