I think I am getting this all wrong

Hi all.

I am a student in the UK and would love to build a Prusa Mendel so I can make anything!

I have started it as a project here: [jackogara.tk]

Been on the IRC today with a lot of help from t00tie and a guy named Matt.

When t00tie said is that I have missed out a few parts.

Currently I have got everything to £200, missing out the extruder and things I don't know about.

Cables,fans and PSU wise I already have. Built and fixed a lot of computers in the past. Good on stock levels.
Might grab some better cables though.


So can you help me?
As I said I am a student so it is being done on the cheap.

Been told to go with a company to buy the plastic parts encase something goes wrong.

What do you think?
What have I missed?

Thank you!

It's hard to tell you what you're missing if you don't provide a list of what you currently have.

Twitchy Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> It's hard to tell you what you're missing if you
> don't provide a list of what you currently have.

Linked my site for that [jackogara.tk]

Hey Jackster, check out the Prusa Mendel wiki page to see the parts list. This page will be your best friend during part sourcing and construction.

[reprap.org])

Briefly checked your website, you seem fairly set so far. I can confirm that your ebay order of the plastic parts does include the Wade's extruder. That's the large and small gears and mount in the bottom right corner. It looks like you're confusing the extruder for the hot end.

An extruder is the part that has the hobbed bolt and motor, and is what pushes the filament. The hot end the nozzle that your filament is extruded into.

If you want to keep the cost low, you may consider switching to Printrboard instead of Sanguilolo. It's an all in one board that is a bit cheaper than the Arduino shield electronics.

Good luck with your printer!

PomeroyB Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hey Jackster, check out the Prusa Mendel wiki page
> to see the parts list. This page will be your best
> friend during part sourcing and construction.
>
> [reprap.org])
>
> Briefly checked your website, you seem fairly set
> so far. I can confirm that your ebay order of the
> plastic parts does include the Wade's extruder.
> That's the large and small gears and mount in the
> bottom right corner. It looks like you're
> confusing the extruder for the hot end.
>
> An extruder is the part that has the hobbed bolt
> and motor, and is what pushes the filament. The
> hot end the nozzle that your filament is extruded
> into.
>
> If you want to keep the cost low, you may consider
> switching to Printrboard instead of Sanguilolo.
> It's an all in one board that is a bit cheaper
> than the Arduino shield electronics.
>
> Good luck with your printer!


Ah of course!

Thanks for clearing that up for me!

I take it that it is a generic mount?


Ill take a look at the Printrboard.

hmmm if u are fat thumbs like me, take care not to fry the single board electronics ... esp stepper drivers

if you think you might, go for the boards with modular stepper drivers. i fired 4 drivers already LOL ... but im fat thumbs !

redreprap Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> hmmm if u are fat thumbs like me, take care not to
> fry the single board electronics ... esp stepper
> drivers
>
> if you think you might, go for the boards with
> modular stepper drivers. i fired 4 drivers already
> LOL ... but im fat thumbs !


I am a bit heavy handed.

What did you do wrong to fire the boards?

in order for the stepper drivers to correctly drive the motors (assuming its not plug n play and pre-calibrated etc) ... u need to set the limit of drive current, assuming also like some of us just pick any old stepper to dump into it. the variable resistor that sits on a driver stepstick, is about 3mm HUGE ... all i did is sneeze (or turn your head when mom calls you) ... my multi meter probe goes bridging some SMD and solder track and wala !!! poof ! LOL ... (yep ... im not medical surgeon steady fingers lol)

so im happy i didnt buy the 1 board solution ... else i need to get it 4 times ...
however if you are sure fiddling is not required to some extent or you know what u are doin, the single boards saves you about 10-20bucks.

so far im just tinkering with the arduino + steppers, i have bought 2 arduinos, 1 full ramps, 6 spare drivers, spare motors etc. i think to reduce tinkering, you should get a set of electronics + motors that works right away, that will avoid some of the stepper frying issue.

edit again: im not sure if there is a set that will really work right away. but maybe look for one with most users.
Jackster Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> redreprap Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > hmmm if u are fat thumbs like me, take care not
> to
> > fry the single board electronics ... esp
> stepper
> > drivers
> >
> > if you think you might, go for the boards with
> > modular stepper drivers. i fired 4 drivers
> already
> > LOL ... but im fat thumbs !
>
>
> I am a bit heavy handed.
>
> What did you do wrong to fire the boards?

Edited 5 time(s). Last edit at 11/09/2012 06:11PM by redreprap.

Oh lol.

