I use a spring-tensioned setup on both ends:
- Wire is crimped to a small terminal lug at each end
- Lug screws onto a 3D-printed insulator (so the PSU current doesn't go through the gantry)
- Insulator mounts to the gantry via a small piece of 2020 extrusion with a 3mm hole
- On one side, the insulator is rigid. On the other, it's mounted on a 50mm-travel slider with a tension spring pulling it outward
Net result: wire stays taut regardless of thermal expansion, easy to swap when it breaks. Replacement takes ~30 seconds.
Share yours if you have a different approach!
- Wire is crimped to a small terminal lug at each end
- Lug screws onto a 3D-printed insulator (so the PSU current doesn't go through the gantry)
- Insulator mounts to the gantry via a small piece of 2020 extrusion with a 3mm hole
- On one side, the insulator is rigid. On the other, it's mounted on a 50mm-travel slider with a tension spring pulling it outward
Net result: wire stays taut regardless of thermal expansion, easy to swap when it breaks. Replacement takes ~30 seconds.
Share yours if you have a different approach!