LaserCut Mendel by Tech Zone Remix

Here is where we discuss the LaserCut Mendel by Kymberly Aandrus of Tech Zone Remix LLC.
[reprap.org]

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(Damn fine bit of work, guys! I hope you sell a lot of them. )
Here is the sales thread where you can buy them:
[forums.reprap.org]

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-Sebastien, RepRap.org library gnome.

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Remember, you're all RepRap developers (once you've joined the super-secret developer mailing list), and the wiki, RepRap.org, [reprap.org] is for everyone and everything!

Has anyone managed to open the file format for the laser cut parts? I can't find any program that will accept that format.

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repraplogphase.blogspot.com

Has anyone managed to open the file format for the laser cut parts? I can't find any program that will accept that format.

.cdr = corel draw. Inkscape might open them, according to google.

The wiki page is a work in progress, and there has been quite a bit of activity and interest in Kymberly's work. She's been very busy.

She may not mind if folk say "thank you" or paypal her a bit of cash, that being the most sincere form of thanks. Or even better, buy lots and lots of kits.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/23/2010 10:34PM by SebastienBailard.

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-Sebastien, RepRap.org library gnome.

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Remember, you're all RepRap developers (once you've joined the super-secret developer mailing list), and the wiki, RepRap.org, [reprap.org] is for everyone and everything!

Confirmed that Inkscape 0.47 reads the files, although it's a bit funky. Initially everything is white for some reason, so you have to select the entire page and choose a color (shift-click to color only the borders), to see anything.
Doesn't show holes or any height/3D info in inkscape, but I don't know how they are supposed to look.

Confirmed that Inkscape 0.47 reads the files, although it's a bit funky. Initially everything is white for some reason, so you have to select the entire page and choose a color (shift-click to color only the borders), to see anything.
Doesn't show holes or any height/3D info in inkscape, but I don't know how they are supposed to look.

Should be fine in native Corel Draw. Lots of Laser Cutter, Vinyl Cutter shops, etc are quasi-standardized on Corel Draw.

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-Sebastien, RepRap.org library gnome.

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Remember, you're all RepRap developers (once you've joined the super-secret developer mailing list), and the wiki, RepRap.org, [reprap.org] is for everyone and everything!

Sure, I have no doubt of that, and we all see the results looks awesome.
Just saying it would be interesting to find a way to study the files for ideas to my own wooden mendel.

I've converted the files to svg using the coreldraw demo, and I will post them on the wiki page.

Sure, I have no doubt of that, and we all see the results looks awesome.
Just saying it would be interesting to find a way to study the files for ideas to my own wooden mendel.

[reprap.org]

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/24/2010 10:49PM by SebastienBailard.

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-Sebastien, RepRap.org library gnome.

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Remember, you're all RepRap developers (once you've joined the super-secret developer mailing list), and the wiki, RepRap.org, [reprap.org] is for everyone and everything!

PhantomAGN: Thank you so much!

Sebastien:
Thanks, I have those, and they are really great. ( [wooden-mendel.blogspot.com] is also a great source for information )

I was just trying to satisfy my absurd cravings for even more ideas and technical solutions to building a wooden version of your awesome reprap.

My Mendel will run on Tech Zone electronics, which I just ordered. I have only recently started a little worklog here.

Just bought a set of these RP-replacement parts on eBay (I have all the other stuff), I'll try to document the assembly!

The Differences posted at www.reprap.org/wiki/LaserCut_Mendel mentions

Quote
Tech Zone Remix on RepRap Wiki
far fewer m4X40 bolts (and less bolts in general), but it uses more of the m4X16 bolts

My parts have been shipped and I'm trying to order the remaining parts. Is there a parts count for fastners and bearings for the Tech Zone Remix Laser Cut Mendel posted? (I have a Mendel bearing set, rod, studding) If I place a Mendel parts order then there will be too many of some and not enough of others.

