Hotend Mounted Endoscope Camera for Z9M3 by gallaghersart

Last crawled date: 3 years, 1 month ago

Hotend Mounted Endoscope Camera for Z9M3
**I have video, but need to figure out how to upload, just added a picture, and once next print job is finished I will measure the point were my Nozzle is so if you wanted to make one you would know how to change the placement to fit your needs, will update SketchUp also
This is for a Zonestar Z9M3 (3in1) So I may monitor the nozzle along with 2nd camera viewing the bed.
I have this camera mount for the lower 2 screws. However, I have also made a modification to hotend fans, I’m just using ABS right now so I moved my part fan to give more cooling to the filaments. I have plans to add part fan on back.
I found a 6mm Endoscope camera unit from China for under $10,
The print will need some work to make hole perfect and tight to secure camera, I would also tape the camera on the outside to make sure camera does not slide down into the print surface. The camera I have has some threads at the camera end, I’m not expecting these to hold the camera in place.
While printing in white the camera has some troubles and is jittery, but 100% effective on showing what’s most important.
Warning: things will look worse than they are at such a close focal point.
I also have a T6 led lighting up the bed at basically at nozzle height from a different angle as the camera. This has help massively to fine tuning all aspects of the 3d Printer from bed leveling, filament flow, retractions and more settings.
When the nozzle takes up 1/4th the top of the screen you can imagine the details you can work with, and I know there are better cameras out there than the cheapest I could find.
I expect at some point the cables will give out, but would be simple to solder good cables In their place.