Decorative Gearbox Covers - Prusa Core One - Nextruder

I've been wanting some small customizable parts for the printer for a while and I have not seen that many extruder mods so far, so i decided to make a few decorative gearbox covers for the Nextruder. 

What you need

• Superglue

• T10 / TR10 screwdriver or allen key

• something small and pokey, like a small screwdriver or a small allen key

Print settings

There are a few settings that are universal for all models and then there are a few models that need some extra tweaking. Bellow there is a general section and after that there is a section for specific models. If there are no specific settings for a model you are interested , then refer to the general settings. 

WARNING: Do not use PLA for these prints. The extruder and chamber gets hot and PLA risk deforming. I used PETG for all prints.

General settings

All models are oriented in its most optimal position so please do not rotate any models. Some models include custom made supports, which has to be positioned exactly as they are in the STL files. Do not separate any supports from the models. 

Specific settings

All of the models listed here uses the same settings as the general settings except for the layer height, which instead is 0.1mm.

Models affected:

• Skull - skull

• Mushy - cap

• Mushy - spots and stem

Assembly

Assembly consists of three parts. Preparing the cover plate, assembling the model and mounting onto the printer. 

Cover preparation

Covers comes in a few variations but the preparation works the same for all of them. This instruction will only show one example of a cover but the same instruction can be used for all covers, no matter what model they come from.

Put a small screwdriver or allen key about halfway down a hole and pry out the circular support. Repeat this process for all holes.

Flip the cover over and push onto the support block from the back. It may require some force but it should pop right out. The cover is now prepared and you can move on to model assembly.

Model Assembly

Assembly instructions are dependent on which model you are printing. Please navigate to the correct model bellow. 

Skull

The skull comes in three pieces:

• Skull

• Cover

• Plug

Flip the skull over and put some superglue in the hole in the back. Push the plug into the hole.

Put some superglue on the back of the skull and around the plug but try to avoid putting glue directly onto the plug area. Then align the skull so that the plug fits into the cover.

The model is now assembled and you can move on to the Mounting chapter. 

Heart

The heart comes in three pieces:

• Heart

• Cover

• Plug

Flip the heart over and put some superglue in the hole in the back. Push the plug into the hole.

WARNING: Please make sure that the screw holes on the cover is aligned like the picture, otherwise you might end up with an upside down heart. 

Put some superglue on the back of the heart, but avoid to put glue directly on the top of the plug. Align the plug with the hole on the cover.

The model is now assembled and you can move on to the Mounting chapter. 

Benchy

The Benchy comes in two pieces:

• Benchy

• Cover

There is a custom support on the Benchy, peel the support off with your fingers. The support can be discarded. 

Put some superglue on the flat part of the Benchy but please avoid to put glue directly on the raised areas. align the raised areas with the holes in the cover.

The model is now assembled and you can move on to the Mounting chapter. 

Pokeball

The Pokeball comes in six pieces:

• Top

• Bot

• Mid

• Button

• Cover

• Plug

Put some superglue on the mid part and place the button in the aligned area.

Flip the pieces upside down and put some superglue in the crevasses of the top, mid and bot part. Place the plug so that it holds together the top, mid and bot pieces. 

WARNING: Please make sure that the screw holes on the cover is aligned like the picture, otherwise you might end up with an upside down pokeball. 

Put some superglue on the back of the pokeball, while avoiding putting superglue directly on top of the top of the plug. Align the plug with the hole on the cover.

The model is now assembled and you can move on to the Mounting chapter. 

Mushroom

The Mushroom comes in four pieces:

• Cap

• Spots

• Stem with spot

• Cover

The cap has a small support. Simply snap it off with your fingers and dispose of it.

Slot in the stem with a spot into the cap from the back. Then take the two small spots and slot them into the cap from the back. These can be quite tricky to slot in since they are a bit small and the tolerances are tiny. They do however fit. Use a plier or tweezers may help while slotting them in. 

Slot in the biggest spots into the holes on the sides. Notice that these spots are raised on the back. 

Put some superglue on the back of the cap, spots and stem, while trying to avoid the top of the raised spot areas. Align the raised spots with the holes on the cover. 

The model is now assembled and you can move on to the Mounting chapter. 

Mounting on Printer

The mounting works the same on all different covers and the skull is only used here as an example. You will need a T10 / TR10 screwdriver or allen key for this part. 

• First remove all the screws on the gearbox cover on the Nextruder.

• Carefully remove the cover of the gearbox.

• Place the new decorative cover on the gearbox and screw in the same screws again. Be careful not to overtighten the screws.

Congratulations! You are now done with the assembly of the model. 

Closing remarks

If you have any questions or have any feedback, please message me.

If you like this project, please give it a like and post a photo of your make with a comment. Thank you!