Acrylic RepRap files on Ponoko

I dont know if it would be useful to anyone here, but i would be willing to modify the .eps files from Ponoko so they could be used for CNC.

If anyone could mark up what needs to be changed for me it would be great because i am too new to this to know what the parts are.

Sorry if I got you wrong..
but you are willing to modify plans without knowing what you are doing?
Nice idea

'sid

Im a CAD industrial designer at a rapid prototyping corp. where i develop products from the ground up - often i do not know (or am not allowed to know) exactly what they will be used for.

I discovered RepRap by way of getting into arduino.. i spent about 15 hours this weekend reading here. Im excited about the possibilities of this project particularly because i already can make anything i can imagine in solidworks, now this would allow me to get some of it out into the real world.
I do have about 7 million dollars worth of SLA machines in the room next to my office, but i dont have free reign to use them how i wish.

Looking over this forum i saw how everyone was working together, everyone was doing what they could to further the project. I didnt see noobs getting torched like some other places. Looks like you guys are really trying hard to get this to as many possible.

I know how to use illustrator fairly well and i know that in order to be used with the CNC process those eps files will need to be seperated so they arent line to line, also some inside corners might need to be altered but probably not too much will change.

I was hoping someone would just go over the files with a red pen so to speak saying "this needs a radius" or "change this a bit" and then i could put the grunt work in modifing the files.

Just trying to make an offering as entry into the RepRap world.

Wow Ben that is very cool but I do not know if anybody has yet to cut the parts
with anything other then a laser cutter (but it might be very useful)?

Since this is not been thought of I would start by making the electronics or order the parts for a robot (if you decide to go that way there are many options to making a machine) and then there are many ways you could help out. Like working on documentation with our builders wiki just to name a thing that is lacking.

It is very exciting to see a new person that is interested in Reprap..

you can take a look at my Son and my self's blog since you are in the take it all in stage... (I need to update it)

[repstrapping.blogspot.com]

Bruce Wattendorf

Welcome, Ben. Wow! Sounds like you'll be a hell of an asset to Reprap.

Hi Ben,

I'm the culprit. If you'd like the original SVG files, they're on [reprap.svn.sourceforge.net]

Any problems, e-mail me. I'm vik and I have e-mail on diamondage.co.nz

good to have you on board!

Vik :v)

Thanks for your offer of help, Ben. Yes please :-)

Feel free to post what you do on the Builders Wiki (http://objects.reprap.org/wiki/Builders), and do e-mail me if you want to be added to the Builder's Blog.

---

best wishes

Adrian

[reprap.org]
[reprapltd.com]

Thanks everyone !!!

I guess ill sit back for the moment with that acrylic (i have everything here but a laser cutter)

Let me know if there are any CAD files i could draw up for the project.

Thanks for the warm welcome !!!

Since you do industrial design, it might be useful if you took a look at the parts to see if you can see any obvious weak points, say, in terms of things that want to be a bit more strongly made, for example. I've heard reports from Ian that some of the parts on the BitsFromBytes design tend to crack when they are put on a bit too tightly. Could there be ways of redesigning the problem parts assemblies making them less likely to crack?

Just a suggestion.

Usually its just a case of material thickness.. Looks like the screw holes might like a bit more meat around them.. but over tightening could crack most any acrylic part, no matter how well it was designed.

Ben Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Usually its just a case of material thickness..
> Looks like the screw holes might like a bit more
> meat around them.. but over tightening could crack
> most any acrylic part, no matter how well it was
> designed.
>
So is there a better material that we should think about using? I'm milling stuff out of HDPE and it seems to be pretty robust.

HDPE is good stuff - strong - heat tolerant... ill look into other alternatives...

but for now that acrylic sure looks nice.. might just go for one of those kits.

Yeah, I looked at acrylic when I was buying milling stock and discovered that HDPE cost 85% as much and polypropylene cost 60% as much. HDPE seems to take milling like a champ. I haven't worked enough with the polypropylene that I have to know how it is going to work out for milling.

Sounds like you are pretty much good to go...

My thoughts are turning to a Sanguino based kit. Looks like if one of those were available i could be set for now too.

I do my own electronics work. My controller board hasn't had to change substantially in the last six months as a result. I don't see how anybody manages to keep a Darwin going, given what seems at times like daily changes that they make to its control electronics. I wouldn't know whether I was coming or going if I got into all that.

I am too new to electronics to do my own - i am still holding on to my Arduinos hand.

Forrest Higgs Wrote:

> So is there a better material that we should think
> about using? I'm milling stuff out of HDPE and it
> seems to be pretty robust.

Greetins all,

It costs more, but polycarbonate (e.g. Lexan) is *very* tough/durable and mills OK. (The chips sometimes stay attached, and need to be trimmed.) Cost might be offset by using thinner material, since Lex is so strong.

Another possibility is ABS sheet -- if material cost is an issue, and relative to cutting costs, I don't think that's a major factor. The ABS sheet I've seen is a grey color, not the most aesthetic, but it might be an option.

-- Larry

... for me the best material for milling is POM (or Delrin) - rigid, very good wear and friction-values and it didn't overheat and melt like many others ...

