Is anyone aware of an alternative nozzle wiper that actually works and works without breaking?
Please only comment if you have actually used the part!
Funny you should bring this up. I have been testing out a number of different designs and the one that has lasted the longest since March and proven to be effective is this one for the X1/P1
https://www.printables.com/model/812043-bambu-lab-nozzle-wiper-x1-p1-3mm-silicone
The trick is getting sheets of silicone to cut down to fit. I really didn’t want to purchase a $20 sheet of silicone just yet only to find out that the concept wouldn’t work. So instead, I found some women’s cosmetics spatulas which I cut and fit into the device. Full disclosure, I had to bring the model into CAD and modify the jaws that held the silicone pieces but after a few tries, I got it to work. Here is the link for the spatulas that I used.
Here’s what it looks like in my P1P. I printed it with PETG so that high temps wouldn’t warp the material over time. Note that it coexists next to the standard wiper which I liked. I also liked the cover which actually had the side benefit of keeping poop from being dragged back into the printer if it was filament that didn’t separate properly.
Here’s the downside. The thing silicone spatulas do wear out quickly and when I started cutting the spatulas down to size, it did take a lot of trial and error. Too thick and it pulled off the silicone sock. Too thin and it didn’t work.
Here’s the search I used to source 3-4mm silicone sheets that can be cut to make the brushes for this solution according to the maker of this solution.
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=silicone+sheet+3mm
I have NOT tried any of these silicone sheets as you can see that there are a number of choices. I have seen others use this material on the Internet but none of the reviews I’ve seen had any credibility. In other words, there really was not proof that their concept actually worked.
I am considering making a remix of this solution that may be more modular. By that I mean, the ideal scenario would be to create a brush holder that could either snap out or be held in by a single screw, then I could mass print the holders making the whole device more like disposable razor blades in a utility knife.
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Thanks! for such an in-depth reply and the photos, I will give this one a try, I have just ordered the silcone brushes.
Maybe cutting the silicone so that it is bristle-like might stop the wearing-away issue.
One part that I tried uses 3mm ID X 7mm OD silicone tubing that you cut to bristle-like pieces using a provided jig, It worked just fine but the mount eventually broke after 3 or 4 wipes or in the case of PETG, it bent.
I was thinking of re-mixing the mount so that it had a sprung mount like the original or an outer lower piece that fits around the lower part of the tubing as well as the inner mount that the tubing fits over might also work, however, I think a mount like this one that sits alongside the OG wiper is a much more viable solution.
Do you need support or will the bridging suffice?
I did use supports. This was one of the few times I also used a skirt. I found that it got rid of the stringing to some degree to get the PETG filament to flow. Aside from the holder, the model sits very flat if you print it upside down, which is why you see in my photos a smooth surface. I printed on Kapton tape.
The only other thing I often do with supports is I change the X/Y object distance from the default of 0.35 to 1mm. I found that this spaces the supports far enough away from the wall to allow me to more easily snap them off but YMMV.
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I printed it in ABS but painted my supports so I could minimise them, I also used a PETG interface layer to make them easier to remove, I cancelled the silicone brush order as I have some silicone oven protection sheets that I shall stack to the required thickness, I will also have a go at cutting them into bristles, should this idea fail I shall remix the part to include the mount for the silcone tube that I have.
Can you remember the measurement you arrived at to stop the silicone sock from being interfered with? I know the default is 12mm
Truth be told, I went with the defaults and then trimmed back until I could see that here was just enough contact to perform the wipe. I did not do any measurements. Also, note that the silicone I used is tapered at the end since it’s a spatula shape. I do recall now that when I tried to cut the end of nearly perfect 3mm square end, that did not work at all. It just scraped off the silicone sock. But then again, this is a spatula used for ladies makeup and it was very stiff like the rubber one may see on a kitchen spatula. So your approach my yield a different result.
If you’re going to use stacked sheets, I don’t think that will work. My expectation is that unless you somehow drill a hole in the center of the stack and secure it with screw, the very nature of silicone will cause the nonstick sheets to be pulled out of the grip. However, as part of my own experiments, I found a silicone specific adhesive that works extremely well on bonding silicone to silicone and silicone to filament. I tested it with PETG to silicone, PLA to silicone and finally silicone to silicone. This is a true chemical weld. The two materials bonded so completely that my tear test cause the surrounding material to fail before the bond failed.
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I’ve used the silicone wiper for the better part of 10 months now. Bought one from Etsy before models started to show up on Makersworld. I’ve changed it out once, about 3 weeks ago.
I have had almost no issues with poop flinging. It hasn’t eliminated it, but has made it rare.
When I changed it I simply did it while doing maintance. I examined it closely and decided to put it back into rotation. Wasn’t torn up like the one shown in the picture.
It works, works well. I don’t use it with a stock wiper or any addition to the hole. I just don’t see any reason to add to it.
There are a few models, and just get a small sheet of 3mm silicone, you’ll be set.
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Thanks!,
I was aware there were silicone glues out there as I used one some years ago for shoe repairs, there is a slim chance I still have some left, so I will give it a go and if it fails I will try the silicone tube idea!
Once I get it done I will post some pics on here!
Again, thank you so much for your help!
you can pick up a small 3mil sheet on Amazon or Ali for cheap.
Tldr;
Just wanted to let you know that this model works perfect for hundreds of hours here.
I designed this one that I believe will solve a lot of issues
![bung wiper v2|690x252]
(upload://cB9fVOyYZpWtRoH0nhvRx7FCsb8.gif)
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I just bought all the stuff to make one of these but they can be purchased. I haven’t used it yet but the reviews are great and the model and silicone have been tested for a long time. There are a lot of variants of wipers out there but they usually have a short lifespan. Just posting so you know it exists and for others with the same question.
Apparently somebody thought it was a copyright infringement, though I designed it from the ground up in fusion based on the original bbl wiper.
Here’s the thing
Enjoy
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Well I just printed this one and it seems to be identical to what you have put up. Could just be a coincidence given there’s only so much you can do with it.
It’s very similar, but mine has a dovetail to hold the head on without glue, so that it can be removed without taking the top off and removing the tiny screw. the other one just has a slot, so you’ll need to glue the head on, and will have to open up the top of your printer when it’s time to replace the silicon.
I created a solution that works better for me, I hoped it might help the community as well, but I’m kind of over it now. It’s out there, good luck.
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Am I the only person that thinks bambu should send eveyone that ordered a p series or x series printer an A1 nozzle wiper? Dont get me wrong, they are cheap as are all bambus spare parts but im going to have to wait to order till I have more tonorde4 to not have to pay for shipping for a few dollar part. As well as cross my fingers that a 24 hour print doesnt get scraped from poop flings or stray wipes.
I’ve been testing out this variant for about three weeks now. I’m not real impressed. First, for it to work, you need to modify the GCode so that the nozzle wipes correctly, Second, the device is too tall by about 2mm. There are other’s out there but none so far that are better.
Here’s the model on Printables.
This is the one I’ve been using previously that I posted above. I had to modify to accept cosmetics silicone sponges that I cut to size. It actually works fairly well because it also traps the poop. The only downside is that it wears out the silicone pretty quickly which is why I was trying out the new A1 adaption.