Ponoko RepRap Extruder Troubleshooting slipping filament

Has anyone out there built the Ponoko RepRap Extruder. I have just built one for myself following the directions here [reprap.org]

The motor works great. Its moving the gears and studding as needed. But the filament isn't moving. It seems that the filament is slipping on the studding. I'm not exactly sure how to solve this problem. I've tried adjusting the idle. But that doesn't help.

Any Solutions???

--sun2407

sounds like you haven't got enough compression on the springs

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Hell, there are no rules here - we're trying to accomplish something.

Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.

Thomas A. Edison

I've not direct experience of the Ponoko design but you probably need to sharpen the thread with a file also try running a hacksaw into the root of the thread this gives it more of a butres shape which also helps

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Ian
[www.bitsfrombytes.com]

If you have access to some taps (the kind for cutting threads), I found it was easier to make a new bolt from 8mm steel rod (I had some spare from the cartesian bot) Cheap tap sets especially leave a really sharp edge, which here is actually much better.

The M5 screw that held in the filiment idler baring on my ponoko reprap had too big of a head, and even if I made the clamp very tight, the idler still wouldn't press on the filiment.

The solution was to file down the edge of the M5 screw head a millimeter or two.

Stronger springs will not help you if the screw doesn't let the baring go far enough.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/04/2009 01:55PM by dbenoy.