Any completed Repraps in Dallas?

I've been gawking at images and videos of the Reprap for months, and while it's fun, I really want to SEE one of these and touch some of their products. I've got CAD experience but otherwise the maze of electronics that make up a Mendel are a mystery to me. I'm interested in getting a real look at one, and talking to someone who's been through the build process and can offer advice/enthusiasm/cryptic warnings. Then I'll probably ask what I need to get him/her in exchange for a printed set of Mendel parts (after drinking some beer and repeating jokes from Futurama.)

Hope to hear from someone out there!

(and this goes for anyone within plausible daily driving distance of Dallas)

- Kevin

i live in richardson and just ordered everything, will let you know when I get it and start building!

Hello, I am very interested in seeing a reprap in action. I do television production and am interested not only in doing a feature story but also making custom parts for camera systems. Please let me know if I can document the project. I live in Ft Worth.

Thanks,

Joe Cantu

Still waiting on the parts, I haven't forgotten to update here. Mendel-parts.com seems to be extremely backlogged to make the parts and/or ship the parts.

Ok, I've pretty much got my mendel built and everything working at least. Still missing a part to finish the extruder and then need to calibrate/square the unit. But pics of my build and a little bit of a blog entry can be seen at:

[www.shadowmite.com]

Cool, Thanks!

Well after getting tired of waiting on mendel-parts to deliver I've ordered my missing part from a gentleman over in PA and expect I should get it later this week (and hopefully one day end up with a spare extruder if the other ever comes. So I should be able to start some test prints next week with any luck.

Shadowmite, any updates on your progress??

Within the past few months I've completed my Sells Mendel, had my Makergear hot-end blow up because of bad PLA (I suspect,) and have been a bit busy with other things to rebuild that hot-end or build up another one. If anyone would like to discuss Repraps, I will probably be starting a DFW reprap user group soon. I can usually be found at the Dallas Makerspace, where I've temporarily stored my Mendel. I plan on building another one (likely a Prusa) for the group over the next few months as a donation.

I'm in the Mid-Cities area (Bedford), and I have finally started building a repstrap (Mr. Kim's 1x2 Mendel). I eventually want to build a Prusa as well.

I have the frame built, and now I am sourcing the electronics and motors. I'm having trouble finding completed RAMPS boards in stock anywhere. I would be happy to discuss with anyone their progress and mine.

My wife is a bit bored when I talk to her about it.

I am currently sourcing parts for a Prusa Mendel right now. Have everything except belts, motors, and electronics. I'm in Plano, TX just north of Dallas and work in Dallas.

I am also having a little trouble finding assembled or partially assembled electronics here in the USA.

I'm in Carrollton. I started ordering parts in late January, and it's been a slow process since then. I think I'm finally getting close though and, with luck I'll be able to finish it off this weekend. I also had problems finding a lot of parts in the US.

Here's where I sourced some of mine:
Motors: solarbotics out of Canada (I bought 6 to qualify for free shipping)
Belts and PLA: Ultimachine (good, quick service)
Hot end: Makergear (also good, quick service)
Electronics (gen 6): Mendle-parts (from overseas, took over a month for the order to even ship. They had the cards on back-order so it took a while. There were a lot of complaints on the forums at the time about Mendle-parts being slow or not responding to customers. I do like the card, however).

Feel free to pm me if you have any questions or need any motivation although I'm still trying to figure it all out myself.

I have had some success with my RAMPS 1.3 board and nema 17. I got the board as a kit from Ultimachine and bought in bulk from a distributor from China off of Ebay. I did a price comparison with the solarbotics and the China distributor that I went with and the it averaged out about the same. I have everything, but the design for my repstrap had sparse documentation on the build. As a result, some aspects of the build are coming slowly.

I've recently gotten a Makergear prusa kit running in Rockwall. It's a nice kit, but I sooo should have bought a crimping tool to do the wiring. My electrical wiring skills are very poor and I've been fighting with bad electrical connections for weeks.

Moniker, I will happily trade my time and electronics skills for an education on the rest of your machine. I live in Lewisville, but would happily make the trip to see the machine and to help you resolve your connetion problems.

I have just bought a Mendel thru ebay to be delivered by May 16. I am very interested in this tech. but also very confused as to the operation. I have a 3D router system which is computer, software driven. Try as I might I can't find out about or sources for the software on these 3D printers. I live in Princeton and would appreciate talking to anyone who can shine some light on the subject. My email address is mdrtwo@aol.com or my phone number is 972 736 6178. any help would be a big help.

I know this is an old thread but I completed an Original Prusa + heated bed + ramps 1.4 electronics + .35 Makergear Hot end many months ago and am getting good prints with it. It uses an 18V power supply for the motors, hot end, and bed.
I am still using an older release of Sprinter, PrintRun (pronterface.py), and SFACT. It works so why change it.

