Back from a 2 year stop. Update anyone?

Hi guys!

2 years ago I built a prusa and loved it.
I used a RAMPS for electronics bases, and hook it up to an LCD for feedback.

I stopped having time for this project, and I would like to come back to it.
But i've forgotten many things
Waht is new in the REPRAP world (what id I miss?) And what new goodies (hardware, software or firmware) can I get to my prusa?

Also, how do I connect, and build parts on a Mac?

same old post about MY prusa: [forums.reprap.org]

thank you!
Its good to be back

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/11/2013 10:00PM by macsoft.

Main difference is a massive print quality increase over the past two years. Also many people have some pretty quick machines now which are able to maintain quality.

Printing is often done with much thinner layer heights - my standard is 0.2mm and I regularly use 0.1mm on a 0.5mm nozzle.

Slicer software has come a long way in terms of print quality and ease of use. Slic3r and kisslicer are now very popular and produce fantastic prints. A few people still use skeinforge though because there is so much you can tweak.

Also delta robots are starting to be popular (search rostock)

Lots of printers are moving away from a threaded rod design and using extruded t slot aluminium or sheet material for much stiffer and easier to assemble frames. (look for mendel 90 and mendelmax)

Bowden fed extruder are now relatively common, but the classic geared extruder is still very popular and works very well. Direct drive extruder using 1.75mm filament are quite popular.

There are now about a gazillion printer designs out there, most are "open source" and a few are actually open source.

Are these softwares Slic3r and kisslicer for mac also?
I remember my hotend was acting up. i may need another. What should i get now that works with my prusa, but has some more quality?
What about firrmware for RAMPS, any new thing I can try?

thanks

The J-Head hot-end is very reliable and extrudes easily.

I just built a MendelMax 1.5 to replace one of my other printers and installed the Repetier firmware on it. Together with the Repetier host software they are a really nice combination. Changing all the most important options of the firmware directly from the host software GUI is much nicer than having to look up cryptic G-Codes or recompiling and reflashing the firmware.

macsoft Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Are these softwares Slic3r and kisslicer for mac
> also?
> I remember my hotend was acting up. i may need
> another. What should i get now that works with my
> prusa, but has some more quality?
> What about firrmware for RAMPS, any new thing I
> can try?
>
> thanks

+1 for a j-head mk5 - works fantastically!

Yes kisslicer and slic3r are both available for mac. I would recommend kisslicer, but slic3r is also great.

Marlin firmware is awesome and definitely worth trying.

konwiddak Wrote:
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> There are now about a gazillion printer designs
> out there, most are "open source" and a few are
> actually open source.


LOL!!!
Thanks for the laugh this morning!!

I'm too new the the game, but slicer has been doing a great job for what I've printed.

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Custom all metal CoreXY
- Duet 2 Wifi w/ PanelDue 7i
- 330mm x 360mm x 500mm
- 750w Silicon heater

Custom Mendel90
(Backup printer - Old reliable!) - Sold

thank you guys, Its hard to relearn all of this.
I loved to teak my firmware and machine, and I now must remember it all again.

Will the J-Head hot-end fit my extruder head? please check movie to take a look at my old post to see my extruder head:


also, in my time, we mostly used 3mm PLA. Is that still the best Diameter/Material ?
If not, what diameter hotend and PLA/other material should I get?

can you post a link where I can get a good deal on a J-head in Europe, and some PLA?

kisslicer and slic3r are to CREATE shapes, or to transmit them to the machine?

Thanks.

Printing Material Suppliers

---

Bob Morrison
Wörth am Rhein, Germany
"Luke, use the source!"
BLOG - PHOTOS - Thingiverse

rhmorrison Wrote:
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> Printing Material Suppliers


Thanks,
now about the other questions, can someone help?
about online stores, I'm in Europe, Portugal, if that makes a difference.
thank you

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/12/2013 01:36PM by macsoft.

RepRap Buyers' Guide

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Bob Morrison
Wörth am Rhein, Germany
"Luke, use the source!"
BLOG - PHOTOS - Thingiverse

hum.. what about nozzles? I seem from 0.3 to 0.5 mm... what should i get?

The advice I received is that 0.3 clogged really easily so if I wanted something finer than the standard 0.5mm I should get 0.4mm. So that's what I ordered.

The slicers being discussed are just for generating the G-code. You need something else to feed it to the printer.

Hi Mac,

I'm finishing the assembly of my newly buyed reparappro mendel.
Bought it from reprap.com and the only issue I found so far (besides the delay of the delivery) is that they send you some parts that are new and should be assembled following the latest manual and others that require you to follow an older version. A bit tricky, because you have to have two versions of it for the assembly ...

I'm also from Portugal, Lisbon. Were are you from?

macsoft Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> rhmorrison Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Printing Material Suppliers
>
>
> Thanks,
> now about the other questions, can someone help?
> about online stores, I'm in Europe, Portugal, if
> that makes a difference.
> thank you

Sorry to revive this.
I will have some time to work on this now and I need a little more info.
I work on files on a Mac, but my Prusa is connected to an old laptop with winXP.
Witch software should I run on the Laptop with WinXP to send commands to the printer?
Thanks.

Pronterface, Cura, Repetier Host...

I found Mattercontrol on Wiki..any good?
I've installed the arduino controls.. and I can't connect to my printer
I have a Prusa, so I've chose the Mendel90 printer.. no?

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/01/2014 06:06PM by macsoft.

Also.. about PLA filament.
I still got a spool of 3mm, dont know if its still good.
When searching for PLA spools for sale, I see a lot more 1.75mm filaments. Is this the norm now? Will this work with my extruder an nozzle, or do I have to change some things?
thanks again

sorry to say that you cant really switch between the 2 filaments, you will have to change your hot end, at the very least, im not sure what you have so its hard to say really.

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[mike-mack.blogspot.com]

1.75 is the norm for direct drive. I use 1.75 and have absolutely no problem. There's a long, undecided debate on whether one or the other is better. But 3mm is easily better for bowden setups.
Personally I'm down for 1.75mm because it's less plastic with each step- increased accuracy. But if you can get good prints with 3mm, I don't think it's really worth it, unless you already planned to rebuild things.

---

Realizer- One who realizes dreams by making them a reality either by possibility or by completion. Also creating or renewing hopes of dreams.
"keep in mind, even the best printer can not print with the best filament if the user is the problem." -Ohmarinus

I'd say try what you have for now. It will only cost time... I don't think it's a popular choice around here, but you can get the Jhead-lite v2 for around $20ish and it works good for 1.75mm PLA. I'm finishing up my first spool from Push Plastics through it and can't be happier.

On software, I mainly use Ponterface, and some times Cura. I use Slic3r, and just started trying Kisslicer. I'd say pick one and try it, use Sublimes Calculator to get you close. Calibrate, Calibrate, Calibrate... You will learn what does what as you make changes... Sometimes you just have to jump in to learn to swim, just remember your Google water wings and you'll be fine...

Thanks Madmike,
I've been away so long that feels crappy being newbie again..
Long time since I was pioniring reprap adding an LCD to a RAMPS and tweaking the firmware.

well.. gotta get my reading ON! thanks