Well I hope I don't have your bad luck xD


redreprap Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> in order for the stepper drivers to correctly
> drive the motors (assuming its not plug n play and
> pre-calibrated etc) ... u need to set the limit of
> drive current, assuming also like some of us just
> pick any old stepper to dump into it. the variable
> resistor that sits on a driver stepstick, is about
> 3mm HUGE ... all i did is sneeze (or turn your
> head when mom calls you) ... my multi meter probe
> goes bridging some SMD and solder track and wala
> !!! poof ! LOL ... (yep ... im not medical surgeon
> steady fingers lol)
>
> so im happy i didnt buy the 1 board solution ...
> else i need to get it 4 times ...
> however if you are sure fiddling is not required
> to some extent or you know what u are doin, the
> single boards saves you about 10-20bucks.
>
> so far im just tinkering with the arduino +
> steppers, i have bought 2 arduinos, 1 full ramps,
> 6 spare drivers, spare motors etc. i think to
> reduce tinkering, you should get a set of
> electronics + motors that works right away, that
> will avoid some of the stepper frying issue.
>
> edit again: im not sure if there is a set that
> will really work right away. but maybe look for
> one with most users.
> Jackster Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > redreprap Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > hmmm if u are fat thumbs like me, take care
> not
> > to
> > > fry the single board electronics ... esp
> > stepper
> > > drivers
> > >
> > > if you think you might, go for the boards
> with
> > > modular stepper drivers. i fired 4 drivers
> > already
> > > LOL ... but im fat thumbs !
> >
> >
> > I am a bit heavy handed.
> >
> > What did you do wrong to fire the boards?

Totaled up to £295.
This is without the smooth rods.

Finding it hard to get some for under £40.

There isn't really a "mount" for the extruder, per se. The extruder body (shown in the pink box) connects directly to the x-carriage (in the red box).


I just looked up the Sanguilolo again, and it turns out that it's not an Arduino shield, like I thought it was, so ignore me on that account.

Still, any board that you are assembling yourself will have just as much (if not more) of a risk of frying. I assembled my first board (RAMPS), and now that I'm doing it again, I'm moving to Printrboard, for convenience's sake.

In the end, it's up to what you want. If you want the experience of building it youself, and want the possibility of upgrading (dual extrusion, etc), go for Sanguilolo or RAMPS. If you just want have your printer do the normal stuff, PrintrBoard.

295 is a great price for a printer, it's awesome that you've sourced a Prusa for that low!

I think it will be one of them things where I order everything then fill in the missing parts.

The £295 is what I have so far.
Sill need a bed.

Thanks for your info.

Oh, If everything is prewired then there is less chance of getting things wrong?
Is there a bit of programming that causes problems or bad wiring?

PomeroyB Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> There isn't really a "mount" for the extruder, per
> se. The extruder body (shown in the pink box)
> connects directly to the x-carriage (in the red
> box).
> [i.imgur.com]
>
> I just looked up the Sanguilolo again, and it
> turns out that it's not an Arduino shield, like I
> thought it was, so ignore me on that account.
>
> Still, any board that you are assembling yourself
> will have just as much (if not more) of a risk of
> frying. I assembled my first board (RAMPS), and
> now that I'm doing it again, I'm moving to
> Printrboard, for convenience's sake.
>
> In the end, it's up to what you want. If you want
> the experience of building it youself, and want
> the possibility of upgrading (dual extrusion,
> etc), go for Sanguilolo or RAMPS. If you just want
> have your printer do the normal stuff,
> PrintrBoard.
>
> 295 is a great price for a printer, it's awesome
> that you've sourced a Prusa for that low!

The main causes of frying electronics that I have seen are either bad connections or shorting the board.

Bad connections tend to happen more often on diy boards (since you may not be a professional solderer, its possible to simply assemble the board wrong/badly).

Shorting the board is completely up to the user. If you're careless and lay a metal screwdriver across your board while it's powered, then it will probably fry. It doesn't matter if it's pre-wired or built from scratch; both types are susceptible to shorts.

The programming shouldn't be a cause of board failure, it's all physical problems.

PomeroyB Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The main causes of frying electronics that I have
> seen are either bad connections or shorting the
> board.
>
> Bad connections tend to happen more often on diy
> boards (since you may not be a professional
Thanks for clearing that up for me.

I want to house the PCB in a acrylic box anyway so should not have a problem if everything is pre wired and pre plugged.

Thanks

> solderer, its possible to simply assemble the
> board wrong/badly).
>
> Shorting the board is completely up to the user.
> If you're careless and lay a metal screwdriver
> across your board while it's powered, then it will
> probably fry. It doesn't matter if it's pre-wired
> or built from scratch; both types are susceptible
> to shorts.
>
> The programming shouldn't be a cause of board
> failure, it's all physical problems.