Looking like a real machine

 So this is the initial reason for the clean up, the "car wash" was really encrusted with powder and binder. But look a few minutes in hot water, a little tooth brush action and then a little more with a tooth pick and it is good to go, quite a transformation.

At the bottom you can see the squeegy that wipes the print head and above that a little box that makes a seal with it to stop it from drying out. That rocks in to place when the carriage hits the little button at the bottom right. If you need to clean this thing then you just need to disconnect the ribbon cable and the fluid lines from the printer assembly (the upright bit on the gantry) and then lift it off the machine. The car wash is held by a single screw but mine needed prising because it was glued in place with binder.

That looks a lot better doesn't it. The chute for the excess powder is removed in this picture for cleaning too and next to the hole you can also see I replaced the velcro strip. I think this is for cleaning the powder spreading roller. You can see at the back of the machine the "curtains" though which the gantry enters the build area, this keeps powder from the back of the machine, at least it did! It seems to be the braid that is used to protect cables laid flat with some soft plastic sheet inside. I should be able to source something similar to replace it.

And the Gantry all cleaned up. The main gantry went in the shower for cleaning, then I blew it dry with dry compressed air and oiled the bearings etc. Top left is the printer assembly, this just had to bee wiped carefully, not something to dunk really. I cleaned the linear rail, wiped the limit switch (on back of carriage) and not much else, will grease the ways at some point. Top right is the funky plastic thing that passes through the curtains, pointlessly complex design if you ask me. Reassembly should happen tomorrow night, maybe...