Reprap versions

Hello everyone,

I am trying to get my head around all the mendels out there so I can try and choose the right one. But first I would like to ask about Sells Mendel. I have seen itmentioned but not found it by name, is that the 'original mendel?

So my list is at the moment:
Original Mendel
Prusa Mendel - should be cheaper but needs more maintainence with bushes
Ocra Mendel - not sure yet of specs as waiting for information from Mendel-Parts but should be easier to build then original
Huxley Mendel - smaller print area, maybe based on Prusa model?

Currently I want to hold out for the Huxley as it may be smaller, but cheaper and gives me a chance to see if I will really use a RepRap much. Can also print a bigger one later as well. Is this a wise decision?
Nhhhh

Yes, the original Mendel is the Sells Mendel (designed by Ed Sells who now works for Bits from Bytes).

The Huxley is cute and much easier to transport but doesn't cost much less then the normal Mendel so unless you are planning to do a lot of demos and shows I would go for the normal Mendel since you get a much bigger print area for the same price.

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Bob Morrison
Wörth am Rhein, Germany
"Luke, use the source!"
BLOG - PHOTOS - Thingiverse

Yes, the original Mendel is the Sells Mendel
I'm not sure the wiki knows the "Sells Mendel" term. We probably need to tweak the wiki accordingly, since it is leading to new-folk confusion.

so unless you are planning to do a lot of demos and shows
I've always felt twitchy about this bit. When you're doing a demo or show, you want to drag out the big iron, not an undersized machine.

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Bob is right that a Huxley isn't good value compared to a Mendel, unless money is really tight.

If money is tight, you should buy a tablesaw or laser cutter and do up a wolfstrap or 1X2 bot.
http://reprap.org/wiki/What_Tooling_Do_You_Have

I'm personally pushing Orca since we need test pilots for it. And documentation:
http://reprap.org/wiki/Orca

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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!

I am also curios about ORCA, does anyone know if it's rely ready for sales, delivery time? A neat machine if I understand correct a 1.75 mm filament printer from start??

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Cheapest PLA on the net Supply3DPLA.com

Thanks for the advice guys, have been tempted by the orca which seems to be available soon at mendel parts. Not sure if it would be a good thing to go with a newer beta design for someone who hasn't done this before. It does seem to be in a near final stage though, worth the risk?

It is difficult to say from our current documentation on it:
http://reprap.org/wiki/Orca

But Camiel stands by his work, so it is probably a quite good machine and an
improvement on Prusa Mendel.

We have a well defined procedure we enact in such cases, which
is that we talk you into buying and building one so that we find out that yes,
it is a good machine, merely one which currently lacks comprehensive
documentation on the reprap website.

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-Sebastien, RepRap.org library gnome.

---

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!

Hi Guys,
we will post all stl files/bom etc in a week or less, Orca version 0.2 that is..
and about readiness for sale, we already have 4 orca's now (3 printing) in that short period..
Yesterday two friends build one Orca in one day.. and they have never build a 3D printer before.. so thats pretty nice
(see this video, that is orca nr.4 they have build: Orca nr.4 is printing Orca nr.5 )
I myself am building Orca nr.2 (still.. yes i dont have much time) but its 70% finished and the stopwatch say 2:23 now... )
I think if you have experience and proper manual/important dimension (should come within 2-4weeks) you can build one in 4hours or something..

However on downside, longterm issues are hard to predict, however if we notice issues we will upgrade parts off course.
in most situations that will be only plastics, however I cant promise that Orca v0.5 for example will have same thick sheet (probably not).
So that might be the only reason not to jump in yet with v0.2.
And to people complaining about more thicksheet and aluminium and less plastics etc.. it should also work in some proper wood material..
Maybe you need to thicken some parts etc, but its all so very simple that its no issue i think.
And i think Orca has a better balance between thick sheet and plastics.. ill explain more about that later
enough talk for now, I prefer working instead of blabla, im sorry hehe.. things are just going to fast lately, talking is waste of time, since things are outdated in few weeks already..

ow and last but not least: dont worry too much on Orca release, ive learned from Gen6 some things.. this time ill try my best to make a good wiki etc from start but few more higher priorities first.. probably this weekend. (and files, yes sebastien )

best regards.
Camiel Gubbels
www.mendel-parts.com

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/18/2011 04:20PM by camiel.

Thanks for the reply Camiel, just to clarify, if there was a fundimental error you would offer a replacment (part)? I should be in a position to buy in about a month or two so hopefully by that time any kinks should be worked out :-)

Without any hesitation I will definitely buy more printers from mendel-parts.com I have only the best experience from them.
I also understand that they must be snowed under with orders and work, despite that I have had superb service, thanks Camiel!
In my opinion I would rather buy a printer like ORCA built with metal than wood... I cant rely say why, but I like metal!

"smartroad" I think you can feel completely calm about support, I do!!!! I have already bought a printer from mendel-parts and
it is not my last.