I also printed and assembled a larger PLA Prusa Felt version + ABS wades accessable extruder and have workable PLA prints without a heated bed (blue tape) but am not so pleased with it as it seems more "fiddly" than my first one in order to get good prints. It is also ramps 1.4 with a 12v 350w power supply from a PC to power the motors and hot end.

I have printed and mechanically assembled a Wallace original design ( 6mm rods & nema14) that is a printbot clone+improvements. Mostly PLA printed and mechanically assembled, still have the sangololu 1.3a, bed, and hot end to assemble.

Having fun in the DFW area.

PlanoRepRap

i was wondering if anyone had a set of the SAE Prusa mendel parts that they would sell to me or would print me out a set i'm in the process of getting all the parts together and getting ready to build one myself please anyone local would be much better. i would be willing to buy the plastic abs or pla for the print.

if you could please contact me at

foreverknight2622 at gmail dot com

thank you

p.s. it has been difficult being in fort worth to find any type of makerspace or hackerspace within a reasonable drive if anyone knows of one closer to the fort worth area could you please share that with me. also a friend of mine and i are looking into starting one if one doesn't exist in fort worth i would love to hear any comments etc.

I have completely rebuilt the felt Prusa into a linear bearing version and it is much better. I even use the printed y-carriage design with 3 arms. Overall it is a very solid performer. It is currently on loan to a friend who owns a CNC and he has build some CNC'ed parts for my other projects including a couple of different beds out of acrylic for my RepRap Wallace.

I replaced the hand drilled wood bed on my RepRap Wallace and it is printing very well. The Nema 14's are fine unless something binds (like the filament). The nema14 extruder runs a little hot on long prints but isn't warping the ABS mounts or anything so I guess it is ok. It is a little under powered for pulling filament off of a big spool so I don't do it that way I just put several meters in a coil on the floor and that works great for one or two prints, then I heat splice a few more meters on often in a different color.

Since I have now built 4 different designs (not counting minor improvements) I would have to say if I had it to do all over again I would probably do a linear bearing, high torque Nema17 Prusa design with an x-carriage with a fan mount built in. Wade's extruder and MakerGear 0.35 mm hot end with 1.75mm filament, heated bed, and Ramps electronics. I would probably print the extruder and x-carriage in ABS and the rest in PLA.

I hope this helps.
Skip
PlanoRepRap

@Moniker - are you still into your reprap? I also live in Rockwall. I'm nearling completion on a MendelCraft 12x12. Just need to complete the wiring.

I'm in Rockwall too! Just ordered a PrintrBot Jr. But I'm gearing up for Mendel90 build.
How are you builds coming along??

I was given a Reprap Orca 2 incomplete and having some problems with the printer. I am very to this and having trouble finding documentaton for the printer. I had found some links that referenced a PDF instruction guide on mendel-parts.com but the links are broken. Anyone in the DFW area happen to have a copy, of would be willing to spare some time and look at my printer?

Thanks!

Hello,
I'm looking to buy someone's printed plastic parts for a basic Wade's extruder. I'm getting my first RepRap started out here in the Big Country (Abilene, TX) and I thought I'd build an older but better understood model. Send me a link or contact info if you know of anyone who can make me the basic four parts for the Wade's extruder.

Send me a reply any time.
Many thanks!

Hello dnordling , I suspect many here have spent way to much on their builds as I did when I first got into building my first 3d printer. Prices have come way down since the first post here. I am now on my forth build, the Rostock Delta. Printed all the parts from my first printer. Please see my videos on YT.

[www.youtube.com]

Have you any experience with the Arduino and Marlin firmware? What printer do you have in mind to build? Are you wanting to control the printer with your computer or through an SD card and display set up on the printer itself not conected to the computer?

Email me, maybe we can help each other, Jeff.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 08/17/2014 07:36PM by jeff3d.

Hi jeff3d, thanks for the reply. I'll check out your YouTube posts.

I dont have a specific model picked out yet. Perhaps a Mendel? It will be my first. Any suggestions? I'm looking for a tried and true model. More to follow I'm sure.
I did find a supplier of Wade's extruder parts on eBay as the Wiki site suggests. I hope to return the favor by building a set for someone else once I'm up and running.
I'm researching the hot end right now. Any advice?

Yes, I too am probably spending more than I absolutely have to, but I've found it rarely pays to be cheap on the first prototype of anything. I strive to get a working model first, then make it pretty, then go cheaper. I got parts ordered and hope to get things started in the next week or two.

I dont have any experience with Arduino but I've heard good things about them. I have a good friend in Plano who knows more about those things. The deal is I'll build up the mechanicals and he'll help me get the rest. Happy to share what I've learned, but I know very little right now.

I didnt even think about running from an SD card? Interesting. I was going to get some kind of simple junk computer to run Linux to operate things. I know very little about the brands of Linux. What have you found that works?

dnordling did you read the PM I sent you, please do so before you purchase anything.

yep, I got your private message, jeff. thanks!