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Have you tried bolting a dremel or router to your RepRap? Can you engrave and drill PCBs? Or cut wood, or ... steel? (Or do you have a commercial mill or CNC router?)
Re: Extruder melt-back woes! - 14 years ago
Thanks - I think that answers my questions. In all my versions, the bore of the heater barrel was different to the bore of the non threaded part of the PTFE (only by a few thou) - but it's clearly enough. I'll have another go - and ream the PTFE and Brass / SS together. Is there a handy supplier for PEEK rod? Siby SimonRafferty - General
Re: Extruder melt-back woes! - 14 years ago
That is pretty much what I had assumed. How small a gap is too big? I think the problem with the original version was the PTFE expanding as it heated, opening up a gap big enough for it to get caught. Most of the subsequent versions were attempts at constraining the PTFE so it would not expand radially (and let go of the thread) - but perhaps it just forced it to expand longitudinally and openby SimonRafferty - General
Re: Extruder melt-back woes! - 14 years ago
I have actually read it - it was that which inspired me to have a go myself rather than just buying an alternative. It's still difficult to boil it all down into which design aspects are important. Sure I could just copy one of the designs shown - this for example: But I would rather experiment a little as well. I suppose what I'm looking for is the wisdom other people have gained going downby SimonRafferty - General
Extruder melt-back woes! - 14 years ago
I've built a Mendel out of parts printed by Adrian and Makerbot electronics and running Adrian's Host software. Mechanically it all works very nicely - apart from the extruder. It took a bit of playing to get the Makerbot boards all talking to one another and the PID heater control to work - but that's all sorted. The issue I have is that it will extrude nicely for a few seconds (up to about 3by SimonRafferty - General
Re: Crazy Extruder Nozzle Idea - 14 years ago
OK another idea for you to try. On my old machine which was a pseudo Darwin affair I was experimenting with making Glass nozzles. Take a length of glass tube - 1/4" OD seemed to work OK and heat a short length in the middle of a tube with a blow lamp. Once the glass becomes soft - stretch it. It's how they make needles small enough to inject stuff into cells, so 0.5mm is no problem. Just snaby SimonRafferty - General
Re: Everyones status - 14 years ago
Has anyone tried using machinable ceramic? Although most of them are designed to be good thermal conductors - there are some which are very good insulators and have reasonable mechanical properties? Siby SimonRafferty - United Kingdom RepRap User Group
Re: Makerbot Extruder V2.2 / 5D Firmware - not talking! Out of ideas! - 14 years ago
Thanks Aidan! Siby SimonRafferty - United Kingdom RepRap User Group
Re: Everyones status - 14 years ago
I've tried PLA and ABS. The hot end came from Adrian - but I simply couldn't get it to work for more than about 30 sec extruding - then have to more or less re-build it! Adrian's PTFE appears to be glass-filled. What would you suggest is the best combination of materials and design of hot end? I run a small CNC machine shop - so just about anything is possible! Cheers, Siby SimonRafferty - United Kingdom RepRap User Group
Re: Intention - 14 years ago
Not a lot of activity on the LinkedIn group (I just joined) - but you never know! Siby SimonRafferty - United Kingdom RepRap User Group
Re: Everyones status - 14 years ago
I have a completely built Mendel which mechanically works very nicely. However, I've not yet managed to get the extruder (Adrians Geared Extruder) to work reliably. The issue is with the hot end - it works for a bit then stops because the filament has melted back along enough of it's length to bulge outwards, then solidify enough that when the motor continues to drive, it just strips the threadby SimonRafferty - United Kingdom RepRap User Group
Re: Anyone with a belt splitter jig in London? - 14 years ago
I have one in Horsham - not too far away. Siby SimonRafferty - United Kingdom RepRap User Group
Re: Makerbot Extruder V2.2 / 5D Firmware - not talking! Out of ideas! - 14 years ago
In the olden days, it was made from silicone - but it may have fallen victim to H&S regulations. The stuff I use comes from RS - and the box is covered in health warnings - so don't put it on your cereal boys & girls! It seems more than happy at 150-220 deg - though I don't know what it's actual rating is. Siby SimonRafferty - United Kingdom RepRap User Group
Re: Problem with firmware or electronics? - 14 years ago
I have the same setup. Drew a bit of a blank with ReplicatorG and the stepper control. It needed more re-writing than I could be bothered with. If you download Adrian's latest version of the host software from Sourceforge as well as the latest 5D firmware and extruder driver - it all hangs together pretty well. Siby SimonRafferty - Plastic Extruder Working Group
Re: Choosing a Geared NEMA17 Extruder - 14 years ago
I have Adrians Geared Extruder - and the design is OK. The gear reduction introduces it's own set of problems though. It grips the filament fine, but the force it develops is enough to strip the threads where the brass barrel screws into the PTFE. I tried using a Heli-coil - but it does the same thing. I'm now on to version 4 of the hot end - for which I have high hopes. It essentially has aby SimonRafferty - Plastic Extruder Working Group
Re: fire cement problem - 14 years ago
One issue with exhaust paste is it is designed to expand a little as it sets - to close any gaps in exhaust fittings. This may not be an issue - but you never know! Siby SimonRafferty - Plastic Extruder Working Group
Re: im new - 14 years ago
