Where are people?

Joules

I am in Doncaster and happy to help.

As I am currently retraining to be D&T teacher though my time is in savagely short supply.

It should return to something approaching normality by summer......

However I certainly can advise and we could meet up sometime over the next couple of months, if you like.

Cheers

aka47

---

Necessity hopefully becomes the absentee parent of successfully invented children.

I am in Cheltenham. My RepRap has been working for several months and I would like to chat face-to-face as well as via the forums.

Jon Wise

I'm in Norwich, and I'm trying to get a group of year 12 students together (me being one) to build a laser cut RepStrap by the end of June. I will probably be posting on these forums frequently when we hit problems . We are hoping to build it for under £500 inclusive of everything needed. Does this seem viable to everyone?

I realise my mini introduction is a bit off topic, but this seemed like the best topic I could find.

Anyway, I was wondering if the Ponoko laser cut plans were the most up to date, and if not, where would be the place to source them. We have a laser cutter at school, and access to various lathes and drill presses and welders and CNC routers. As a side note, would a metal based RepStrap be simpler to fabricate, since we have the tools available.

Also, I was wondering if my idea of getting all the super structure put together before getting parts was a good idea? Basicly, what are people's opinions of our plans, time scales, and does anyone have some tips for helping the build go smoothly?

Simplest/cheapest route from A to B for you as Yr12 is to get the laser cutting details and persuade your school to stump up the plastic.

Next major expenses are the fixings (nuts and bolts), stepper motors and finally electronics.

Yr12 Hmm early AS level or Btec/Diploma ????

If you can convince the school that you can sensibly build the finished item and they can use it you may get them to contribute towards the costs for those other parts I listed.

Most schools should be keen to go with an argument for their own RP machine particularly if they have 3D CAD software available through their D&T Department (Usualy on of.... Pro Desktop, Pro Engineer, Solid Edge or even Inventor)

Ping your D&T folk and see what they will help with, failing that play the Science department of against the D&T department and see what you can get.

aka47

---

Necessity hopefully becomes the absentee parent of successfully invented children.

Thanks for your input Andy.

A head of something or other at our school (he's an ICT teacher, but he's high up so I think he has some sway over D&T) has agreed to sponsor our project, and is willing to pay around £500 (but hopefully a little bit less), for the Rep-Rap.

Our D&T department has Solid Works, and are perfectly happy to let us loose on the laser cutter (partly because I've played about with it when trying to laser engraving instrument ribs but that's another story). The D&T department would love our RP machine, just they say they don't have the spare time to make it and build it.

I'm getting one of my Physics teachers to help us on the technical side of things. He's been an engineer, (and was disrupting television signals in his area, by creating large sparks, from a young age) and is good with electrical stuff, so we shouldn't end up too many technical problems hopefully .

We are a group of AS Physics students and quite a few of us have done technology or electronics at GCSE.

---

Nick Southon

S'ok your welcome.

I am sure your D&T dept would love to play with it, I guess I understand them being busy and short of time. The question you may wish to consider then is what in terms of materials, electronics and budget etc can they donate towards a machine that they will ultimately be able to use as part of their curriculum.......

Certainly threaded M8, M8 rod, acrylic, nuts & bolts machine tools etc if not some consumables and the gear for making PCB's. (photo etch or even toner transfer masks).

Best of luck

Cheers

aka47

---

Necessity hopefully becomes the absentee parent of successfully invented children.

Tomorrow I'm testing to see how to print the .dxf files from SourceForge (http://reprap.svn.sourceforge.net/viewvc/reprap/trunk/reprap/mechanics/bits-from-bytes-designs/DXFs-for-laser-cutter/). If that works, I should be cutting out the parts in acrylic next week sometime.I'm assuming if I cut out all of the above mentioned files, it'll be a matter of assembling them after that?

---

Nick Southon

I am just about to sort out ordering the electronics and so forth for a RepRap. Below is what I think is what I need, is there anything missing, or anything superfluous?

Cartesian Robot v1.0 x 1
Thermoplast Extruder v1.1 x 1
PWM Driver v1.1 x 1
Arduino Based Electronics x 1
GM3 Noise Suppressor v1.0 x 1
Opto Endstop v2.1 x 6
Arduino Breakout v1.4 x 1
Stepper Motor Driver v1.2 x 1
Temperature Sensor v2.0 x 1

Thanks for any input

---

Nick Southon

In south west scotland. about to graduate from university of glasgow (no chickens before they're hatched tho)

nearly finished (hopefully, I think) a RepRap that is part of my final year project.

I'm in the south west, near Bath.
Let me know if you're in the area!

Renoir

Hi all,

Im just starting to put together a reprap in manchester.

just started to put order electronics parts for the generation 3 electronics (just waiting for the motherboard PCB to come back in stock at rrrf)

anyone else in the manchester area??

simon

Yes I am 10 miles from Manchester.

---

[www.hydraraptor.blogspot.com]

I am a little further away @ 26-30 miles south of Manchester.

---

Bodge It [reprap.org]
=======================================

---

BIQ Sanguinololu SD LCD board	BIQ Stepcon	BIQ Opto Endstop
BIQ Heater Block PCB	BIQ Extruder Peek clamp replacement	BIQ Huxley Seedling
BIQ Sanguinololu mounting	BIQ standalone Sanguinololu or Ramps mounting	Print It Stick It Cut it

My rep strap: [repstrapbertha.blogspot.com]

Buy the bits from B&Q pipestrap [diyrepstrap.blogspot.com]
How to Build a Darwin without any Rep Rap Parts [repstrapdarwin.blogspot.com]
Web Site [www.takeaway3dtech.com]

starting to sound like there is a whole mini reprap comunity around manchester

Hi all,

Im in Folkestone, Kent.