The link from www.reprap.org/wiki/LaserCut_Mendel to Acquisition of parts leads to a blank page.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/27/2010 11:52PM by stevew.

I'm guessing if you buy 100 of m4x16 and 100 of m4x40 you would have enough.
If you need more, it's not a huge investment.
If you have too many, you need them for your next reprap anyway

Yes, thanks. Ordered #100 count boxes of fastners from McMaster-Carr yesterday. Hope that they're enough. Cut belt appears to be stocked at all their locations, but Z-axis continuous comes out of their New Jersey warehouse. Electronic have shipped too. Will be busy.

Has anyone seen a video of the Tech Zone Mendel print yet?

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repraplogphase.blogspot.com

Can anybody that has purchased one of these kits provide a review or photos? I'm very interested in this, but i have yet to hear of anybody that is using one.

Seller says my post-processed parts shipped on the 6th, May 2010. Will post pics, at unboxing.

Can anyone post a picture of the Y-axis assembly (particular the bearings and 'squashed frog' part)? I have been trying to assemble this and can't figure out a way for it to go together that doesn't interfere with the cross-rods connecting the z-axis drive.

Will post pic in General Assembly soon. You will want a dozen #6, 10-32 round heads or pan heads and a bunch of washers and nuts 3 nuts per machine screw. 8 for the Frog and 4 for the bed an aluminum plate

Edit:

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/16/2010 04:33AM by plasmator.

stevew: PM sent.

All working. Assembly complete. MakerBot electronics drive all 3 axis well. Reduced stepper power until just enough to move axis and it is quiet. Will post film.

The belt clamps for the X-axis carriage need 4 bolts run from inside. Required removal of upper x-axis 360 bearing. M3 16 mm caps screws worked for me and the short arm Allen just reached. Note: don't waste time with cheap Allen wrenches! Radio Shack set spun in the socket on the 1st try. Allen brand name from McMaster Carr work and the whole Mendel was built with two - M4, M3.

Another plug: get a good parts bin. $5 clear tackle box from Walmart (MakerBot's idea. I spent $13 at Target for a very good Stanley flat case. The compartments come out easily and even thin small washers stay put when it it tipped on edge.

Parts arrived today! I managed to get the extruder mount/chassis thing and X-axis endplate (not the motor plate) together in about three hours. I pretty much winged it, just by looking at the photos. I wound up using a bunch of M4x40's on the endplate, and as such I used A LOT of regular screws. Getting nylocks on those things is too damn hard! I'll probably wind up need to get some screws/bolts in the end.

Just a word to the wise: Adrian was right. This whole thing is made of nuts and bolts.

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"Day breaks, but decay soon follows."

I was not brave enough to use Nylocs. They're too strong for me. I just used M3 hex nuts and put a tiny dab of hot glue between the exposed threads and the nut. It makes disassembly easy and as I found adding washers to shim belt bearings into better alignment Nylocs would have been too much work as many fastners end up being tightened with just the tips of needle nose pliers and the Allen wrench (2.5 mm) for M3 cap screws.

Hint: Get a dozen (8 minimum) #6 10-24 1.25" machine screws (I got round heads) and 3 dozen nuts plus some washers to put your Frog plate and 360 and 180 bearing mounts onto the Y-axis rods. Credit to Lambert Andrus of TechZone for this hint.

Credit for the hex nut/hot glue dab goes to Isaac Dietz at MakerBot.

Biggest problem was proper adjustment of Frog plate and Y-axis bearings. The bearings will interfere/hit all of the threaded studding (all thread) that supports the Z-axis. I sanded and cut and then realized it was my adjustment that was the problem. Tight does not help. The necessary arrangement is a counterintuitive and the no Nylocs -> zinc plated 10-24s make this relatively simple to play with.

