Creality10 S4 Direct Drive + Cable Chain (vertical & horizontal options)

Direct drive upgrade for the CR10 S4 (I /think/ it will work with others of the same family)

Also has a cable chain setup, since that's almost certainly needed after this upgrade (I also suggest getting cable extenders to make your life easier) - Chain links are each 50mm in length, and are relatively large - both to accommodate possible cord changes (IE, more/different fans, bed leveling, further upgrade to multi-nozzle, etc) as well as to limit side-to-side motion as much as possible.

This is after quite a few iterations, including airflow improvements for the heartbreak as I live in such a hot state it would suffer from heat creep on many days

This setup also has custom support for the main direct drive body due to the wonky shape

6/10/2021 Added 90 Deg + Bearing Variant:

Added a horizontal/90 deg variants of the Cable Chain First and Cable Chain Last as this may be required depending on setup. This variant also allows for a bearing-aided filament guide wheel (ideally in TPU, though a PLA variant is available) and is designed for spools above and towards the left of the printer.

The bearing used: ID: 10mm, OD: 25mm, W: 8mm

*Continuing to work on improvements when time permits, will upload as they come*

Update: One thing I've learned about this model in the time I've been using it is that the Cable_chain_Clip.stl experiences a lot more creep than I originally expected (at least in PLA and over enough time) so I'd suggest a more stable filament just for that specific part if you have it! 

Print Settings

Printer Brand:

Creality

Printer: 

CR-10S

Rafts:

No

Supports: 

Yes

Resolution:

0.17mm to 0.2mm

Infill: 

20% +/-7% for most

Filament: Local place was used PLA, optional TPU Purple and Green

I would suggest printing the cable chain and cable chain clips out of something that handles long term stresses better, rather than PLA. Over time mine have deformed enough to cause some issues, in particular the clips.
 

Notes:

Wall thickness used:

Chain middle links and side piece - 0.8mm

Chain first, chain last, and extruder pieces - 1.2mm

Support is needed for the following:

Extruder assembly P2 5 2021

Direct Drive CR10 S4 Main (provided custom support is suggested)

Support is suggested for the following:

Cable Chain First

Cable Chain Last

Custom support was, in my case, printed as a normal model with single direction infill lines - ~3mm spacing, a single perimeter wall, no top skin layers, one bottom skin layer at 80% flow, and at the same speed as my standard support. These settings may need adjustment for other printers, materials, or simply due to personal preference.

Post-Printing

Assembly is fairly straight forward, though a little finicky due to the extended section for improving airflow through the heat break.

Links may require post-processing depending on your print quality/layer height for best rotational freedom.

I suggest that you print one more chain link than is minimally required for your printer's X distance as this lowers the likelihood of it getting stuck before the joints are fully broken in.

For example I used 10 main chain links for my CR10 S4.

Category: 3D Printer Parts