X and Y sliders using skate bearings

Repstrap Dawin X and Y sliders using skate bearings.

[repstrapdarwin.blogspot.com]

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BIQ Sanguinololu SD LCD board	BIQ Stepcon	BIQ Opto Endstop
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BIQ Sanguinololu mounting	BIQ standalone Sanguinololu or Ramps mounting	Print It Stick It Cut it

My rep strap: [repstrapbertha.blogspot.com]

Buy the bits from B&Q pipestrap [diyrepstrap.blogspot.com]
How to Build a Darwin without any Rep Rap Parts [repstrapdarwin.blogspot.com]
Web Site [www.takeaway3dtech.com]

Using these bearings to act as linear bearings doesn't seem very efficient to me. However, it'll be fine if you keep your rods to greased.

uhhhh don't!

It may work, if greased well.
But any piece of hdpe (from an old chopping board maybe) drilled to fit the rods would be a much better scenario here i guess

'sid

They slide very well with just a little 3 in one oil ~ I have another method that I am trying that looks more promising I will blog it shortly in fact I think the new method is the one I will use.

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BIQ Sanguinololu SD LCD board	BIQ Stepcon	BIQ Opto Endstop
BIQ Heater Block PCB	BIQ Extruder Peek clamp replacement	BIQ Huxley Seedling
BIQ Sanguinololu mounting	BIQ standalone Sanguinololu or Ramps mounting	Print It Stick It Cut it

My rep strap: [repstrapbertha.blogspot.com]

Buy the bits from B&Q pipestrap [diyrepstrap.blogspot.com]
How to Build a Darwin without any Rep Rap Parts [repstrapdarwin.blogspot.com]
Web Site [www.takeaway3dtech.com]

Well polished steel on polished steel with a thin film of oil works well, true.
But it's rather a pain as soon as the oil is poluted by dust.

Since there are very very cheap linearbearings (steel, ptfe coated) that cost less than a skatebearing (that is if you don't have the skatebearing laying around of course)
I would not encourage to do so.

Also a skatebearing is not meant to stand lateral forces so you have to make sure that it doesn't jam

'sid

Ive just bought two sets of skate bearings (16 in total) for 12 quid, so I dont think the cost is an issue!

Im thinking of using the 608 bearings as a slider on some 8mm threaded rod - am I asking for trouble or do you think it would work?

Hold off on copying this method I have a much better one for X and Y I am making drawings for it you will need.

32 skate bearings some plain ASDA chopping boards they are £1 for a large and a small one in one pack or just a sheet of 6mm mdf, chopping boards look better thou.
A pack of 100 Nylon blocks £6 at B&Q £5 at Wicks. I have 3 of my daughtesrs visiting so I have not had much time this week.

Once I finalize the full set of instructions with those 100 Nylon block you can make the whole Darwin cartesean bot. With the minimal effort / mechanical enginering and a few nuts and bolts.
I had these ideas several months ago but no time to do it letalone make drawings.

I am still calculating a total cost for this method of making a Dawin cartesean bot at the moment however the ball park without steppers extruder and controll electronics is around £60 an the build time I think would be just one long weekend or less.

I am working on these other areas like cheaper electronics and motors and an easy way to make an extruder. The whole construction will not need any printed parts. I will supply the drawings as I draw them and blog each part all parts made will need a saw, drill and a vice.

Im not a mechanical enginner so the design has evolved by testing many many ideas and experimentation.
My aim all along has been to get the total cost of a Darwin down to < £200 its looking very much like I might have ahived that target price area now.

I am an Electronics development enginner who has been lost in software development for a little while.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 08/13/2009 03:03PM by BodgeIt.

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BIQ Sanguinololu SD LCD board	BIQ Stepcon	BIQ Opto Endstop
BIQ Heater Block PCB	BIQ Extruder Peek clamp replacement	BIQ Huxley Seedling
BIQ Sanguinololu mounting	BIQ standalone Sanguinololu or Ramps mounting	Print It Stick It Cut it

My rep strap: [repstrapbertha.blogspot.com]

Buy the bits from B&Q pipestrap [diyrepstrap.blogspot.com]
How to Build a Darwin without any Rep Rap Parts [repstrapdarwin.blogspot.com]
Web Site [www.takeaway3dtech.com]

Here is a picture of method two..




Im making the drawings for the chopping board parts once made and checked by using the drawings I will add to my blog.

