Milled Mendel Parts For SALE!

Hello All,

I wanted to post the parts I can now machine on my CNC mill which I built. These parts are made from hard plastic, I believe it is polyethylene but it is not documented. They are very strong parts because they are solid. The dimensions have been modified slightly to make them possible to mill. All the parts are 0.45" thick, because that was the thickness of the stock material. But I have assembled 3 Mendels from these parts and they work great. We are now waiting on electronics and motors so we can start printing. But in the mean time I wanted to offer these parts to the community to help jump start your Mendel. With these parts you will save a huge amount of time printing. Since you only have to print the more complicated parts, it should be easier, cheaper and faster to find someone to print the remaining parts. I also plan on having a few more parts for sale, I just need to photograph them and figure out the price. All the prices are based on the amount of time it take to make the parts.


Price: $8 per pair, which makes a single Frame-Vertex.
Number Needed per Mendel: 6
They are very strong. In fact we stood on the frame to prove it.
Me standing on the frame

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Price: $5
Number Needed per Mendel: 1

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Price: $5
Number Needed per Mendel: 4

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Price: $3
Number Needed per Mendel: 10

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Price: $8
Number Needed per Mendel: 1

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I can usually get both green and red plastic, and am happy to try to get the color you prefer but I cant guarantee I can get it. So let me know if you have a preference. Please post any comments or questions. I am happy to tell you what I know. If you would like to order any or all of these parts send me an e-mail with what you want, and I will send you a paypal invoice. If you don't use paypal let me know how you would like to pay. Also I use the USPS flat rate shipping boxes and you have to pay shipping.

My e-mail: jupdyke@gmail.com

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Here are some photos of the whole frame assembled.
Green Frame
Two Frames

Sorry for the long post. I wanted to put as much detail as I could in the first time around.

Josh

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/15/2010 09:51PM by jupdyke.

Have you milled any new parts?

Hello all,

I have been busy working, but finally carved out some time to make a few more parts. These are the largest parts on the Mendel. They are actually two parts when you print then, but I have seen them done as one part. Anyway here is what I can make.




If you want more photos here are some links showing each of the parts in detail.
Bottom side 1
Bottom side 2
Top side 1
Top side 2

Price: $30 per pair, which makes a single z-leadscrew and motor mount.
Number Needed per Mendel: 1

The price is so high because the part is huge and requires 5 machining operations. I use 3 different bits and have to flip each of the parts over and mill the back. I just want people to understand what goes into making this part on my mill.

I am working on the other side as well, it should be up tomorrow.

Josh

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/30/2010 07:37PM by jupdyke.

Looks nice. Cannot wait to see the other side. If the other side looks as good as this side, I will be ordering both sides from you shortly. I Was also wondering if you were going to mill the z leadscrew base bar clamps?

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/31/2010 02:10AM by librab103.

Here is the right side. It is very similar but holds a pulley instead of a motor. This is also two printed parts in one.

Price: $30 per pair, which makes a single z-leadscrew and motor mount.
Number Needed per Mendel: 1

Here are some more photos
Photo1
Photo2
Photo3
Photo4

The price is so high because the part is huge and requires 5 machining operations. I use 3 different bits and have to flip each of the parts over and mill the back. I just want people to understand what goes into making this part on my mill.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/01/2010 03:29PM by jupdyke.

Here is the z-leadscrew clamp


Price: $5 for a set of two
Number needed per Mendel 1 set

Well back to the shop to make some more parts. I can also do the thick sheet parts if anyone wants them, and I am happy to try to mill any parts you want. Just let me know what you would like to try and make.

Josh

Hi Josh,

Parts look great!

I'm a newbie here and have just discovered the world of open-source RP! Sorry, I haven't spent a lot of time to fully understand the BOM for the Mendel.

A few questions:

1. what is your cost for your complete set of parts for one Mendel printer?
2. what parts would I still need to procure? you mentioned one would need to fab the more complicated parts?

Thanks much,

Tom

Here is a image of the parts I can make, can't make and those somewhere in between.

Parts Glossary

Dark Blue:
These parts are 100% mill-able and I am comfortable selling them. The geometry of the parts match what a 3-axis mill can do and I have not worries about them working perfectly fine.

Light Blue:
These are parts which I milled for my own RepRap and they work, but might not be the best option for some reason or another. Many of them have transverse holes which means I have to turn the part 90 degrees to drill. When I do that I lose accuracy. We might have drilled them by hand, or something like that. So while I made them and they seem to work, I am not actively selling them. If you want them, e-mail me and I will tell you about the part in more detail and you can decide for yourself. Honestly they got my Mendel to the point that it can print a replacement and that is all I wanted the parts to do.

Red:
These are parts that I absolutely can not / will not mill. They are too complicated, have geometry that would require multiple fixtures, or a 4+ axis mill which I do not have.

Now keep in mind that the picture is showing you all the unique parts. Look at the quantity needed for each of those parts. You only need 1 or 2 of each red one, where are the frame vertex you need 6 and the y-bar clamp you need 10.

Also it you look at the volume of the parts. The frame vertex are bigger then most the red parts, and the z-leadscrew parts I make are huge.

When I started milling these parts I choose the ones that would take the longest to print and tried to make those. Most of the other parts are small and quick to print. Printing large parts is harder then printing small parts as well due to warping issues.

I hope that helps people understand what parts I can make, and cant make.

Josh

I have finished up all the orders I had received and now my mill is sitting idle. Anyone need some parts? 10% discount for the rest of the week.

Josh

Out of interest can you mill an extruder? I am thinking of Wade's stepper motor extruder

I would like any parts that you feel comfortable printing for my Mendel project! Can you PM me with price and shipping to 98503 zip code? Let me know either way! Thanks!

Apart from the thickness, have you changed the design of the parts in order to mill them? bflemings latest post to this thread [forums.reprap.org] which is about a machine called isaac seems to infer that they re designed all the parts to mill them.

I really didn't change very much. I split a few parts in half to make them as two parts that sandwich together and I added some bolt holes. But the parts I list here are all comparable with a regular Mendel. I have seen a little information about the isaac project, but my goal was to mill the parts I could to save time printing, not redesign the Mendel.

I hope that helps expain.

Josh

Hi
I am looking to buy parts for two Mendel machines which we will built as part of a university studio in Australia in July.

- Could you let me know if you will send parts to Sydney

if so could you send

- list of all of the parts you are willing to make (as per post above)
- supply a cost breakdown
- shipping cost both for surface and airmail.

I am looking to make the purchase within the next two weeks, then have the kit sent over here ASAP.

Your work looks good, hope to hear from you soon.

I just wanted to bump the thread and remind people looking for parts that I am sill making and selling these parts. I just sent out 3 sets earlier this month.

Contact me if you need some parts.

Josh

If I did my math right it is $170 for all the plastic parts on a Mendel? Either way that is a great deal.

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-Steve