Viktor

There are a lot of plastics that will do a better job than HDPE ... at a multiple of HDPE's cost. I try to stay with something I can afford, and frankly ABS is about as expensive as I'm prepared to go at this point unless I get a LOT richer.

On the Acrylic Laser cut we BfB now do all the 5mm bits out of Hi-Impact Acrylic which has almost the same asthetic but is loads stronger and starts to show white stress marks when bending the sheet before it breaks, so you have to go some to bust the stuff. It still breaks in tension with little warning but only after very excessive load is applied much more than standard acrylic. We also did a little tweeking of design of some parts when we switched materials just to make assembly a little easier.

---

Ian
[www.bitsfrombytes.com]

In order to adapt the laser cut Ponoko design to be cut on a water-jet or a milling machine there are several changes to the SVG files that need to be made...

1) The thickness of the laser cuts are assumed to be near zero, so the parts must be repositioned so that the shared cuts where adjacent parts are near each other account for the thickness of the cutter.

2) Some parts are nested into holes of other parts that will not have clearance for them with a wider cutter, so they need to be moved outside of the holes.

3) The laser is used to label the Ponoko parts, the labels need to be removed.

4) The parts are meant to slot together at right angles, so the slot widths need to match the material thickness, if the material is a different thickness than the Plywood used in the Ponoko design then the slot widths need to be changed.

5) If the radius of the cutter makes it difficult to get a 90 degree inside corner, then there needs to be small relief cuts made on the inside corners of the slots.

6) Because of the small part size, and the number of parts, it would be a good idea to connect all the parts with break-away tabs. The tight clearance of the laser cut parts made this unnecessary.

Unlike the plywood design, the acrylic one is very tolerant of material thickness. The only slots that spring to mind are ones holding the opto flags. Nothing structural that I can think of. You do want 3mm sheet for the extruder parts though, as this is used to space out the channel for the filament feedstock. If it's >3mm not much problem but <3mm you'll need to shim it.

Vik :v)

Is anybody else building an Acrylic RepRap? I've got a few questions. E.g. does the Ponoko X Idler Top Bracket use 25mm screws, not 20mm as the instructions imply?

This project is awesome!. But I have some doubts.

The Free Acrylic RepRap (V1.1) file imported into ponoko website, contains 4 diferents .eps files:

5mm-laser-acrylic.eps
p2-3mm-parts.eps
p2-8mm-acrylic-parts.eps
p2-9mm-mdf-bed.eps

Then, you have to choose the material, thickness, and sheet size.

What is the best option for each one? (material, plastic type, thickness and sheet size)

Sorry if I'm missing something.
I'm not English.

Thanks

I recommend using clear or tinted plastics. The "5mm" sheet is best cut on 4.5mm acrylic, sheet size P3. All the others are on sheet size P2 as per the filenames.

The 3mm parts are printed on acrylic, the 8 & 9 on acrylic and MDF as per their filenames.

I've been given a 50% cutting discount to offer to RepRappers by Ponoko, and I've just been told I can offer free shipping in NZ and the US.

Vik :v)

I bought a "founder" ponoko prime account before seeing the deal Vik has. Vik, Do these rates appear similar to what you have?

For instance, the total cost of a RepRap V1.1 cut is slightly less than $200. I want to charge a 5% premium to cover the cost of the account in a store setup. This is material cost + $0.87/min cutting cost.

Does this sound fair? We'd have to pre-set up materials and colors. I plan to add other useful items as need be. This should help local 'strapping or other development.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/24/2009 10:22PM by SOI Sentinel.

Sounds very fair. It costs me more than that even before I allow 5% for money-changing! Also, I won't get the new free shipping with my discount vouchers. I'm going to have to get me one of those Ponoko Founders accounts!

Vik :v)

Do it now, it's reverts to a more expensive version at midnight PDT

Email I have

Hi there Gerald,

Thanks again for your interest in all of our hard work to deliver
you the world's easiest making system.

Ponoko - just upload your designs, choose materials, then click to
make and sell them online. With all the support you need to get
it just right.

And with Value Prime you also get big cost savings and premium
services like:

[www.ponoko.com]

- a 6-point design report before you commit to spending money;
- $0 making, materials and/or shipping to go to your next event;
- promotion to over 200 US design store retailers; and
- you can request we make from your own unique materials.

----------------------------------------------
In just 24 hours we wind up the launch of Value Prime
----------------------------------------------

After 11:59pm Sunday May 24th Pacific time the monthly price
increases from $27 to $39 per month and the making cost increases
from $0.87 to $1.35 per minute.

And if you do your sums, you'll see that you only need to make a
few things this year to get the pay back:

So it might pay to lock in the low rate now. Because it will not be
offered again:

[www.ponoko.com]

Happy making!

Dave, Derek, Dan, Olga, Yana and Josh


------------------------------------------------------------
PS - qualification for $45 materials catalog offer ends in 24 hours too
------------------------------------------------------------

Remember that you'll also get offered our materials catalog for $45
(not $145) if you are subscribed to Prime by 11:59pm Sunday May
24th Pacific time too.

Done. Now we're on a level playing field

Vik :v)

So, any color suggestions?