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BIQ Sanguinololu SD LCD board	BIQ Stepcon	BIQ Opto Endstop
BIQ Heater Block PCB	BIQ Extruder Peek clamp replacement	BIQ Huxley Seedling
BIQ Sanguinololu mounting	BIQ standalone Sanguinololu or Ramps mounting	Print It Stick It Cut it

My rep strap: [repstrapbertha.blogspot.com]

Buy the bits from B&Q pipestrap [diyrepstrap.blogspot.com]
How to Build a Darwin without any Rep Rap Parts [repstrapdarwin.blogspot.com]
Web Site [www.takeaway3dtech.com]

Now THAT looks promising

what a nice idea...

'sid

That is sweet!

I think I had already ruled out using the bearing as a horizonal slide bearing, especially on a screwed rod. I have some 15mm chromed copper pipe and Im going to use that as the "rail". I did think about using a pipe olive as the slider, surprisingly they are quite a loose fit - too loose in fact, the play is 1mm or so. My next idea was to use the 608 bearings as a wheel, similar to your idea.

Im still favouring screwed rods to move the X and Y stages and four screwed rods connected with a belt for the Z stage. I know its slower but it just seems so much more elegant!

Phil

PS, is the auto focus turned off on your camera? Lots of the pics are a little less than sharp!

The X & Y Sliders method 2 is now posted on the blog ,.. sory the camera is auto focus and I am not too good at getting it right in the close up shots..


~Here is the link.. X & Y Sliders method 2

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BIQ Sanguinololu SD LCD board	BIQ Stepcon	BIQ Opto Endstop
BIQ Heater Block PCB	BIQ Extruder Peek clamp replacement	BIQ Huxley Seedling
BIQ Sanguinololu mounting	BIQ standalone Sanguinololu or Ramps mounting	Print It Stick It Cut it

My rep strap: [repstrapbertha.blogspot.com]

Buy the bits from B&Q pipestrap [diyrepstrap.blogspot.com]
How to Build a Darwin without any Rep Rap Parts [repstrapdarwin.blogspot.com]
Web Site [www.takeaway3dtech.com]

X&Y sliders method 3

I am total amazed by this one I expected this to have more friction than the skate bearings and for it to have a lot of play.. neither is the case it is also very very much lighter as it has not got 32 skate bearings. I cant belive how simple the X & Y mechanisims are now and its £16 cheaper to buy..




I just have to figure out an easily repeatable method for the Y axis next...

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BIQ Sanguinololu SD LCD board	BIQ Stepcon	BIQ Opto Endstop
BIQ Heater Block PCB	BIQ Extruder Peek clamp replacement	BIQ Huxley Seedling
BIQ Sanguinololu mounting	BIQ standalone Sanguinololu or Ramps mounting	Print It Stick It Cut it

My rep strap: [repstrapbertha.blogspot.com]

Buy the bits from B&Q pipestrap [diyrepstrap.blogspot.com]
How to Build a Darwin without any Rep Rap Parts [repstrapdarwin.blogspot.com]
Web Site [www.takeaway3dtech.com]

Now that's even more impressive.
I always wanted to know what those tiny little white zombies are made for at all,
I used to have them laying around in the drawers of my workbench.. until I sponsered a trip to the local dump.

Now I know I shouldn't.
Thank you bodgeit, I think I'll try that too someday

'sid

Some conclusions from my tests on Method 3 & Method 2...

After testing method 3 with Bike chain I found that you must use method 2 for bike chain.

Its a bit of a catch 22 ~ toothed belt runs great with method 3 and method 3 is the closest to a printed Darwin.

However with bike chain the extra weight causes too much friction and method 3 with the skate bearings is needed. that was easy.. as I have both.. versions on two repstrap darwins so I swaped the belt for chain..

Skate bearings and bike chain are cheaper ;-) but in the long run you will need to buy toothed belt ;-(.

I will continue to look for an inexpensive reliable method of making ball chaine drive pulles as this solves the catch 22 by eliminating toothed belt.

Oh since I said I would not try cable I bought 3 meters of 1.5 mm steel cable to try an idea out.. as this would also be cheaper than using method 3... it could just be a bad design idea .. bit like my steep learning curve delta robot attempt see Delta robot post..

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 08/22/2009 12:02PM by BodgeIt.

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Bodge It [reprap.org]
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BIQ Sanguinololu SD LCD board	BIQ Stepcon	BIQ Opto Endstop
BIQ Heater Block PCB	BIQ Extruder Peek clamp replacement	BIQ Huxley Seedling
BIQ Sanguinololu mounting	BIQ standalone Sanguinololu or Ramps mounting	Print It Stick It Cut it

My rep strap: [repstrapbertha.blogspot.com]

Buy the bits from B&Q pipestrap [diyrepstrap.blogspot.com]
How to Build a Darwin without any Rep Rap Parts [repstrapdarwin.blogspot.com]
Web Site [www.takeaway3dtech.com]