First Draft
After removing the old x-carriage assembly with the extruder motor and the hot end, I got to work building my new attachments. The STL for the x-carriage mount freely available, so I printed one off to use as the base of the design. From there I mocked up a quick prototype from wood, and bolted that to my new print.
This initial mock-up was slightly flawed, but contains a few key features. Primarily, the burner is attached to a base plate which is free to travel in the Z axis. This plate is than tensioned downward with a rubber brand creating a spring action as the burner assembly descends. This first version also contains an auxiliary arm for bed leveling sensor, as the printer requires this attachment to home itself properly. In later revisions I learned how to home the printer through g-Code, negating the need for this sensor.
New Burner Tip?
After some tests prints, I determined that the burner could not stay hot enough to remain even and consistent over a long period of time. Given the same rest time on the surface, the intensity of the burns would degrade over time, since the burner loses heat energy with every burn, and could not replenish fast enough.
As a possible solution, I got some help to machine a new aluminum burner tip with a large heatsink. The goal here is to heat up the larger metal mass, which will stay hot for longer and bridge the energy gap. More testing is necessary.
A New Name
In accordance with the dFab shop convention, every 3d printer, or motion machine needs a name. Thus, this machine shall be named Dylan.
Josh's Creative Process Journal 