I'm pretty sure the host software I am using is .81 if that means anything (the one with liveCD 0.4)by Dylan - RepRap Host
It turns out it was a torque issue. I'm actually making a wooden darwin. I wasn't using any idle brackets which might have been part of the problem. I took off the top part and the bed and worked my way up testing the amount of tention needed. I had some particle board here that I cut into 16" strips and put holes in them and they are connecting each of the threaded rods making sure that they donby Dylan - Mechanics
I tested my x axis with the belt nice and tight, worked great. Same model motor on my Z axis starts messing up. With no power I can turn the motor shaft and get all four threaded rods to turn fairly easily. Without the drive belt attached, the motor and screw shaft turns fine (from the stepper control), as soon as I attach the belt it siezes. I really don't want to have to take apart the whole daby Dylan - Mechanics
I also tried running some of the older versions of host under java 6 and they each give me different errors. Is there any way I can just copy the java folders and files from the live CD to my currently installed ubuntu? edit: nevermind, I couldn't get help on this so I tried again to install from the reprap live cd and it worked this time installing all the files I needed to the right placeby Dylan - RepRap Host
:`( I am still getting an error, but now the terminal windows won't stay open for me to copy it. I installed 6 and reinstalled j3d and rxtx to the new 6 directory and think I have that done right. Exception in thread "AWT-EventQueue-0" java.lang.NoClassDefFoundError: java/vecMath/Col3/ I'm pretty sure this is the error now. Thanks for the help and at least I got rid of the other error, but thiby Dylan - RepRap Host
I am pretty sure I have all the files installed properly. but, of course, problems arise. This isn't the exception listed in the site, so I was hoping to get some help here. "Native lib Version = RXTX-2.1-7 Java lib Version = RXTX-2.1-7 Exception in thread "AWT-EventQueue-0" java.lang.NoClassDefFoundError: javax/swing/GroupLayout$Group " " /usr/lib/jvm/java-1.5.0-sun-1.5.0.15" I am also a nby Dylan - RepRap Host
Not a bad idea, there is also the conductive glue I've seen on sites like instructables that could be used as a base to adhere to the plastic and would help fuse the metal back to it. This would probably be easier to accomplish than a metal plastic alloy. Especially with a multihead system like I showed above. There is also the head changing unit that I saw on one of the videos on the wiki. The mby Dylan - Mechanics
The grooves would keep the metal in place. If you try to solder to it with no grooves, once you get two runs together, it would be really hard to get them apart again. It would be nice to put the components on the board first, then put the runs on to save production time too, but you'd need a pretty thin extruder head to not bump into parts, not to mention you'd have to recode the software (gcodeby Dylan - Mechanics
extruding the fields style metal was what I meant by melting. I contacted a company last night that deals with low melt alloys to see if they could make a highly conductive low melt alloy. I'm not too sure how this would work with the final product for soldering. We could extrude the base and the metal, but when we go to solder chis and resistors on, it would melt the metal and the plastic. If weby Dylan - Mechanics
Once I get my system up and running, I wanted the most simple way to make PCBs. I wanted to avoid any etching if possible. What I was thinking of doing was using my dremel to cut a small groove in.... something. The same way that if you lift a trace off a regular board, there is a groove left behind. Then melt some sort of metal into that groove. I don't know what kind of conductivity there is inby Dylan - Mechanics
That's another very good very good reason to have it as a separate machine. I'm sure everyone knows that they don't want a car tire to be overinflated and blow up in their face, and the maximum safe rating on most of those is in the 40-50psi (which is less than the explosion rating, but you get my point). Imagine a novice engineer (most of us probably fall into that category) trying to make and uby Dylan - Plastic Extruder Working Group
I don't think a granule extruder would work too well. If there isn't enough in there to cause the right amount of pressure, you woudn't get enough out the nozzle (opposite if there is too much). This is why I am trying for the filament maker. The actual extruder for the filament shouldn't be too hard, but getting the plastic (except for the capa granules) to the right size is the problem. The $35by Dylan - Plastic Extruder Working Group
The only way we are going to be able to do any of the recycling we talk about on this site is to have our own filament maker. It also won't be feasable to take all our plastic to someone else to turn it to filament (unless it's a local reprapper). I've already started work on my filament maker. I do see some of the problems, but so far have a 2 part design in mind that seams feasable. The hard paby Dylan - Plastic Extruder Working Group
Forest's idea sounds pretty good. Then just attach the actual motor to the bed. This would also save on the drive screws. So $80 for a decent system, vs$62ish for the current system or the $133 I mentioned for 4 standard steppers. I might go this way for my next build.by Dylan - General
That sounds like what I feared. I guess I just needed confirmation. What about PETE? It's fairly abundant too.by Dylan - Plastic Extruder Working Group
_____________________________________________________ Done list: 1. software installed and running 2. working power unit from old pc 3. power comm board put together and working 4. tested and working comm to powercom board 5. put together the 5 UC boards and converted to stepper boards 6. working pic chips with stepper board using live CD 7. WORKING stepper motors 8. most of my cartesian systby Dylan - Texas, Houston RepRap User Group
last time I checked, they were not taking online forders for a while, if that's still the case, you might just have to wait. I'm builing mine out of wood which is a pain without a drill press and table saw. I'm sure someone else will start selling parts soon enough.by Dylan - Reprappers
I doubt anyone is going to buy 1000 accelerometers to get that price. Sparkfun.com sells one at a time fairly cheap (also at mouser.com) Accelerometer $13 stepper motor 1 $30 stepper motor 2 $30 stepper motor 3 $30 stepper motor 4 $30 =$133 Stepper motor 1 $30, MXL belt +-$10 = $40 saving money, time, and coding resources = priceless.. lol, ok, except for the mastercard style explanatiby Dylan - General
Ok, thanks for the info. I guess I'll stay at the 6ohm reccomendation then. thanks.by Dylan - Controllers
I don't have a lot of experience with doing the power convertions. I know my power supply can handle up to 18.5amps (16a on red wire alone), but I've read on here that it's the tip110 that will screw with me if I try to draw too much power. I'm trying to get as much power into the nichrome wire as I can for higher and faster heat but I want to be safe too. Any suggestions or help would be appreby Dylan - Controllers
ok, I just did some searching on wikipedia (yay) and found some info. PS is polystyrene and is used in machine cases, packing foam, disposable cups, plates, cutlery and CD cases. Glass temp at 95by Dylan - Plastic Extruder Working Group
What is PS plastic and can it be used in the reprap system too? I got several old scanners, gutted them for the glass, stepper motors, and MXL timing belt. I thought I might be able to recycle the several pounds of plastic I have left over. Dylanby Dylan - Plastic Extruder Working Group
I think a combination of Ians idea and mine would work well. Once a head has been made, it will always fit on the same way. Calibrate once for it, then store that number in the user prefs for toolhead #1, repeat for toolhead#2 and up. This way, calibrate it once, and when you need to use the same one again, tell the software which one you're using and voila, it'll zero to the correct position. Iby Dylan - RepRap Host
I'm assuming you want to just hit the 'home' button to give you space to change the tool head. Someone should easily be able to make an 'away' button (get it, home and away, nvm I thought it was funny) That way home stays the same but you can have away for space to work or remove your parts etc. that's just my 2 cents though. Dylanby Dylan - RepRap Host
Update / bump I got the live CD to work. I forgot to change the 'nullcartesian' to 'cartesian'. I got the motor turning. This means my cable, com board, ucb board, and chip are all fine. Now I just have windows issues. Hopefully this will help narrow down the problem and someone can help. thanks in advance. Dylanby Dylan - RepRap Host
Some of you might have remembered my old thread of the UCB problem. It's been a while since I worked on this project and have reinstalled windows (resetting everything). I can't get the stepmotor test to work. It keeps having a communication error. 1. I know my boards are fine, I had it up and running before. 2. I know my tx/rx is working because I used the program by emf (http://forums.reprap.orby Dylan - RepRap Host
I didn't notice anyone else mention this, but what you actually need to be looking at is the thermal conductivity, not just it's weight, strength, and max temps. I emailed Adrian about this a while back and he sent me the link for the site you listed at the top. After that I started doing a decent amount of research on the subject. Here is a list of the conductivity rating on a bunch of materiaby Dylan - Mechanics
I'm rather surprised that nobody thought of this before (or I just couldn't find it), but why not strip down the program to bare minimum and have it run off a plugin system. greenarrow is working on using it the reprap system to make circuit boards, I know I will need that too, but I will also use it for additive fabbing like it's meant to be used as well as subtractive fabbing like a regular CNCby Dylan - RepRap Host
I'm ok with that, but I probably wouldn't have made much progress since then (still having financing issues). We can probably still work on some stuff though. Dylanby Dylan - Texas, Houston RepRap User Group
Thanks, that's another good idea. I'll probably try the clamping thing first though. I always have some extra metal around. Dylanby Dylan - Controllers