BOM printed part - how do I get them?

Well, I'm caught. I have to build a Darwin!

However, I tried Alpha Prototypes' online quote by giving them an STL file of a single clamp and they gave me a price over $28,000. Gosh! This doesn't really match the $400 for a complete Darwin...

What's wrong here? How can I order the parts at a reasonable price? Or can even somebody here help me by printing the parts on their own Darwin?

Looking forward to your answer
Thomas Bremer

P.S.: I am in Germany. Sending or picking up the parts from any European or North American country would be no problem.

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Airspace V - international hangar flying!
[www.airspace-v.com] for tools and toys

Hallo Thomas,

... i'm in Germany too (near Frankfurt/M), didn't actually have a reprap, but i have very good contacts to some 3D-RP-companies, which printed me in past some complex parts for some hundres Euros or sometimes technology-testing-samples for free ...

Send me an email or PN with your contact-datas, then we can phone (best in german) too ...

Viktor

Howie,
I have been working on making a Darwin using MDF, and oak, I have also made drawing of most of the parts I have made. Also some pepole have been working on building machines "repstrap" out of black iron pipe parts. eather way we are wost willing to help you get started or the other option is to get a set of parts printed.

Bruce Wattendorf

I'm getting close to having all RP parts available from PU resin please see builders blog [builders.reprap.org] these will be available via RRRF for US or direct from myself for Europe as I'm UK based.

Adrian is letting me have the RP parts (I live very close to Bath )which i then copy/mould i expect to have a complete set within 1 month, and extruder kits should be by the end of this week.

I have already made a few sets but I'm not pleased with the quality and intend the actual extruder body to be clear PU to allow a better idea of whats happening inside but this needs a really well prepared master to mould off and the RP parts require quite a lot of finishing.

Hi Ian,

> ... and intend the actual extruder body to be clear PU to allow a better idea of
> whats happening inside but this needs a really
> well prepared master to mould off and the RP parts
> require quite a lot of finishing.

what's with using glass for better visibility?

That should be heatresistant and not so expensive with standard quartz-glass-tubes ...

Viktor

hi howie,

we recently got a set of RP parts made by materialise, in belgium. they are laser sintered, of high quality, strong enough but some parts can snap if too much compression force is applied. (eg. tightening bolts too much). some of the parts needed filing or drilling, but im not sure if this was due to the models or the printing. for some reason the minimum order was for 5 parts of each printed, with the cost per reprap RP set closer to 1500EUR. we are also working on laser cut wooden pieces, which will be much cheaper to produce. (see the thread on 'wooden reprap parts')

nik

Hi Viktor

I don't understand your post? are you suggesting moulding in glass? if so how do i do this as I'm happy to try anything.

The Clear PU I'm using is thermoset but seems a little brittle

I will be running of 10 sets of standard PU parts and carry on experiments with the clear stuff but any advise on using glass etc would be good

Hi Ian,

... if you want clear parts in your extruder, and you can't reprap them, then it could be made through inserting of prepared clear plastic- or glass-parts in the molded or reprapped parts.

Simply insert a glassplate as window or a tube in the extruder-feeding with glue ...

In a more sophisticated manner the glass-parts can be inserted while the reprapping, then the extruder can over-mould them ...

Viktor

Well, one point I want to make clear. Seems that there are Reprap _builders_ and Reprap _users_. Lessay in terms of self-mounted furniture.

Some people spend weekends with shopping for tools and parts, then even more weekends sawing, painting, and screwing stuff together. They want to _build_ a shelf, table, whatever.

Other people visit the next shop of a certain Swedish company, buy complete kits, screw them together on a single afternoon and are ready to _use_ their new shelf, table, whatever.

Got it?

Seems that there are many builders in this forum. Yes, it's called 'Reprappers'. I should have been warned. I am a user. I know that there are no complete kits yet. However, Shopping lists generated from BOMs are almost looking like kits to be collected at different locations. That's what I am looking for!

Bruce, I already found the article on Repstrapper. Looks great! Currently I am thinking about adapting this device a bit to get one satisfying my needs. Questions regarding constructing an extruder might appear here rather soon... But I am still open for proposals!

So far, thank you very much for your hints - to all of you!

Thomas Bremer

P.S.: Yes, I will report first report as soon as there is somoe.

P.P.S.: The Reprap project is really great! I am also thinking how to contribute with my close connection to a small printing shop.

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Airspace V - international hangar flying!
[www.airspace-v.com] for tools and toys

Thomas, did you change the units used in the dimensions to millimeters? It's to the left of the 'Upload' button and the default is 'Inches'. That might account for the high price. Just a thought...

graymushroom Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thomas, did you change the units used in the
> dimensions to millimeters? It's to the left of the
> 'Upload' button and the default is 'Inches'. That
> might account for the high price. Just a
> thought...

Yes, I did that. I even suspected the smaller size to be the reason for the high price. Well, doesn't make sense anyway...

Thomas Bremer

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Airspace V - international hangar flying!
[www.airspace-v.com] for tools and toys

Hi Thomas,

... could it be, that it's an dot/comma-reading - e.g. $28,000 for 28 US-Dollars instead of $28.000,00?

When i order small parts, then it's mostly in the range of 50 to some hundred Euros, dependant of height and inner complexity ...

Viktor

Hi Viktor,

> ... could it be, that it's an dot/comma-reading -
> e.g. $28,000 for 28 US-Dollars instead of
> $28.000,00?

if I remember correctly I saw something like $28,406,42. The length of the number also took my attention. In my opinion too many digits to be cheap.

