here are a few photos from my webcam. I have a high res scan link lower down. Click here for a really high res scan of it. I tested them with the voltmeter and there aren't any shorts. When I test pin 7 (gnd, with quada, b,, or index, the LEDs light up a little, but I would assume that's normal because of the power the meter sends through the circuit.by Dylan - Controllers
I am only hooking it up to 5v power and gnd. I get the Ined, quadA, quadB LEDs to light up just by powering it, none of the LEDs change when the magnet is in place or turning. I'm sure I got it soldered correctly, I even took my webcam and zoomed in on my large tv to see it, plus used a voltmeter to check connection from the led solder to the actual pin on the chip and it shows a solid connectionby Dylan - Controllers
If I was going to go that way (or for a few other reasons) I might enclose my machine and put a few heating coils in there to get a good ambient temp going so the work space wouldn't be that far off from the construction piece. I also wanted to stick with a diode because it's a lot cheaper, requires less power, smaller, etc.by Dylan - Laser Cutter Working Group
OK, that explains it a little more for me. But that's close to what I was thinking. You'd still have to do what I mentioned about making sure you have just the right amount tention back off as needed and open as needed. It would defenitely be less complicated to build, especially since the current head design has the 2 part top/bottom already. I guess the only way we'll see which of all these iby Dylan - Mechanics
I've spent a few hundred so far. I don't think I've broken $1000 yet, but I'm not too sure. I plan on using it for almost everything listed on the site, art, PCB, final production pieces, prototypes for molded metal parts, etc. I would consider myself a hobby engineer/inventor and do a lot of electronics. I don't want to keep making breadboards and then shipping my design off to china, pay a lotby Dylan - General
I was going to put a laser on mine too, but the salvaged ones are not good for much. I was looking into a 2-5+ watt diode. I want to stay away from gas powered ones just to keep it simple (and safer). It would probably take too much power to do anything significant that wouldn't be easier with a CNC toolhead. I was going to use mine for laser etching, PCB, possibly SLS or SLA prototyping or sometby Dylan - Laser Cutter Working Group
I think Richard's "AntiOoze3.jpg" alternative is a good idea. I can't see how to move it up/down to affect the pressure in the nozzle. The other spring ideas are good, but it would be too hard to get the right tension spring to get enough pressure in there to stop the flow when needed, but not hinder the regular usage. Sorry for using your image Richard, but it was easier adding to it than makingby Dylan - Mechanics
In that case, here is one link I found for the recipe . Odd, I thought the PCB link would work. that should work now. Hopefully some sort of 'gel' could be made to work well enough to take off easily and be reused also. This is why I suggested the reusable mold compound. I don't know if that recipe can be changed to dry fast enough.by Dylan - Plastic Extruder Working Group
I agree in keeping the STL. It's a good file size and a standard for 3D RP. I also think that everyone will use whatever software they want. What I meant by "you" is the generic hypothetical person doing the project, not you specifically. Even if is going to use Darwin to print odd 3D sculptures as an artist, by my defenition, engineer would be partial title of skillset. It doesn't mean (to meby Dylan - RepRap Host
Nophead had a recent blog about being able to print without any support material. Once the plastic is part of a base and hardens, there appears to be little chance for it to move much. The sand idea was based on this method and would give support to long or large overhangs. I was also thinking of making darwin do SLS or SLA if I could get the right type of laser at a price I could afford. As forby Dylan - Plastic Extruder Working Group
@Forest, If you are building a reprap and doing all the circuitry and parts and designing new things (else why have it) then you pretty much are an engineer, or at least a hobby one. IMO the aoi interface and 3d perspective tools are horrible, at least from what little I tried it. I'm probably not going to bother installing it again because I already have a program I like that works for me. Milkby Dylan - RepRap Host
I'm fairly new to linux, but I'm assuming that's what you are using. You should be able to open the host software without any errors until you try to go to the tools section and run the extruder test or the motor tests. If so, then go to file-> prefs and change it there to the USB. If you have the problem as soon as you open the program and can't change it in there, then you'll need someone toby Dylan - RepRap Host
I'm surprised that nobody is taking into account the extra time it would take to print one part. It already takes a while, and with printed support it can double or triple the print time depending on the shapes. Then the computer would also have to figure out where to put the parts and switch back and forth between extruder heads and and material and also keep 2 heaters active at the same time. Iby Dylan - Plastic Extruder Working Group
I use both Maya and Milkshape3d. If you have any experience with 3D then Maya is fantastic and the boolean operations go by fast and since you can make any shape you want without adding/removing simple shapes from what I've seen AOI do, then you might not need boolean useage. It is an expensive program though, but I'm a graphics major and don't use it just for this. Milkshape can be used to makeby Dylan - General
Under the "testing" section on this page: Use the TX and RX connections to form a loop of all the boards. Depending on which comm board you got, the TX RX silkscreen might be backwards. Test it with one board properly before making the loop. ~Dylanby Dylan - Controllers
