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Discuss any sort of mechanical stuff here: positioning systems, gears, extruding methods, etc.
Re: PTFE substitutes? - 16 years ago
Yes, McMaster will be a much better deal, and simpler. I'm temped to move back to the US just so I can order from McMaster again. Wadeby Wade - Plastic Extruder Working Group
Re: PTFE substitutes? - 16 years ago
Parker, I bought 12 feet of the stuff, as that was the minimum order at the local plastic supplier. I can ship you small pieces of it for say $8 a foot, plus whatever shipping charges are from Toronto Canada to wherever you are. I haven't looked, but McMaster might be cheaper, but those guys won't ship to Canada anymore #()@*$!!! I bought .625" and .75" diameter PTFE rod; the .625" works peby Wade - Plastic Extruder Working Group
Re: Stepper Motors - 16 years ago
Erik, I'm half stepping 200 step Kelling steppers using Zach's driver boards and BfB pulleys, and getting 8 steps/mm. Very occasionally I can detect a slight offset in one raft filament relative to another, but it's not big. It's probably a resolution thing between STL, Skeinforge and Darwin, but it's not a problem. I actually get better accuracy running at 8 mm/s and slowing down my extruder,by Wade - Mechanics
Re: How to print Gcode from Host - 16 years ago
Hey Ian, I get that too sometimes. In Ubuntu, you can alt-drag the window up with your mouse, then right click the border and re-size it to larger than your screen, so you can get the up-down buttons back. Also, you can adjust the scaling of the Skeinview window smaller; I don't remember the exact parameter, but it's in there. Wadeby Wade - RepRap Host
Re: Darwin V1.05 Printed Parts for sale - 16 years ago
Thanks Forrest, but this is really the whole RepRap team's accomplishment. I just followed the directions!by Wade - For Sale
Re: Host software Issues (a cry for help) - 16 years ago
I had the same issues; and I just had the nasty thought that all my parts are mirrored, but no, they're the right way around, I just checked the Z motor mount. I think the default orientation that you have there is actually the left hand rule; the Z axis is positive in the upward direction. As you increase the Z, the bed drops closer to the motor, but the extruder rises relative to the bed; wby Wade - RepRap Host
Re: rep rap user-group - 16 years ago
Not to spam the forums, but my first set of parts are complete; if any of you in Toronto want to take a crack at building a Reprap, send me a message. Wadeby Wade - Canada, Toronto RepRap User Group
Darwin v1.05 Printed Parts available in Toronto - 16 years ago
Details in the For Sale forum, but I'd like to sell these locally if possible. Check em out! Wadeby Wade - Canada, Toronto RepRap User Group
Re: Parts in Vancouver area - 16 years ago
I just made a complete parts set out in Toronto (they're for sale in the For Sale forum), and I'm planning on moving to Vancouver soon. I'm looking for someone to start building right away, but send me a photo of your completed electronics and I'll either send you some parts or put you in the queue. As this is the only set of self - printed parts available right now, I'd rather sell them to sby Wade - Canada, Vancouver RepRap User Group
Darwin V1.05 Printed Parts for sale - 16 years ago
Located in Toronto; I'd like to find a local buyer if possible, either Toronto or Vancouver area, as I'm headed that way next. 90 parts, built using Skeinforge and ReplicatorG, 0.5 mm filament and 25% fill. No pulleys or jigs, but but if you really want them I can print them for you. $30 firm, plus shipping. Some of these parts will require some needle file work, and you'll probably break aby Wade - For Sale
Re: First useful print - 16 years ago
Awesome! Looks pretty good! I like the heat shield idea; I'm sporting a decent burn on my hand myself at the momnt. Wadeby Wade - Reprappers
Re: replicatorG question - 16 years ago
ReplicatorG is fussy about com ports; and doesn't seem to close them down all the time. Try pulling the USB cable out, and reconnecting it while ReplicatorG is not running, then run ReplicatorG. Also, the more recent versions are better, but not released yet. I've built the Linux version from Zach's repository, but jogging doesn't work. It does build nice parts though. Wadeby Wade - RepRap Host
Re: Host software Issues (a cry for help) - 16 years ago
Leav, I've been using the Gcode firmware with ReplicatorG and Skeinforge, so I can't help with the Java software; but for simple testing you can just send Gcodes from the Arduino software's serial monitor, once you load that firmware. Note, there are problems with the Arduino compiler in Ubuntu 8.04; something to do with the AVR libraries I think; I use Xandros or Windows XP to compile and loadby Wade - RepRap Host
Re: Software Errors (With Debugger set to true) - 16 years ago
Assuming you're in Toronto, it's on 345 Queen St. You're in for a treat if you haven't been there before - check it out! Here's a link: If you're not in Toronto, you'll have to find a local equivalent. Can't help you there. Wadeby Wade - RepRap Host
Re: Laser Cut Parts (Bits from Bytes) - 16 years ago
I did find some better fire cement locally; its very strong and smooth. It's labeled Imperial Hi-Temp Stove and Furnace Cement, and it's good to 1149 deg C. We'll see how it holds up over time. One thing I do is zip-tie the wires to the extruder a few cm away from the connection; I also bury the connectors far enough inside the cement so that I only see copper wire outside the cement, no conby Wade - Mechanics
Re: Laser Cut Parts (Bits from Bytes) - 16 years ago
I've been doing Nophead's trick of embedding the nichrome connectors in the fire cement and using copper wire outside; so far so good. That bar looks like it might sink a fair bit of heat; my lasercut extruder already takes a long time to heat up as it is - roughly 6 to 8 minutes, vs 2 for the old Mk II. I resurrected my Mk II extruder with new PTFE, some fire cement and an a thermocouple trappby Wade - Mechanics