> When i order small parts, then it's mostly in the
> range of 50 to some hundred Euros, dependant of

Well, I'll try again if I'll need some parts. Currently I am thinking of a different approach. Somehing like screws, bolts, and motors mounted on shelfboards. (Ivar to be precise. :-)) And a syringe used as extruder as first attempt. I expect costs of a few hundred dollars at most. And no need for special parts, everything comes off the shelf.

Well, seems that my interest extends to building such a device - not only using it to produce non-dishwasher-proof cups for cool drinks and chocolate sculptures. ;-)

Thomas Bremer

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Airspace V - international hangar flying!
[www.airspace-v.com] for tools and toys

I am another person trying to be a reprap user / work on the software side of things. What is the current state of ordering the 106 printed parts for Darwin in the USA?

Do I need to negotiate payment with someone who has a working RepRap... or someone want to go in with a group order? I am willing to combine a few orders and split them back out (take on the $ risk, ship to other people on the forum)... but I need instructions on exactly how/where to order.

Thank you.

If you want printed parts then i think the only option is commercial printing in which case volume is of no benefit as they all price around materials used (although more bucks generally helps with discount negotiations!!).

Moulded parts will be ready end of next week assuming the test fit goes OK this week I will be posting on the builders blog as soon as I have a complete Hardware build.

The parts are moulded from originals supplied by eD and Adrian with a few items coming from commercial sources (like the PCB P clips) All parts are direct functional replacements such than when Replication is achieved the moulded parts can be directly swapped out.

If this is of interest please private message me.

Ian

Ian,

I am interested in the extuder pump. Will pump parts be made available by themselves and when will this happen. I am machining mine--currently--out of aluminum bought from a scrap yard so I don't need one but I have a friend in Portland Oregon who doesn't have access to a machine shop so I wanted to help him get one. What is the ETA on those and have they been test fitted yet?

Demented

hey,

i have the extruder molds and have made 5 sets of castings. i am not comfortable selling them until i've tested them. however, i've been sort of hung up working on the firmware for the cartesian bot. if i dont finish that on friday, then i'll switch over to working on the extruder code and will try to give them a full burn-in on saturday.

if that goes well, then hopefully i'll have them up on the store come monday.

~Zach

Demented Chihuahua Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Ian,
>
> I am interested in the extuder pump. Will pump
> parts be made available by themselves and when
> will this happen. I am machining
> mine--currently--out of aluminum bought from a
> scrap yard so I don't need one but I have a friend
> in Portland Oregon who doesn't have access to a
> machine shop so I wanted to help him get one. What
> is the ETA on those and have they been test fitted
> yet?
>
> Demented

Hi Demented

I have complete sets of RP parts for the Extruder see builders blog but because the half bearing are tricky to make I'm about to try a new design with the bearing cast in the original moulding while it will have a sorter life than brass bearings it will be much easier to make and can easily be replaced with the brass bearing version later if required. eD & Adrian have supplied me with a RP part to mould off it's just I'm trying to test all the Cartesian bits first.

If your friend would like an Extruder set please private message me as I'm getting a few requests for parts and will probably try to do a consignment shipment to the US I also think Zach is possibly doing some Extruder parts. Either way the answer is yes all parts will be available as single items.

I have assembled the parts of the Extruder but I have not tested it with a Drive system again this will be done once the Cartesian bit is sorted.

ETA on extruder parts available now but for US better to wait a few weeks when I'll ship a group lot

Ian

I wonder how many people will be jumping on those parts when they're ready. I'm (patiently) waiting for these to become available:
- RP parts kit for Cartesian
- RP parts for extruder
- extruder shaft and bearing

It might be useful to start a thread to find out how many people are looking for these parts, to get a feel for demand. I suspect that there are quite a few who haven't actually voiced their interest but are checking here and rrrf.org every few days, ready to pounce.

Zach said that he's had 140 distinct customers, so it's entirely possible that there are that many people looking for parts, plus or minus. I'm guessing it'll be a while before supply catches up with demand.

As soon as i have checked fit of the parts I should be able to make 4 or more sets per day if required, so I'm fairly sure I can meet even an initial high demand.

I have been asking people to Private Message me so I can get a feel for demand which at this point seems quite easily achieved.

The day is drawing very close when there will be many a RepRap(strap)

With everything obtained except the RP parts, just one revolving question remains....

Are they ready yet?
(...repeat until finished...)



I would love to be able to help make these parts. Alas, the conundrum taunts me - need a mold of the parts to made more parts, to make a mold of the parts to.... well, that's no doubt the cloud above many other would-be rep-rappers. We're just stuck without a feasable solution, and desperate for a fix. Personally I'm fully (fooly?) invested in reprap technology - sitting in a box. Lol.

I'm willing to support the project by producing parts, software devel, and more... as soon as the chance arrives.

hey,

i'm about to post the extruder cast parts on the RRRF store, so you can get started there.

i'm also going to do an order of the McWire lasercut parts which will allow anyone to build a cartesian bot for cheap.

once we get those two things going, building a repstrap will be accessible to just about everyone interested.

~Zach

Hi Ian,

How can I order the parts created in silicone molds from you?

Thanks,
Adam

Adam,

I think Zach is still working on that. I suggest you keep on this particular blog posting at [www.rrrf.org]

Hope this helps.

yes, the cast extruder parts are now available at the RRRF store. [store.rrrf.org]