Okay, I have been cleaning up a lot.
Rewired the machine, replaced all connectors for versions with longer wire so I don't have this going on:
Stepper motor - four short wires - four other short wires in a different color scheme - selfmade connector
Now it's just one nice combination of same-colored wires and they are nicely crimped together and covered with heatshrink.
After this I tried to combine all the wires into tubes that I ordered, it's this type:
[www.conrad.nl]
You can insert the cables into the guide-tubes with this tool (you need the one that is made for your thickness of cable):
[www.conrad.nl]
The beginning and the ends of the guide-tubes were connected by just two tie-rips around the stepper motor and the guide tube in between them so there is no tension on the wires coming out of the stepper motor. The whole physical weight and movement-stress is carried by these guide-tubes and it all works beautifully.
In my Reprap Air 2, I have drilled a few small holes so I can tie the guide-tubes onto my frame with tie-rips. the machine looks very clean now, cable-management is a piece of cake this way. I also have put my X-endstop onto the X-carriage instead of on the X-ends to all the cables coming from the X- carriage are all inserted into one tube. The tube is fixed to the stepper motor with one end, and to the frame on the other end and comes out right where the Sanguino is hanging on the frame.
See the picture for more.
I wish someone had given me hints on this, but I managed eventually.
First try to fix the cable management:
![]()
Improvements after the first try:
![]()
Rewired the machine, replaced all connectors for versions with longer wire so I don't have this going on:
Stepper motor - four short wires - four other short wires in a different color scheme - selfmade connector
Now it's just one nice combination of same-colored wires and they are nicely crimped together and covered with heatshrink.
After this I tried to combine all the wires into tubes that I ordered, it's this type:
[www.conrad.nl]
You can insert the cables into the guide-tubes with this tool (you need the one that is made for your thickness of cable):
[www.conrad.nl]
The beginning and the ends of the guide-tubes were connected by just two tie-rips around the stepper motor and the guide tube in between them so there is no tension on the wires coming out of the stepper motor. The whole physical weight and movement-stress is carried by these guide-tubes and it all works beautifully.
In my Reprap Air 2, I have drilled a few small holes so I can tie the guide-tubes onto my frame with tie-rips. the machine looks very clean now, cable-management is a piece of cake this way. I also have put my X-endstop onto the X-carriage instead of on the X-ends to all the cables coming from the X- carriage are all inserted into one tube. The tube is fixed to the stepper motor with one end, and to the frame on the other end and comes out right where the Sanguino is hanging on the frame.
See the picture for more.
I wish someone had given me hints on this, but I managed eventually.
First try to fix the cable management:
Improvements after the first try:
