Attaching and wiring endstops?

[mxk]

How are people attaching and wiring their endstops? I have roller style microswitches for all three axes. I can attach the X axis endstop to the carriage and run the wiring the same path as for the extruder. I can attach the Z axis to the gantry plate and run its wiring the same path as for the X axis motor. I am unsure how to attach the Y axis endstop and run its wiring and keep it looking as neat as the rest.

[JeremyBP]

If you are using a heated bed, then you can run both the endstop and the bed wires through a spring. If not, then you could either run a separate spring for the endstop (which just seems silly), or you could put the switch on the extrusion and the trigger on the bed, and run the wires along the same path as the y-axis motor wires.

[Halfdead]

Be sure on the Y carriage you don't have the end of the endstop lever facing the belt.

[butterfingers]

Would people mind posting photos of how they're fitting their endstops and routing cables? It'd be really helpful!

[mxk]

I used #4-40 3/8" round head bolts. I needed to use a rat-tail file on the microswitches to open up their screw holes a bit, and then the bolts self-tapped themselves into the gantry plate and carriage. I will probably remove the screws going thru the carriage and insert them from the back, I like the appearance that gave on the motor mount gantry plate.

I have not yet but probably will use kapton tape to ensure the connectors don't ground against the gantry plate or carriage. There's an air gap now, but I don't trust that to persist once things start moving.

Sorry there's no photo of the Y carriage mounting - that's the one I am still trying to decide myself how will look and work best. I am leaning towards putting the switch on the carriage and hiding the wiring inside a spring as Jeremy mentioned -- I've got the extra spring length and wires and when/if I install a heated bed I'll have the wire already run for it.

[luiscp]

Would it not be better if you mount them the other way.

I mean you can mount the Y and Z switch to the non-moving parts and mount the trigger to the heated plate and gantry. For the X axis mount it so that the extruder moves towards it rather than mount it to the moving extruder mount. This way the switch stay stationary and just adjust those trigger.

Luis

[mxk]

Luis,
What you've described is the way I have always done optical endstops where adjustments are done by lengthening or shortening the optical flags. I am sure your approach would work here, and I may still end up doing that for the Y carriage, but my original thoughts were that it would easier to adjust the triggers on their T-nuts than to come up with a means of securing the switches to the extrusion. I don't have a lot of experience working with T-slot, yet.

I just found http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:19799 last night, I may try printing a few of those to see if they would work for me.

[IPvFletch]

This is what I'm planning to do.. but I'm at a loss for what screws/nuts to use???

The Z endstop should be at the top of the left Z rail and the endstop switch should be on the back of the left gantry sliding up and down the Z rail. It should be mounted on the closest hole set, because otherwise its wiring will stick out and look funny.

The Y endstop goes on the bottom of the bed using the endstop holes Bart had pre-drilled. The endstop can go in front of in back. I'm planning to have my heater bed wiring in FRONT and run the wires under the bed. This lets me secure the wires before the spring portion to the back of the right rail. Otherwise the spring could be pulling on the heater bed wire solders themselves, which is bad.. I will run the end stop wire with the heater and thermistor wire into that spring.

For the X endstop switch, I will mount it on the endstop holes on the left and put my endstop t-nut near the motor, so it is less visible.

One concern I do have is the endstops rubbing on the belts. I "think" the endstops will touch them when they are mounted BUT I also think the belt will just move with the bed/endstop switch, and thus won't actually ever "rub" but will always be touching.. Once I get them mounted and back assembled, I'll know more, but right now I'm figuring out all the wiring... *sigh*

[LeonS]

I used #2 screws and fasteners. They fit perfectly.

I got the screws at Radio Shack and found both screws and fasteners in the local Sears hardware store. They are categorized as miniature screws so aren't necessarily found near the #4 screws and larger.

[LeonS]

I forgot to mention that I soldered wires onto my switches and put a locking two pin molex connector a few inches away from each switch. I did this because I had problems with the crimped on connectors vibrating off during printing. That was on my Prusa Mendel. The ORDbot is so smooth that that may not be necessary. I found endstop malfunctions to be very disquieting and hard on the printer.