Minor problem was the Z-axis belt tensioner bolt tipping from the belt tension and causing the belt to bind on the bottom fender washer and jam the whole Z-axis system. I cut a tiny shim from credit card thick plastic and tipped it back. Also the Z-axis belt does not need to be tight at all, just enough to keep it on the lead screw pulleys seems to be ok.

Has any one bought the botmill reprap mendel 3d kit? Are these good kits, do they ship quickly?

BotMill is affiliated with Kimberly and Lambert Anders of TechZone.

I think people think the kits are good:
[forums.reprap.org]

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-Sebastien, RepRap.org library gnome.

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Remember, you're all RepRap developers (once you've joined the super-secret developer mailing list), and the wiki, RepRap.org, [reprap.org] is for everyone and everything!

Has anyone assembled this kit in the wild?

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repraplogphase.blogspot.com

I have. I bought the laser cut RP parts on eBay from techzonestore. You can see video of mine running here:

[www.youtube.com]

I will be perfectly candid and say that I would *not* recommend this kit unless don't mind (and have the ability) to deal with a design that isn't quite 'ready for prime time'.

This design has quite a few weaknesses. I had to do some reengineering in many cases just to get the machine to run. Also, some parts of the design are pretty fragile. I found myself gluing some of the parts back together before they even entered operation.

That said, it's been working well for the purpose of printing mendel parts (as you can see in the video). It's no Mendel, though.

Plasmator: Which particular parts were fragile in your opinion?

The whole thing is pretty fragile, but the Y-axis bearings are probably the worst. All of the bearings (X, Y, and Z) are mounted to what are essentially popsicle sticks (no joke). Epoxy reinforcement prior to assembly for the Y-axis bearing mounts is practically a must. The Y-axis 180 bearing is also poorly designed; the top and bottom bearings are too close together and you have to run one side loose just for it to work. There are several other issues with the machine design, but I hesitate to enumerate them all in a public forum.

Also - beware, I and many others have had issues with the Tech Zone Remix electronics as well. Two of my stepper drivers required reflowing before they'd work (the soldering was a total mess, and you'd think they'd test these things before shipping them out!), and on one of these I had to replace the Allegro stepper driver chip (I would have complained to techzonestore but they seem to be pretty slow in communicating so I figured it'd be faster to fix them myself). They are also designed without any regard whatsoever to thermal considerations - no PCB area set aside for heatsinking and no thermal vias to be found. Other drivers out there have this issue as well though, i.e. Pololu.

All in all the machine works, and it is an alternative to paying $600 for a set of printed Mendel parts. I don't know whether to say I'm a dissatisfied customer at this point, because it was frustrating to have to mess with the issues but on the other hand I do have a printer that is printing things. As I said before, if you decide that this is what you want that's fine -- but know what you're getting into. As they say, caveat emptor.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/07/2010 10:07PM by plasmator.

Talking face to face with the TechZone folks at the San Mateo Maker Faire a few weeks ago, the soldering quality control issues you mention were known, Seb (and someone else, I forget who) asked about this, and they have been acknowledged and addressed. Based on that conversation, I am pretty confident those issues are a thing of the past.

I hadn't heard of mechanical design issues. Machines I saw in the process of being assembled "looked OK to me", but the mechanics is by far my weakest area in the world of RepRap subsystems (basically I know nothing about mechanical design at all -- I'm a software developer with a hobbyist level of electronics understanding).

My instinct is that if there are a few of the wooden parts that need epoxying before assembly to add strength, that's probably fine as long as this information is part of the assembly instructions, so people know they should do that. So maybe this could usefully be treated as a documentation bug?

You might want to write up all the issues you found in some detail, together with any solutions you have come up with, as clearly and unemotionally as you can, and let TechZone have that info. Then, if you get no response in (say) 30 days, you could feel free to publish your assessment on your blog or on the wiki in good conscience, making clear this is simply your opinion, and that you are publishing it to help others in the RepRap community make appropriate purchasing decisions.

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Jonathan