Verteez Smartrap build

Verteez, you are a perfect help to the project, support is not an easy task. Serge has his hands full with MANY MANY tasks.

im going to put thermal greese or a silicone pad between hot end mount and heatsink. (if i don't forget it)

Hi verteez,

Thank you for the tips, i will try the car's shops to see what i can find ? I'm not happy wit this coupler, it breaks takes too much place and cost me 4 screws and nuts ..just for that

You shouldn't feel bad about not buying a kit ..really. It's first and before all an open source project . For now it's my best project from a lot of time and seeing all those people around the world working on it, improve it like you do , doing some hack ,other versions,other options is the best thing i could ever imagine
Selling kits for me is a way to get a decent salary from this project and go forward with it until we get a real , good, model !
That's why also I stick with printed structure : I believe it's' the best way to share design with the community and improve the model to professional quality ( even if it's challenging compared to metal structure ) . Printed parts are far more easy to do anywhere and modify in every home without need for special tooling.. its the future, no doubt

It's true i'm very busy producing now. I was late to start and had around 30 printers to do at once. I try now to come back to "in stock" , but people keep on ordering kits ( silly )

sorry all for the bad documentation also.. working on it , i hope soon we get better quality guides .

---

the Smartrap project

[smartfriendz.com]
[www.thingiverse.com]
[reprap.org]
[github.com]
doc assemblage: [reprap.org]
NEW: Forum smartfriendz: [smartraptalk.smartfriendz.com]

I know why it breaks !
if you look at the m5 rod so does it slightly bend when moving the x carriage up and put strain on the coupler.
You nead a small support with a bearing from the smooth rod to the threaded rod to support it.
And it neads to be as close as possible to the coupler.

Ha yes. You must be right. I will look at that .

thank you .

In the future ( 2 to 5 months ) , I will come with a no-M5-at-all solution for Z. There's no printer on this type with belt on Z ( of course, if you stop power, your head will fall on the glass and break ..something ! ) . I have an idea about that .. need to design and test, but i believe it can work well.

---

the Smartrap project

[smartfriendz.com]
[www.thingiverse.com]
[reprap.org]
[github.com]
doc assemblage: [reprap.org]
NEW: Forum smartfriendz: [smartraptalk.smartfriendz.com]

Quote
smartfriendz
Ha yes. You must be right. I will look at that .

thank you .

In the future ( 2 to 5 months ) , I will come with a no-M5-at-all solution for Z. There's no printer on this type with belt on Z ( of course, if you stop power, your head will fall on the glass and break ..something ! ) . I have an idea about that .. need to design and test, but i believe it can work well.

Look at this Ord Bot Z Belt Mod

A simple bowline knot like this one should hold: [www.youtube.com]

As for the step calibration, an easier way than measuring diameters could be just adjusting the existing number by measuring how far a move command is off (G1 X100 should move the X axis exactly 100mm, replace X with Y and Z for the other axis, and E for extruder -- and mark the filament with a CD pen) and using current steps per mm * length entered in the G1 command / measured length = new step value


- the longer the move, the more precice - 100mm should enough to make a simple ruler useful if you don't have digital calipers around.

(source: [www.printrbottalk.com])

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/25/2014 05:05AM by ZeAllan.

Thx madmike,

Nice implementation of belt on Z.

The counter weight is the point As i don't want to have 2 or more lbs there to prevent the head falling down, i'm working at making the all plate + X axis + head lighter. That will be certainly fixing X axis ( head translating ) , that will let us use aluminium rods with printed bushings , + nema14 (150gr) (will be enough as the head will be something like 150 gr to track ). Then.. we can have a belt on Z + counterweight around 300gr.

That's my view.. so it will take some weeks to design and test. But i believe it's worth it .

---

the Smartrap project

[smartfriendz.com]
[www.thingiverse.com]
[reprap.org]
[github.com]
doc assemblage: [reprap.org]
NEW: Forum smartfriendz: [smartraptalk.smartfriendz.com]

Madmike8, I have also pulled the trigger and one of V2 version yesterday I just couldn't resist

BackEMF,

thanks for such kind words! It's really nice to hear that

Okey, let us know what's the difference with the thermal greese, or the silicone pad when you try this.

Hi Smartfriendz,

Thanks for your answer, it cleared a lot. I feel a bit better now

Yes, a 4 screws and nuts is a big deal. I was looking aroud all my house to find these damn 4 nuts, because I have runned out of them. But I have pulled them out from my Led cube PCB mount >.< It was an act of despair, but I bought new ones and I put them back.
I wish you to find this tube in some car shop

Yes, you are a very busy person, so dont appology for the bad documentation. When you will have more time, I bet it will be done

Cliff,

I have tought about exactly the same thing. I have even seen somwhere on the Thingiverse a thing like you describe to print.
When I will receive my hot end, I will probably print it at the beginning

Good that you have also seen this and know the reason of Z coupler breaking. Thank's to it, more people will know this.
Or like Serge from Smartfriendz(if I can call you by your name) said there will be no threated rod, so maybe no problem

Thank's ZeAllan!

I will try this knot in near future(after next slipp of the line ) I think it will be a good one to tie the fishing line.
Or maybe I will change to belt drive? Probably yes and around July

Thank you very much for your step callibration help! I will try this for sure after receiving my hotend
For now my Smartrap works fine, so will callibrate it then with hotend.

Thermal greese vs silicone pad.

They both work just as good, thermal greese is just a bit more messy.

And both are better then 'nothing' since airpockets between the two aluminium peices act as isolators. Now I don't know if this will have a positive or negative effect on the printing, the fan will cool the cold end a tiny bit more effectively so lets enjoy the educational side of things..

