Mendel Build in Sunny Sussex, UK

My thread http://forums.reprap.org/read.php?4,42563 has been moved to a UK RUG (which is not linked to from the main RepRap user group list - and only seems to contain mine and one other UK builders post.

Should I read into this that contributions from people from the UK (or outside the US?) are not wanted on the main forum?

Si

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[Edit: I've merged this note with the original thread, and moved the thread back to RepRappers - sebastien]

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/20/2010 08:51PM by SebastienBailard.

Ah.

I thought I was doing you a favor, and this would help you and the other UK RUG people coordinate. As you seemed to be doing - the discussion of regional suppliers seemed as though it would be most helpful to fellow UKers in the UKers RUG forum.

Different folk have different takes on this, e.g.
[forums.reprap.org]


No slight was intended. Good luck with your build.

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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!

Today the printed parts arrived from Adrian @ RepRap courtesy of eBay - so I could actually start building.

I bought another set of parts on eBay a month or two ago - but the print quality was so terrible, I could have done better with a hot glue gun! They were sent back. Adrian's parts are near perfect and I'm more than a little impressed!

So far I've built most of the X and a bit of the Y axis. The kit was supplied with a geared extruder which needs a little knurled brass drive wheel to move the filament. They are available from www1.conrad-uk.com - but, including shipping they are £9 - which seemed excessive for a tiny part.

This evening, I made my own. I'll post some photos tomorrow (left my camera at work). I've made one that is knurled and one with a 1mm pitch screw thread cut in to the side. I had to make a special tool holder for the lathe and it did a pretty good job.

Not sure which will work best - but at least I can try them and find out.

For the future, I have a couple of novel extruder & heated bed ideas - but I'll post them as I build them.

Si

I've built up to this point - just waiting on opto boards, some of the extruder bits and the laser cut thick sheet - and I'll be ready!

Hi Si,

I live in Leatherhead, Surrey so seem to be very close to you. I'm keen to get started on my own Mendel, so am working through a planned approach. As funds are tight this will mean doing things over time.

I'm starting with getting some of the hardware together, will be trying to make some of the RP parts out of wood and just get the RP parts I need to get going then replace as I can print them.

Nice to find someone relatively close.

Craig

Hi Craig,

I'm in Horsham, so only 20 miles or so.

Making the parts out of wood is a good idea. I was originally going to mill them out of Aluminium, but decided it was so much work to make some of the more complex parts that printing is the best option.

Once I'm up & running (two to three weeks at a guess), and I've figured out how to get decent prints! - let me know if there are any parts you're really stuck on and I'll see what I can do! It would probably be good practice for making other stuff anyway.

For the thick sheet, I'm using Cirrus Laser Ltd in Burgess Hill. They will have the program for cutting more if you require (I'll tell them to make the program available to anyone who wants). Apart from thte thick sheet which should be later this week, all I'm waiting on are the opto boards & kapton tape for the extruder which, once the Icelandic ash cloud has blown over will be winging their way from the US.

Regards, Si

Si,

Would it not be cheaper for them to produce multiple sheets in one go, or is it that once they done a 'setup', then reloading it is a lower setup cost.

When I last looked into commercial laser cutting (ages ago), the people wanted the setup fee each time.

If it is cheaper to simply run 2 off at the same time, then it may be an idea for me to get one with you now rather than later (I need to keep the costs down wherever possible, so if it means getting the bits in a different order to the previous plan then so be it.)

Regards,
Craig

Yup, you're probably right. Cirrus charge for programming but since I give them about 100k worth of business per year - they tend to forget that.

If you or anyone else would like a set (at cost) let me know quickly!

Si

Count me in for this order, if you can drop me a PM or email (plainnash[at]gmail[dot]com) with a rough price that'd be fantastic. Cheers Si.

Hi Si,

I definitely want one. Please let me know how much and how to get the cash to you. Obviously I can come pick it up in person once you have it.

You can keep contacting me on the forum or on email (craig[at]kritzinger[dot]net)

Thanks,
Craig

I've ordered 4 sets and I'll be in touch when they are done. Any preference on material? They do not cut much wood so I have asked him to select some 6mm plastic that looks particularly flat. Either Polycarbonate, acrylic or ABS, but also to cut me a slab of Aluminium that has been ground flat to use as the bed. I figure this could become heated in the future.

Si

Si,

That's great news. No preference from me at this time. I'm sure I may form an opinion later when once I've completed my build and start making revisions.

As with DIY campers (one of my other pastimes), I am sure this is the kind of build which is never done. (Even if it works)

Craig

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/21/2010 02:59PM by CraigRK.

I've no preference either, at the moment I'd rather keep the cost cheap before it spirals out of control, then make modifications later.
Is there any general consensus on which plastic is more suitable for the bed?

Hi Simon,
I'm just getting interested in the Mendel project, have you got one up and running yet?
Cheers
Pete.