Z Endstop Alternative

[zohsix]

Hello,

I was reading through the Voron 2.4 Assembly manual in preparation for my future build and was interested in the Z Endstop.  The first thought was how I could cut a slot in the 5mm shaft, which led to wondering if there was a better alternative to the Z endstop itself.  I did some poking around and quickly found a couple of alternatives or enhancements.

It would help a lot if there is someone here that would share there experience with the Voron endstops.

Regards,

Dan

Edited September 26, 2021 by zohsix

[matthewlloyd]

I think you have two options:

• The Z endstop which uses a Chicago bolt: https://kb-3d.com/store/voron/301-hartk-sexbolt-z-endstop-mod-for-voron-v2-hardware-kit.html. I have one of these and it works great. The bolt is captured by a screw on the other end.
• Klicky probe: https://github.com/jlas1/Klicky-Probe. I have one of these too and can't imagine going back to an inductive probe. You can either use this in conjunction with a regular Z endstop, or use it alone, as a Z endstop - it depends whether you want the ability to measure the nozzle height, for which a nozzle-activated endstop is obviously essential.

[Demosth]

10 hours ago, matthewlloyd said:

it depends whether you want the ability to measure the nozzle height, for which a nozzle-activated endstop is obviously essential.

@matthewlloyd - Do you have any input on the pros and cons of going one direction over another? Don't you need to know the nozzle height to use the QGL? (Quad Gantry Leveling) AKA why would you ever forgo measuring the nozzle height?

[matthewlloyd]

12 hours ago, Demosth said:

@matthewlloyd - Do you have any input on the pros and cons of going one direction over another? Don't you need to know the nozzle height to use the QGL? (Quad Gantry Leveling) AKA why would you ever forgo measuring the nozzle height?

Most people do seem to go with keeping the Z endstop switch for use as a nozzle probe. It makes changing hotends and nozzles easier, because with the automatic Z calibration plugin, you can replace them without having to adjust any offsets manually.

On the other hand, switching hotends or nozzles isn't something most people do very often, and I think many would be better served by using a fixed offset (which can still be measured initially using the Z endstop as nozzle probe). That's because probing the height of the nozzle with the Z endstop microswitch isn't very accurate, due to the plastic which oozes from the nozzle. The nozzle can be automatically cleaned with a nozzle brush but it still isn't 100% effective at getting a reliable offset.

QGL is entirely independent of nozzle height, and just needs either an inductive probe or Klicky probe. You could even do QGL with no hotend installed at all.

Personally I would recommend going with both.