Like many others, I am making a repstrap Mendel due to the scarcity and high cost of printed parts. I've made the RP parts from scrap wood, plywood and particle board. I cut most parts using my trusty scroll saw and drilled holes with my husband's drill press. I used a layered approach to make the more complicated shapes. The x 360 bearing assembly was too hard to make from wood, so I used 1/16 inch aluminum sheet (scrap from the garage) - see atached photo.

I now have 3 moving axises! Now on to the electronics from Tech Zone, adding stepper motors and drive belts. I will probably use Wade's nema 17 extruder - but I need to get some parts (and find a BOM).

Sharon
p.s. I've decided to name my mendel WomBot. My favorite animal is the wombat, so I want to print some toy wombats when I'm up and running. (I guess the toy wombats would really be wom-bitties?)

Nice Build. Have you more pictures? Drawings?

I've decided I want the mini mendel so I think I'll follow your lead but in a smaller package.

All pictures would be appreciated.

Some great ideas here. After unexpected travel etc getting in the way of building, this gives me some great new ideas to get me motivated again. I really like your use of the aluminium sheet and the bolt across the top, I am going to try that out asap.

Looks like this is based on the Isaac? Also looks like you still need a router table for some of the parts, is that true? I am also extremely interested in how you build the carriage, is it done? If/when the carriage is done do share.

Here are a few more pictures and a rough sketch of how the metal 360 bearing is made. A heavy vice and some angle iron or similar rigid piece of metal is very helpful for bending the aluminum. Clamp the piece in the vice, with the 'bend line' just above the top edge of the vice. Place a flat piece of metal along the bend line and hit it with a hammer - hard. Keep checking your angle until you get close to 120 degrees. The adjusting tab can be bent using heavy pliers. attach and use lots of washers to get bearing centered on the axis rod.

The circular depressions on the side of the y-360 bearrings are just there so I could still use a m4-40mm bolt (I didn't have anything longer). I made the y-360 bearings with a 90 degree angle instead of the standard 120. I used a sideview of y-360 pieces, cut it out of plywood and added a large notch on the bottom. It was easy to drill a hole down through the middle and attach the bearing using a standard m4 bolt. Use washer to center the y-assembly on the y-axis rods. (I ended up removing two bearing from the y-360 bearings because they seemed redundant. Besides, I can use them for the extruder). The y-axis modifications mean that the mendel won't be able to print upside down, but I don't think that is a high-demand feature.

The x-carriage was done using a table saw. I don't like table saws, so my husband kindly made the x-carriage for me. I thing you could probably make an x- carriage using something like the metal x-360-bearing sketch. I started one using an erector set (meccano), but the wood one is simpler and nicer.

I hope these pictures help someone and feel free to use, share etc as you wish. I don't really have a way to do a blog, so put them whereever you like.

enjoy,
Sharon

Neat! Want to tack up that text and those photos here:
[reprap.org]
using example code from here
[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!

Awesome...

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Isaac: a CNCed Mendel Derived RepStrap
FlemingCNC

My wood Mendel prints! It took about three months to cut parts, build and debug. I am very glad that my husband is good with electronics, he diagnosed and fixed some serious electrical problems. Now we are (having fun) trying to figure out which software and settings work best. I have some Ultimachine natural PLA, which my daughter colors with Sharpie markers. I also want to try coloring PLA with alcohol inks that I found on sale at the craft store (JoAnn's for those in the US). I'll post some photos soon.