Well I think I have solved my problem. Not entirely sure how yet. Will let you know If I ever figure it out.by Madkite - Printing
On that not looking at the G-code slic3r makes the retract command is run after the G92 E0 and is something like G1 E1 F1800. As there is no G92 after it could that be messing it up? When I get the time to test. Probably not today. Will do a G-code with retract disabled.by Madkite - Printing
Will run a test on that when I can but don't think its the issue. Have run the code without the extrusion and it adds G92 E0 by default before it starts the print. Even ran it removing almost everything exsept setting temps. Didn't help.by Madkite - Printing
Hi all. Long time no post. Last time I was at this was in the Mendel days. Anyway having to paternity leave and some dough I though I would get a new printer. So got A Geeeeeeeeeeteck I3. Has the marlin based GT2560 board. Actually went together like a dream compared to the first kit I had. About a tenth the time. With better instructions I would give the kit 9/10. Now I have done a lot of pby Madkite - Printing
I have seen this when grinding tool steel before. But I'm not sure its a viable printing method as its a bit like hot metal spraying in that if it will join the surface its joining to is usually cherry red from the hot particles before. To keep al whole print red hot may be unrealistic. The other problem is the grindstone will where down and be throwing its unwanted particles in to the mix.by Madkite - Developers
A laser sls printer does not need a vacuum but an inert atmosphere to sinter most metals. The inert gas prevent oxidisation which prevents proper bonding.by Madkite - MetalicaRap
I'm thinking of making an on printer pellet extruder. Would solve so many issues. Found someone who mad a filament extruder with a wood auger so I think its possible if it can be small enough. The biggest thing I cant find out is how big the pellets are as they have to fit easily in to the spirals of the auger bit so it determines the smallest you can have. May end up heavy so would be bby Madkite - General
I tried this too but my rubber was too soft and no good traction could be achieved. Plastic does to seem to grip well to rubber.by Madkite - General
I have been printing in ABS for a few years and recently I just cant make mine work. My first nozzle lasted a while bit I think the PTFE became damaged due to an overheat and it in the end failed. I replaced it and this cured the problem for hundreds of hours printing. But it started to slip on the bolt and clog it reputedly again. I think the PTFE might loose its properties after a lot of use.by Madkite - Reprappers
Why are all political systems paranoid control freaks. This is just so stupid. I have all the tools and knowhow to build a machinegun if I wanted that would work. Hell I could build one that was powered by steam and fired ball bearings if I wanted, and make it lethal. It says volumes about the kind of people that commit violent acts that they are usually so rubbish at it. The kind of people wby Madkite - General
If you print a gun and blow a finger off with it its your fault. If you shoot someone with it its your fault. If you print a knife and cut your finger off with it its your fault. And if you stab someone with it its your fault. Its no more the designers fault than the manufactures of guns or kitchen knives fault. If you are a retard and do something stupid its your fault. The manufacturer doeby Madkite - General
The biggest and next opportunity from my perspective is metal printing and making parts of multiple materials. For example a slip ring with plastic insulation and a metal ring contact or a 3D circuit board allowing better circuit paths all integrated in to one solid component.by Madkite - General
Its looking good. Very nice. Will make an introductory post about my project next evening I have free. Probably next week.by Madkite - General
Any more progress on the site? Tried to go to the forum link but it was down.by Madkite - General
If you do some basic Pythagorean math it become clear why ever smaller nozzles are a problem. 0.5 mm has an aria of approximately. 0.78mm2 0.3 mm is 0.28mm2 That's 2.7 times more aria for material to pass through. It makes a huge difference to pressure and volume to increase the diameter by even a small amount.by Madkite - General
Watched this a while ago. Its novel but doesn't really have a practical use just yet.by Madkite - General
You will induce mechanical stress an cause not only hardening but distortion and with some metals cracking. This is a problem encountered with welding every time you do it to a cold surface. And is seen in many of the videos relating to sls processes as they use copious supports to try and prevent distortion. For a particular metal you will need to heat it to the point where it is at its annealiby Madkite - General
I wouldn't recommend trying to preheat the whole material bed. Engineering a mechanically complex chamber to heat and function at 1200c might be a little impossible not to mention ridiculously power hungry. Even anything over 150c can start to cause real problems with mechanics let alone electrics. A preheat laser is a much better idea if you can't economically obtain laser powerful enough.by Madkite - General
Vaporising instead of melting would be because of too much power for too long I would think. Also there is not a base like another layer of powder underneath in cutters. The layers beneath will absorb the heat so you would still need the power.by Madkite - General
Sites looking nice. Made a video of me messing about in the workshop today.by Madkite - General
Got the thermocouple fittings installed. Now can line the heat chamber with fire cement tomorrow. Then can start the heating element construction. Will try to take some film tomorrow.by Madkite - General
Got the thermocouple today so can now continue to construct the gas heating chamber now. May have a chance this weekend to do some. May film some of it. Self ignition! Surly not in an inert atmosphere. Precise components for the roller and the parts to guide it are essential.by Madkite - General
Got some more bits for my project. Can start collecting the pipe fittings now but will be waiting for bits from China for quite some time.by Madkite - General
Hazel that seems to largely depend on the wavelength of the laser too. So that's another variable.by Madkite - General
I have an electric furnace that will go to 1600c. I did suggest that method earlier but its not ideal to make really accurate parts. It also does not for fill my requirements for multiple material prints. Hazel. I noticed you put the focusing lens after the galvo. Would it not distort the angle of the beam when it is not passing through the lens at precisely 90 degrees? Why not start focusingby Madkite - General
The precise z movement is extremely easy. All you need is a screw. As the speed is almost irrelevant it can just be a screw system like on the current reprap Z axis. Drive it with a stepper motor and just work out the steps. It will be more then accurate enough and if you want more accuracy then just gear down the drive to it or use a finer screw. The accuracy of the screw is the most importby Madkite - General
That's looking very nice. You could make a card or thin aluminium mock of the dispenser unit and test it with some powdered material to see if it will work like you hope. Perhaps flour or something. These things can sometimes be a little tricky to get just right. One method to really speed up printing (Tough this would be potentially super expensive.) Is to have multiple lasers doing differentby Madkite - General
I have seen it but all the ones I have seen are quite large on the aria being added. So the detail as very poor. The aim would be to make it a tiny spot so you could make small parts of reasonable detail. It is another possible approach in making a multiple material printer. But inert gas shielding would be essential with this approach where it is not with my current approach. And different lasby Madkite - General
And if the tooling is too heavy for it then why not make it move the build platform and fix the tooling. If my project fails there is always using the collimator technology to fire dust in a narrow stream at low speed in to a laser melt pool.by Madkite - General