You will not have true printer reproduction until such time as you get to the point of an open robot arm printing at the molecular level in one atmosphere using multiple materials. While each of these things have already happened separately, they will need to be integrated for the true ability for printers to self duplicate. As with all technologies, the first one will cost a bloody fortune, howeby Maxx Mayhem - Reprappers
Yvan, he mentioned 5, would be his preferred low number. If this machine pans out, I would like to produce it(with a lot fewer parts to be certain) and I told him this. So I'm waiting for a quote before I get too excited...by Maxx Mayhem - Reprappers
Wipers. Think slot cars.by Maxx Mayhem - Reprappers
Stratasys bought Makerbot to position themselves against the 3D systems Cube in the consumer market. Kind of lik Windows and Mac, but with reversed price points. Maybe exactly like Windows and Mac. Matters not who sels more because the goal is for the 2 of them to sell the lion's share, with the cream of the rep rap crop as an analog to linux. Like the auto industry in the 1920s, or the home compby Maxx Mayhem - General
The heater guy I spoke with yesterday recommended aluminum for larger surfaces, They machine the plate and ship it with the heater attached. I'll have a quote on the heater (only) next week. I wonder how much THAT's going to be.by Maxx Mayhem - Reprappers
The more wattage your bed uses, the faster it will heat. I finally got a hold of the rep from the place I am looking at for the beds for my printers. The good news is, he has the capacity to make whatever I need, with the exception of thermocouple only versus thermistor. The bad news, he really is not interested in selling only one. I told him I want a 3-5 minute time to 120C. I should have a priby Maxx Mayhem - Reprappers
I have got LCD up, SD up, 6064 up running Z mots, all for around 45 minutes and still all stone cold.Keeping in mind I have nothing plugged in (hotends, heater) that's supposed to heat up. Other than one bad (slow) motor fan, everything seems good so far.by Maxx Mayhem - Reprappers
Power up test #1: Fans come on, 6064 comes on. Ramps comes on, 3 red blinking (alt) ;LEDs so something is wrong but not that wrong. Time to curl up with a good computer and figure out how to hack around my SD card requirements. Stay tuned...by Maxx Mayhem - Reprappers
I started wiring this week, I've got the mains in, one of the PSUs in use, the X mots and their fans, as well as a fan for the 6064 driver. For convenience, I've installed a breadboard, I still have to verify a few things before I go for the initial power up. Since I'm using SDramps along with the LCD, I had to wire all that with jumpers, I have to determine whether the LCD is powered with or sepby Maxx Mayhem - Reprappers
With all the issues of ramps being interrupted by RF, I'm wondering if anybody has tried any methods of shielding the ramps boards themselves...I'm thinking Faraday cage.by Maxx Mayhem - Reprappers
I do not use squares for machinery. I have a bunch of squares, the only one which is remotely square is a compact Brown and Sharp that is at least 70 years old, it's companion, a 12" starrett is worn and no longer square. I bought a 24" Empire level which is not a true machinist level, but for under 30 bucks promises accuracy to 1/50,000 inch. So first you level the top, and then plum the verticaby Maxx Mayhem - Reprappers
Stove glass as I have been told is good for 1200 deg F. Tempered glass is good for 700 deg. F. Stove glass costs 6 times as much as tempered glass costs, and can't be finished in a flat polished edge, which for my design is an issue. In my opinion, regular tempered glass should be sufficient, unless you have a good piece of stove glass you can reuse.by Maxx Mayhem - Reprappers
Glass is actually a bit stronger than most of us think, provided you don't shock it, or put a lot of pressure on a small point. So for a standard size print bed, thin is just fine. For larger formats, the glass thickness will increase with your maximum direction. In my case, 28" long, my glass supplier recommends 3/16 9around 5mm) so at 300 x 300 you can probably do 3 mm. Just be sure to use someby Maxx Mayhem - Reprappers
Nope, I'm in Baltimore, And happy to be working at my client site these couple of weeks, because they have good AC. What's really fun is powder coating in this weather - I have a 6000 watt curing lamp. Toasty. Oh, and welding in the next couple of nights or so.by Maxx Mayhem - Reprappers