There are a lot of people building in the UK. Mine is finished - but due to a few teething problems - I've not actually printed anything yet. Hopefully tomorrow I'll have something though. It's only a matter of a few weeks / months before parts will become readily available here. I've posted about the Thick Sheet parts - I had them water jet cut from polycarb, but the company who did them havby SimonRafferty - United Kingdom RepRap User Group
Re: Makerbot Extruder V2.2 / 5D Firmware - not talking! Out of ideas! - 14 years ago
The solution was to get the very latest version of the firmware from Sourceforge (4 hours old at the time) which worked pretty well. My extruder kept jamming because the filament was melting inside the PTFE bit - but I've made a heatsink that screws on to the heater barrel and sits just below the PTFE. It seems to lower the temperature in the PTFE by about 50 degrees. I also found that puttingby SimonRafferty - United Kingdom RepRap User Group
Polycarbonate Thick Sheet sets available here! - 14 years ago
I had my thick sheet set water-jet cut out of 5mm transparent polycarbonate. I had the cutter make me 4 sets - so I have 3 remaining. They cost me £44.06 each which was a bit more than I expected - but they are very nice! If you'd like a set, I'll do one for £44 delivered anywhere in mainland UK. Email me if interested. Simon.Rafferty (at) X-Eng.co.uk Alternatively, if you want your own setby SimonRafferty - United Kingdom RepRap User Group
Makerbot Extruder V2.2 / 5D Firmware - not talking! Out of ideas! - 14 years ago
My mendel is all but up & running. Axes moving with Adrians 5D Firmware. It's built using the latest Makerbot boards. Initially I tried the ReplicatorG firmware which seemed to be able to control everything bar the stepper motor on the extruder. Heater & thermocouple worked fine. That proves that the extruder board and extruder work OK. With the 5D firmware on both the motherboard aby SimonRafferty - United Kingdom RepRap User Group
Re: Can Mendel handle my huge Iron Man suit project???? 
- 14 years ago
Is your intention to build something that looks like the iron man suit, or something functional? Siby SimonRafferty - Let's design something! (I've got an idea ...)
Re: Quad-Copter - 14 years ago
My Mendel is almost finished and in thinking about what to make - a quad-copter was one of the ideas! What I was considering was a mono-cock shell in two snap together halves - much like it would be made as a toy with 4 motors and small, high speed props. The motors and props angled outward slightly (the exhaust angled out) to improve stability and speed. Just a thought, Siby SimonRafferty - Let's design something! (I've got an idea ...)
Re: Where are people? - 14 years ago
If you are building a cnc mill - then it will, by swapping the spindle for an extruder and using the reprap software, make every bit as good a 3D printer as a Mendel! Siby SimonRafferty - United Kingdom RepRap User Group
Re: Where are people? - 14 years ago
I'm in Horsham, West Sussex. My Mendel is only a couple of days away from being operational now. Just waiting on a couple of connectors. If any of you need help with general machining (free of charge as time permits) I have pretty good facilities here. Siby SimonRafferty - United Kingdom RepRap User Group
Re: belts / pulleys - 14 years ago
You can get belts from RS (http://rswww.com) they also sell pulleys - but they are not quite small enough. If you need them boring to a diameter - mail them to me in a SAE and I'll happily do any size you like on my lathe. Siby SimonRafferty - United Kingdom RepRap User Group
Re: Mendel Build in Sunny Sussex, UK - 14 years ago
I've ordered 4 sets and I'll be in touch when they are done. Any preference on material? They do not cut much wood so I have asked him to select some 6mm plastic that looks particularly flat. Either Polycarbonate, acrylic or ABS, but also to cut me a slab of Aluminium that has been ground flat to use as the bed. I figure this could become heated in the future. Siby SimonRafferty - Reprappers
Re: Mendel Build in Sunny Sussex, UK - 14 years ago
Yup, you're probably right. Cirrus charge for programming but since I give them about 100k worth of business per year - they tend to forget that. If you or anyone else would like a set (at cost) let me know quickly! Siby SimonRafferty - Reprappers
Re: Mendel Build in Sunny Sussex, UK - 14 years ago
Hi Craig, I'm in Horsham, so only 20 miles or so. Making the parts out of wood is a good idea. I was originally going to mill them out of Aluminium, but decided it was so much work to make some of the more complex parts that printing is the best option. Once I'm up & running (two to three weeks at a guess), and I've figured out how to get decent prints! - let me know if there are any parby SimonRafferty - Reprappers
Re: Mendel Build in Sunny Sussex, UK - 14 years ago
I've built up to this point - just waiting on opto boards, some of the extruder bits and the laser cut thick sheet - and I'll be ready!by SimonRafferty - Reprappers
Mendel Build in Sunny Sussex, UK - 14 years ago
Today the printed parts arrived from Adrian @ RepRap courtesy of eBay - so I could actually start building. I bought another set of parts on eBay a month or two ago - but the print quality was so terrible, I could have done better with a hot glue gun! They were sent back. Adrian's parts are near perfect and I'm more than a little impressed! So far I've built most of the X and a bit of the Y aby SimonRafferty - Reprappers
Mendel Build in Sunny Sussex, UK - 14 years ago
My thread http://forums.reprap.org/read.php?4,42563 has been moved to a UK RUG (which is not linked to from the main RepRap user group list - and only seems to contain mine and one other UK builders post. Should I read into this that contributions from people from the UK (or outside the US?) are not wanted on the main forum? Siby SimonRafferty - Reprappers