Hi Guys, I have ordered nozlle with 0.35mm diameter. Was it good decision?
What do you think? It will be used with J-head lite v2.

Should work just fine. The trick is to get decent PLA to run through it. I'm running the J-Head Light V1 with a .4 at the moment and I have a .3 nozzle. Just have the right layer height for good bonding.

Mark

What about using screw terminals as z coupler



Those are 40 Amp screw terminals if i remember it right. Used as ax couplers on the volume pot and selector switches.
Low cost and in europe very common, dont know about the USA..

BackEMF, Good idea

Yes, in Europe they are very comom, I think in USA it can be found too.
But how about diameter? Not every one will fit. I dont have anny big enough to try. And I dont have time to visit shop.
Also, how about the area of rod and shaft that is hold by this? Is it enough to not slipp?

As far, my Z coupler from air tube works perfectly, so I will live with him a bit more.The only thing annoying me is the Z axis rod. Lubricating it is just pain in the ass :/ I think about using only to it some more dense lube, or I don't know-veseline? xD

Kamil

Hi Verteez,

The 40Ampere version is 5 mm if I remember it right. (it's almost 20 years ago since I worked on those amplifiers)
The aquarium tubes also work pretty good, though I added this option because it is stuff you can find at most local stores.

Vaseline works fine, lithuim greese would perhaps be better.

Hi there BackEMF,

If so, then it should work, it's worth to try Maybe my dad will have some, I will ask him tomorrow.
20 years is pretty long, it's more than I live xD But how they say? The old school metods are mostly the best ones

I will use the vaseline and write how it goes this evening.

For now, some fun thing. I just turned Smartrap on, loaded some test cube from SD card, and what? Big WTF, my printer can speek chinese xD lol


Good old Reset helped

I used Vaseline, seems to work well to me...

BTW, I've printed this out Smartrap Z axis Coupler but haven't installed it yet.

I was thinking about doing something between that, and the stock coupler.

Hey Guys, do you know how to set up BT module? I have connected it, but don't know what now. There's nothing in google about.

RAMPS Bluetooth Extension

Thank's Madmike8,
I saw this before but forgotten. I have made evrything like they said, but after connecting printer with Repetier Host, it's says 4 commands awaiting, and nothing happend. Pretty the same in the Cura

For now, Im too tired, will try something new in the morning.

Defeated.

I'm assuming your BT on your computer had discovered the device and assigned a com port. If so, did you set Cura to 115200 baud? Can you connect to it through a terminal program?

So, what I know so far.

My pc is able to connect with bluetooth module(I was checking on two of them), i have the COM port and baud set up like it should be. I have also enabled the BT command in my Marlin.

Yesterday I have done like it's said on reprap Wiki. BT for printer But it wasn't working. I tried with two modules, diffrent baudes, on Cura/Repetier Host/ android phone and tablet.
-In Repetier Host: pc it's able to connect with printer, everything seems fine, but no reaction. Software says that command are waiting, and nothing. I suppose that it's because of no response from printer software->BT fault.
-In Cura, the software cant open the serial port, or even if somehow menage to do it, it just crash, or freeze. So, nothing good.
-with Phone or tablet its the same. i have used diffrent programs from google marked, and always the same. It's able to connect with module(pair) but it don't get anny response.

I gived up, and just go to bed. Today I was trying again. I was using the method from reprap Wiki, from here Melzi Thing xD , two possibilities from this video (one with serial connection, second without)
In this both cases from the video, the script was not able to define the baud, so I couldn't do annything. Weird 0.o
I have also tried about 2 possible ways from Instructables.com, with connecting it to arduino uno, but I havent got anny response in terminal.
That was weird, so I have decided to try to get response from BT module(still trying with two of them)

I checked them with Putty, Arduino Ide terminal, Blue terminal, Hyper terminal, Tera term. Guess what..no response in all programs. WTF? It's starting to make me laugh.

I was connecting the BT with my arduino uno r3, Arduino mega, Arduino mini, Ramps 1.4, UATR adapter.

So, I have typed to the seller, maybe he will help me, or give me back my money, also, I have checked almost entire web, and nothing helpful.

I think that I will just buy longer cable, and stop messing around with this. Maybe someone will know what's wrong

Kamil.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/30/2014 09:17AM by verteez.

I have made it! Now my Smartrap is wireless

Works fine with Repetier Host, Cura, and android apps. I will record a quick demonstration video, today or tomorrow. Depends on light and my crappy camera.
So, how I made it? Really, I don't know till the end. It was just pain in the ass, but somehow worked today. I was lucky that I haven't quited out, and my girfriend was talking all the time that I will figure it out. She was right..like always

The first problem was with Bt module itself. I couldn't enter the AT mode, so I couldn't change the setting. After little chat with more experienced friend, we discovered that I need to set KEY high, so I just plugged it to 3.3v on my UART. It worked, YAY! So, then I started to talk with my BT. Ok, but after connecting to ramps, still nothing.
That was the second problem. The bt even if connected with my Pc/phone/tablet wasn't building the real connection with software. Marlin just wasn't responding.
I figured out that maybe I have to change something in Marlin, that it will start to respond. And then I saw light! At the beginning of this fun/hell I enabled the
#define BTENABLED command in Marlin, just like people said in web. And know what? That was the mistake, it was all because of this. Don't know why, but it was just preventing the communication.
Moment ago I just decided to disable it and everything worked, amazing fast, and simple when know what was wrong.
Now I can play

Kamil.

Congrats Kamil!! I'm glad you have it working now. I might have to try this in the future, especially when I make them for the kids in school for their projects.

Nice one Kamil!

I'm also going to try this once i have my printer running smoothly.