One advantage it could have, is that of very accurate circular work. Once my printer is done, I will be adding a fourth dimension - a rotisserie mounted to the z axis to do things not dissimilar from a crankshaft lathe. Keep us posted.by Maxx Mayhem - Reprappers
I just got back from the electronic store and I was looking at the relays you describe. But work is keeping me out of the office for a few days, and I need to get the exact specs for the pad before I move forward. (I also have several days of work left to finish the electronics bays) I am looking for a single pad though, because with 2, there is the possibility of them not being at exactly the saby Maxx Mayhem - Reprappers
I found a manufacturer called durex who makes silicon heaters in a variety of configurations including the ones we would use and not that dissimilar from that which QUBD appears to use. I'd buy from them if they had the size I need but... So I'm planning on a mains powered unit, and then just use a relay to operate it. It really doesn't take crazy power at 120 VAC. Only thing is, I called them (Dby Maxx Mayhem - Reprappers
It's been about 100f here all week, and I've been working, but today I will install the power connector and start wiring the mains. I still have a few loose ends vis a vis the bed heater (should have told them I need a thousand) and also while on the subject, I wonder if you or anybody has tried tempered glass for a build bed. The glass guy says tempered is good to 700f and stove glass would costby Maxx Mayhem - Reprappers
OK to a point but too much oil / dust = dust creme. If possible, throw a cover over your printer when not in use, if there is dust in it anyway, blow it out with compressed air and then use light machine oil sparingly. This will help lessen the dust clogging the bearings, particularly the ball races.by Maxx Mayhem - Reprappers
OK, so all the rods and screws are now in place, with adjustments started, though this process will continue as the moving parts go on. You can see now the way the adjustments work, with the green disks locking around the frame to hold the rods in place. This, being a prototype, has been designed to allow for installation of moving assemblies over the pre installed bearings, so that measurementsby Maxx Mayhem - Reprappers
Yvan, if you could bump up to 30 cm square, QU-BD has a heater that will work for you. I am currently trying to source a 18 x 28 inch heater, but so far, no response from the rep of Durex industries, who makes silicon heaters of various types. They might also be able to help you with a 10 x 10 inch, and I believe you can get built in thermistors, and high or low voltage options. The questions areby Maxx Mayhem - Reprappers
Appdev, shouldn't that be "printerest"?by Maxx Mayhem - Reprappers
You are running with heat sufficient to freely flow abs, near abs. Using a fan pointed at the cool end of your hotend, as well as the carriage will help to protect both from excess heat. You do not necessarily need to have this fan blowing on the work.by Maxx Mayhem - Reprappers
I've installed the printer on its base and begun installing the linear rods and bearings. A couple of quick shots before I begin alignment of the z rods, so that I can then install the Y rods, and Z screws. In other words, my printer is starting to get printer parts in it.><by Maxx Mayhem - Reprappers
Could you post pictures of your setup and the print problems?by Maxx Mayhem - Reprappers
Well, I managed to cobble together a base for my printer from some shop scraps.... I did in fact have all the materials laying around except for the nuts and bolts. The end spreaders are PVC pipe pressed onto steel pipe; the spacers between the spreaders and the angle brackets were machined in steel, and powder coated, in practice for the powder coating I will be doing on some of the printer partby Maxx Mayhem - Reprappers
Another thing you could try is to get a felt polishing wheel for a Dremel tool fix it to a spot beyond your spool and pass the filament through the hole on the middle. You still need to control spool movement, perhaps these things in combo would help.by Maxx Mayhem - Reprappers
Why thank you, CNC! I know that when I started this thread and this build I swore that I would not use wood anywhere in this printer, however, I said nothing about UNDER the printer. For the past few days, I have been working on the base, in maple, mahogany and cherry. Basically, I'm using up a bunch of stuff I needed rid of anyway, so my only cost is the hardware. (and time) I want to get this gby Maxx Mayhem - Reprappers