Mini Bio: I found the reprap project about a year and a half ago when I was searching for PIC tutorials online, and fell instantly in love with it.

I have been working on my repstrap since then, loosely based on Forest Higgs' Tommelise 2 design. I have taken a very round-about do-everything-myself approach, for the learning experience of it, and that has been one of the main reasons why it has taken me so long. I am, however, very nearly there... I anticipate being actually able to -DO- something within the next few weeks.

I have mainly stayed silent until I actually had something to report, but I have followed the work of my fellow Rappers with great interest, especially Forest and Nophead, who have rekindled my enthusiasm whenever it has waned.

A great, big thank you to you all.


Eoin

Looks like I'm about to move to Glouster/Cheltenham. I've got a placement year in Tewkesbury. Which seems to make me closer to the majority of you RepRappers.

Hi Guys im in N. Ireland I was wondering if anyone with a reprap built could make parts for me? Id gladly pay delivery costs and costs of materials. If anyone could help me out my email is trainrollon@hotmail.com

Hey, just posting to register my interest in talking/meeting up with anyone further along than me (ground zero) or anyone who wants to collaborate, I'm up north at the moment but most of the time in London.

I'm in Horwich, on the edge of Bolton (about 10 miles from nophead). My first ordered part just arrived! Four nema 23 stepper motors bought on ebay for £47 inc p&p. I can recommend Astrosyn's ebay shop!

Barney.

I'm in Stockport, so yes there seem to be quite a crowd of us in this area!
I started building a few months ago, and have just received my electronics parts, so I'll be assembling them next.

How about those of us around the Manchester area all meeting up then?

---

Hazel

[copycatbot.blogspot.com]

I'd love to meet up. Hazel & nophead's blogs have really encouraged me, and made me think I should start one. Trouble is, I know I wouldn't keep it up, because I hate writing.

Barney.

Hi Barney, very kind, thank you.

Do you like photographs? Who says you need to write? Just add photo's as you go along with a line description.

Come to that, who says you need to do your own blog? If it's not for you, just enjoy the build!

Hazel

Hello all

I'm in Snowdonia North Wales and also sometimes in Cardiff. Myself and a friend in Cardiff are thinking of starting a build towards the end of the month, if your in the area and would like to join us your more than welcome to.

Been following the project for a some time now, thankyou all for building such a great project. I look forward to getting involved and contributing.

Trystan

Hi all, from Aberdeen!

I would like to start a Mendel here, but it's so hard to get the printed parts! Anyone would have some time to make me some please?

Cheers!

I'd like to see a RepRap in action, and you're the nearest as far as I know. Any chance of a visit?

contact:
phil@pthane.co.uk 01978 861677

Alas, my reprap cannot act yet: it is not built. I have the electronics, the metal parts, the steppers... but I still miss the printed parts (Mendel parts, if anyone has some). I will let you know when I have everything up and working. Can you send me a PM, so that I don't forget?
It may not be before spring, though, it all depends on how fast I get the printed parts and Mendel parts are not easy to get at the moment. Patience is a virtue...

Hey all,

I've been posting a while, also based in Cheltenham, want to know if any of the Cheltenham users are still active, none look to have posted for a while?

Anno

My names Peter, though most call me Sci. 29, self employed and living in London, E4.

A reprap would certainly help my very small scale prototyping and development needs. And since so many people seem to have trouble getting the printed parts, I'm trying to see if it's feasible for me to make and sell cast versions.
Plus I have a large vacuum chamber I aim to get working (18" dia. ex surface-coating steel bell jar), so would like to see if the reprap can be modified to work under high vacuum conditions (~5x10^-5mb) as well as the already proven -1G. :3

Odd that the UK usergroup seems so quiet since the project started here. Are those in the UK discussing elsewhere, or just outside this usergroup if there is just nothing UK-centric to discuss?

Hi Peter,

I agree with you: it is quite surprising to see that no big group emerged from the UK. The US seems to be the most active part of the world reprapwise.
I am VERY interested in your idea to create cast version of parts. I desperately need to get all the Mendel printed parts (http://objects.reprap.org/wiki/Mendel_solid_model_files). If you can do something, please let me know, I am a potential customer
Plus, cast version would allow me to work on new models of extruders more safely. I am considering using higher temperature extruders to try recycling plastic bottles. But first, I need the reprap!

Hi Lionel,
I wouldn't be surprised if the lack of UK membership is because of the country's shift away from manufacturing industries. Many of those with a real enthusiasm for engineering seem to end up being employed overseas, or worked into the ground, giving no free time. Maybe we just need to raise the profile of it in the UK though?
I'm trying to find someone with a hobby mill who'd be willing to make one of each part (minus the crosswise holes) either cheaply or in exchange for a completed set later on. Even the cheap small engineering firms want more than it'd cost me to build a CNC mill of my own! Only need it in something fairly solid. Plastic, wood, clay, wax, plaster.. some might not survive the post well though.
I made a post in the castings group about it, but I've put some feelers out with some like-minded friends too.

IIRC, there's one of the Gingery Machine Shop books that is how to make your own injection moulding machine, and works with recycling plastic bottles. It may be a help? If you could extrude the bottles into standard filament, it could be applied to any machines.