Regards

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Cheapest PLA on the net Supply3DPLA.com

smartroad Wrote:
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> It does seem to be in a near final stage though, worth the risk?

"RepRap" and "final stage" dont match if you ask me.. in general everything reprap related is "in development / work in progress"...

and Orca v0.2 means its far from final off course, its more a 2nd prototype then final stage.. if you want final you have to wait for v1.0.
But that might take long time or might not even happen at all, I mean maybe after Orca v0.5 comes Salmon v0.3 who knows..

thats the nice thing about RepRap... Its very hard to predict what will happen, so its difficult for webshops to keep up all the changes all the time, but on the other side, alot of nice surprises pop up too .
its sort of living on the edge (in both directions) what will this week bring.. hotend v7 ? (yes few more weeks..) gen6 touchscreen ultra edition? (first prototype in probably 6-8 weeks) new PLA colors? (who knows what next load will bring..) or bad news änd delay? or a new 3D printer or new extruder? or a very nice manual? or a closed webshop.. or?

so one thing is for sure, very exciting times and not much is final

smartroad Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thanks for the reply Camiel, just to clarify, if
> there was a fundimental error you would offer a
> replacment (part)? I should be in a position to
> buy in about a month or two so hopefully by that
> time any kinks should be worked out :-)

hello,
yes off course we can send replacement parts if that is needed, parts that were not ok or something (i cant think of why..) but anyway that is possible yes. however not free upgrades to v0.4 parts off course. Those you have to print yourself.

However there is no fundemental error, else we couldnt build 4 orca's in a week..
v0.2 has one small error, i decided not to remove (yet), two plastic parts (under big alu thick sheet) need to have 1 corner cut off a few mm with a knife.. else they hit the big pulley washers.. that is only fundemental error on v0.2 I can think of now..

For rest maybe downside of v0.2: it will have opto's fitted simply with cable-ties, (see videos) so maybe in future we will have changes on some parts to make that easier/better, but those should be plastic part upgrades only. However customer can also think of solution for that.. we have made the basics.. now others can also finish it (their own way).. see Orca as a standard basic kit, which you can finish/pimp your own way.

Thanks Camiel, I wasn't meaning to imply that there is any problem with Orca, just giving an example. Of course I wouldn't expect upgrades (nice though that might be LOL). Cheers again for your time. Once I have the money together it will be a toss-up between Orca and Prusa. I lookforward to more checking out the vids you post up on youtube

The sheer volume of information is daunting for a newcomer. I noticed the Orca is planned to print directly from an SD card. How far from reality is that??

SD printing is already possible with the Sprinter firmware on RAMPS.

mikey Wrote:
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> The sheer volume of information is daunting for a
> newcomer. I noticed the Orca is planned to print
> directly from an SD card. How far from reality is
> that??

Orca will be sold in beginning with our standard Gen6 Electronics, somewhere in September we will sell Orca's with our new electronics (4,3" touchscreen with SD card etc). But default the GEN6 cannot print from SD card, however in theory it is possible to add an SD card and change firmware etc to make it work. (I know people who already have done that).
But our new electronics will also have much more features beside printing from SD, things like true acceleration (with traject-control, pretty complicated..), native usb, restart lost prints (power off for example) etc. We will reveal more features of our new electronics coming weeks/months.

Greg Frost Wrote:
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> SD printing is already possible with the Sprinter
> firmware on RAMPS.

Got a link to the firmware and SD reader hookup? I've searched but not much luck.


camiel Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> mikey Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > The sheer volume of information is daunting for
> a
> > newcomer. I noticed the Orca is planned to
> print
> > directly from an SD card. How far from reality
> is
> > that??
>
> Orca will be sold in beginning with our standard
> Gen6 Electronics, somewhere in September we will
> sell Orca's with our new electronics (4,3"
> touchscreen with SD card etc). But default the
> GEN6 cannot print from SD card, however in theory
> it is possible to add an SD card and change
> firmware etc to make it work. (I know people who
> already have done that).
> But our new electronics will also have much more
> features beside printing from SD, things like true
> acceleration (with traject-control, pretty
> complicated..), native usb, restart lost prints
> (power off for example) etc. We will reveal more
> features of our new electronics coming
> weeks/months.

Sounds fantastic! Looking forward to seeing that.

[github.com]

Not sure about hardware details.

Neither am I

Greg Frost Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> [github.com]
>
> Not sure about hardware details.

So what's the best than?

I'm looking to buy a kit from mendel-parts, but what should i do?
Buy the orca v0.2 or the mendel?
I saw that the orca is sheaper, but is it also as good as the mendel?
or should i wait untill the orca v1.0 comes out?

Fof

and the developer himself said on mendel-parts that mendel is a dead end for him...

>When I need to fix something on a Mendel I dont like it, when i need to work on an Orca, it makes me smile, its just so nice to work on, very good accessible, simple, open frame construction, mainly m8 and m4 bolts/nuts etc etc. Mendel is becoming a dead end to develop on for me, while Orca is just started and the basis is already much better.<