Writing machine retrofit kit suitable for the A1 series V2/Upgraded version of the Writing Machine Retrofit Kit for the A1 series V2

Upgraded version from this model

The previous model was too weak; just securing those few holes, the pillars are prone to fall off. It's better to replace the extruder's panel altogether, as it seems to be of little use anyway. It's recommended to use PETG for printing, as it offers greater strength. PLA should work too, and other materials might also be suitable, though I haven't tested them. This panel is suitable for the A1 mini; for the A1, the extrusion head seems to be the same, but I'm not sure about the specific dimensions of the extrusion heads for other models. If needed, one could modify the STL file.

Below are the installation instructions:

1. First, secure the pen to the printed pen holder (Note: The distance between the pen tip and the edge of the pen holder should be approximately 28mm). Any method can be used, such as tape, zip ties, glue, etc., to ensure the pen is fixed in the middle and will not wobble from side to side.

You can print several pen holders to quickly change the type/color of the pen.

2. Insert the lower ends of the two protrusions on the pen holder into the grooves of the extruder panel, then push inward until you hear a click sound. (For the sake of demonstration, the pen is removed in this step, but the pen should be on the pen holder during this process.)

This describes the appearance of the back of the panel when it is properly snapped into place.

This describes the appearance of the front of the panel when it is properly snapped into place.

3. Install the entire panel onto the extruder, snapping it in from top to bottom, just like the original panel.

You can directly remove the pen holder and replace it with a new one.

4. Use your usual software to generate G-code (Note: Since the pen tip's X position is not the same as the extruder's X position, it's offset by approximately -30mm. Therefore, when generating G-code, you should add an offset of about 30mm. To prevent the Y-axis from going out of bounds, an offset of about 5mm should also be added.)
It's recommended to pad several sheets of paper on the printing bed to protect your print surface.

The recommended Z-axis height for the pen to touch the paper is 0.6mm, with a lift height of about 2.6mm. You can start high and gradually decrease the Z height, for example, from 5mm down, until the pen tip touches the paper.

It's advised to use a soft pen tip, such as a marker, for the first print. Once the correct height is determined, you can switch to a pen with a hard tip, such as a ballpoint pen.

If you have any questions or suggestions for improvement, here is my Discord.

The following is the result of the writing:

*English translation from GPT-4