Tim and BDolge both used REPRAP, but this already stands for something. If we can't use anything on this page as rapid prototyping technology (2/3 down the page ) then if we're coming up with something just for this project, we may as well use REPRAP. Then when people search for how it works they'll come across the wiki and see all they need to. Or just leave the method as RP (rapid prototyping).by Dylan - General
Tim and BDolge both used REPRAP, but this already stands for something. If we can't use anything on this page as rapid prototyping technology (2/3 down the page ) then if we're coming up with something just for this project, we may as well use REPRAP. Then when people search for how it works they'll come across the wiki and see all they need to. Or just leave the method as RP (rapid prototyping).by Dylan - General
Forest (et al) I agree with your comment on the political ways of the land and wouldn't even consider taking anything that far. I also didn't bother researching whether or not they had a copyright or patent on the term which is why I left that aspect off of my post. They may have a legal right to the term and would easily win in a legal battle which "we" don't need. The reprap project is open souby Dylan - General
I really dissagree. FDM is a type of rapid prototyping, just like SLS, SLA, LOM, EBM. People often use the term "bandaid" refering to an adhesive bandage and the BandAid company doesn't have their panties in a twist, and that's actually using the company name (this seems to be done more in America, same thing with Jello for gelatin). Just because they commercialized the FDM technology doesn't meaby Dylan - General
I live in an apartment myself and I've made more noise with the power tools to make the RepStrap cartesian system and nobody has said anything to me or seemed to notice at all and I know the motors on the actual machine are less noisy than what I was doing when I made it. I don't know why it's so loud in all the videos, maybe the mic is just too close and doesn't like the frequency of the motor nby Dylan - General
I'm not too sure what the factories do for this, but from a physics standpoint it shouldn't have any bubbles anyway. If you only put a few pellets in at a time, they would melt and change shape, sink to the bottom, slide forward and add to the goo at the end. The air (if any) would rise to the top of the melten plastic and works it's way back on the auger as the pressure changes. If you dump a loby Dylan - Controllers
You should be able to convert the files into Solidworks somehow. From what I can tell, one unit in the stl file is 1mm. It's been a while since I checked that though. You can check this by converting the things you know are a certain size (the stl files for the screws and nuts). If you don't already have an stl converter for stl into solidworks, I would probably suggest milkshape3D which onlyby Dylan - Reprappers
I think I see the problem with the initial pinch wheel system. Smooth metal wheels won't allow for any play in the size of the filament. I never even thought of that. I am using rubber wheels that will slip when there is too much resistance in the base of the heater barrel but rubber has a fairly high friction to begin with, so it should keep a decent amount of force applied. Using the grindingby Dylan - Controllers
Apparently I ordered too many 8mm threaded rod online and was thinking and wondering why I haven't seen anyone do this: Use the rod with locked nut system on the X axis. Easy, replace one of the rods on the support for the threaded rod, place 8mm nut in the print head and change the motor 90 degrees to turn the rod directly. I think I'm going to try this. From what I have seen on the Z axis, thiby Dylan - Mechanics
I'll probably just get it from the rrrf store. For my current version I am just trying to get a sloppy machine together. I found the page on your bog with the part number in case zach won't have it when I get that far. thanksby Dylan - Controllers
I guess that makes sense on the resistance for high temps. Is the arduino more capable of that kind of sensitivity? (found one on mouser ) what are you using? A bigger cap for more accuracy? ok. I guess I could go maybe for a 0.1uf or a 0.33 uf I have a bunch of those laying around. Then just change the cap setup in the prefs file until I get the actual air temperature. thanksby Dylan - Controllers
Ok, it's hard for me to concentrate on things I don't already know, so these questions might sound a little silly. I would love to get the quality that Nophead is getting and that's just what he has so far. 1. comm delay. I saw that problem mentioned in the buffer mentioned in the blog as being basically gone using a decent buffer. yay 2. Temperature management. I've seen the host sofware readingby Dylan - Controllers
I just did some resistor tests with my thermistor and the chart in the pdf and the numbers I mentioned seem to be fairly accurate. I used boiling water (obviously 100C) my fridge and freezer and it also seems to pick up the difference in tempfrom one room to the next (my computer room is always hotter than the others. If the numbers and the calculator on the wiki is accurate then I guess it shouby Dylan - Controllers
The setup page on the PIC section isn't as detailed as it probably should be. Firstly it isn't updated to the UC board 1.2.1 which has been out forever. The tip110 direction is only hinted at in the photo and is backward from what you would expect for pin 1 (the square contact on the board). There is also no clear definition on wiring the fan or the dc motor. I'm guessing I should just follow theby Dylan - Controllers
Sounds good. I'm not sure if I can fit mine in my car though. I'll think of something. I should be done with a partially working model by the time we meet up. I also have a few designs in mind on how to recycle HDPE around the house, but am broke at the moment, so I might try and get someone to fund parts for me if possible then release the plans to the community if it works well.by Dylan - Texas, Houston RepRap User Group