New to 3d printing - which MendelMax

Hi everyone,

I'm totally new to 3d printing, though have experience with electronics and the Arduino. I'm planning on building my own printer trying to keep the cost down to a reasonable extent. I'm pretty sure that I want to build a MendelMax; I like the aesthetic and it seems like it's worth the extra money over a standard Prusa.

The thing is, I see that there's a Beta version of the MendelMax 2.0 right now, and I'm not sure whether it's wise for me, as a 3d printing newb, to try it out.

Any chance some folks experienced with the MendelMax 1.5 and 2.0 could give me a sense of whether it's worth going for the newest version that's in beta, or whether I should just play it safe and go for the better known 1.5?

Many thanks in advance,
Mike

I am building a 1.5 version now. I do like the rigidity and ease of setup on the frame and rods.

Build the one that is well proved, then use that to make the parts for your next one.

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Richmond, New Zealand
Thingiverse ~ YouTube

Wired1 Wrote:
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> Build the one that is well proved, then use that
> to make the parts for your next one.

What ^^^^^ he said.

That is what I did. Get one running without a lot of fuss then build another.

The MendelMax 2.0 owes more to the CNC tradition than RepRap. It is more rigid and quicker to build, but more expensive, and the hardware kit on sale is mostly metal. There is supposedly an RP version, but I haven't seen it. The metal version uses flat alu plates for brackets, I am not convinced plastic plates would have sufficient rigidity without a lot of redesign.

The OB 1.4 [www.thingiverse.com] has the upright style of MendelMax 2.0 but with RP parts, so something like that might be a more natural follow on to the MendelMax 1.5.

Many thanks for the guidance. Is there a way to build a MendelMax 1.5 without buying the kit? i.e. sourcing the parts yourself? I could find many of the parts online (e.g., LulzBot has several subkits) but don't find a complete set of instructions. The only one I found shows you how to build the hardware but not install the electronics nor get it working. Since I'm new to this I would need a good guide for that.

DoktrMike Wrote:
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> Many thanks for the guidance. Is there a way to
> build a MendelMax 1.5 without buying the kit? i.e.
> sourcing the parts yourself? I could find many of
> the parts online (e.g., LulzBot has several
> subkits) but don't find a complete set of
> instructions. The only one I found shows you how
> to build the hardware but not install the
> electronics nor get it working. Since I'm new to
> this I would need a good guide for that.

I have not seen a guide specific to the MendelMax 1.5 but it is really just like the Mendel Prusa just using the extusions instead of all thread.The tough part for me was choosing which derivitves of x ends and x carriage to use. Much easier to build a second printer like this and source everything on your own.
I am just now getting comfortable with the firmware and slicing settings to get nice looking prints.