Re: Laser Cut Parts (Bits from Bytes) - 16 years ago
About the lasercut extruder - got mine working nicely now. Built 10 or so small parts with it so far. A couple tricks; I threaded the top of the heater barrel into the PTFE, and the put a hose clamp on it to prevent leaks. I had tightened the hose clamp too much though, and that was stalling the filament, so I ended up removing that. Oops, just looked at the extruder and I've now got a plasby Wade - Mechanics
Re: How to get extrusions to stick well? - 16 years ago
Now that is a cool idea! Please post the details on your new PCB - I'll be etching one myself very shortly! Wadeby Wade - Mechanics
Re: Foolproof extruder? - 16 years ago
Interesting. I'm having trouble with my lasercut extrder as well. I sharpened the drive bolt a bit, but not enough apparently. How long is your copper barrel Forest? Simpler would be bettter!by Wade - Mechanics
Re: Laser Cut Parts (Bits from Bytes) - 16 years ago
You could try reversing it, might help. My version of the Gcode Interpreter doesn't support reverse right now, but it's an easy fix. Adrian built a valve into his nozzle to deal with that. I'm just ignoring it for now - I leave Oozebane off, and just trim any "hair" out of the dead spaces on the printed object. The Comb function gets rid of most of the hair for now anyways... Oozebane was caby Wade - Mechanics
Re: How to minimize warping with ABS? - 16 years ago
Nophead, before I even read this post I was browsing your blog, re-reading your "Catalog of Disasters" post, and commiserating, when I noticed that your rafts are much more dense than mine on the top layer! A-ha! That would almost double the raft strength, and maybe get rid of my last bit of warping. Could you post your exact raft parameters for Skeinforge, or just describe them if you do itby Wade - Plastic Extruder Working Group
Re: How to minimize warping with ABS? - 16 years ago
Well, some rafts may be re-usable, but the other purpose of the raft is to smooth out any discrepancies between the bed height and the nozzle height. A few layers spreads that out more, giving you more leeway. On some of my prints, especially just before the PTFE gave out, the PTFE was elongating more a few hour into the build (maybe due to my thermocouple problems), causing the rafts on the laby Wade - Plastic Extruder Working Group
Re: easiest/ cheapest build - 16 years ago
Enrique speaks the truth! Dom, shipping just the plastic parts to the US is quite reasonable, just get the heavy steel parts locally. That's what I did. Zach in New York has steppers (RRRF) as well, they work great. Be prepared to spend a bit of cash though; as Zach says, this is still experimental. If you want super cheap, wait a year or so till there's a lot of repraps cranking out parts; rby Wade - General
Re: easiest/ cheapest build - 16 years ago
Yeah Clint, looking at some inkjet printers I've destroyed, it occurs to me you could use the print head as is - use two for the Y axis, and one for the X. They even come with their own driver boards, but good luck trying to make use of them. Too bad everything isn't open source! Z axis is a bit trickier, but maybe you can do something like Nophead's new Z axis with 4 motors; maybe use theby Wade - General
Re: How to get extrusions to stick well? - 16 years ago
I put this on the Wiki, but I should probably mention it here as well - 1/4" acrylic sheet (aka Plexiglass) has been working really well for me with ABS. I've printed over 80 good parts on the same sheet now, although I had a heater failure yesterday that put a good dent in my acrylic bed; it now has a nozzle sized crater right in the middle. I'll have to blog the sordid details... Wadeby Wade - Mechanics
Re: Software Errors (With Debugger set to true) - 16 years ago
Oops, I mistyped it the second time. The command is spelled dmesg, not dsmesg. Sorry. Where are you? Around here in Toronto, there are discarded old PC's in the alleyways, free power supplies everywhere. Even saw one on the train tracks yesterday, but it had been hit by the train allready. Or you can buy one at Active Surplus for $5, which is where I got mine. Wadeby Wade - RepRap Host
Re: good suggestions for hosting a Reprap webcam? - 16 years ago
Sid, I've got dyndns up and running nicely, but I don't have huge amounts up upload bandwidth, so I want to host the site somewhere else. My own ISP (rogers) seems to want me to put my homepage on Geocities; guess that'll work, but I was looking for some specific recommendations - anyone have good luck with the any free site in particular? Pyros, I tried your listed email, but it bounced. Seby Wade - RepRap Host
Re: Stepper motor driver overheating, always driving motor, how do I stop it? - 16 years ago
khiraly1, I think Leav was talking about the "enable" pin, which isn't used with the Arduino electronics currently. The steppers are always on, but not moving, just holding position - one of the advantages of steppers, depending on how you use it. It also means you have to set your currents carefully, as they're going to be on all the time. I haven't turned mine off in over a week now. You'reby Wade - RepRap Host
Re: Alternate to the Opto Endstop - 16 years ago
Should be possible; there might be a bit less accuracy, but that would depend on the type of switch. I think the reason opto switches are used it because they don't really have any moving parts; therefore they're not going to wear out, or change their properties over time. All the paper printers I've dismantled recently seemed to use all opto switches, for what it's worth. One thing too - I'veby Wade - Controllers
Re: material conflustration - 16 years ago
Yes, recycled plastic is going to be a bit less strong than new, but we should still be able to use it. It is going to be a bit of a challenge though; I'm concentrating on getting my Darwin running well first, and then recycling later. I've got my own stash of in house regrind available already - I've got a box full of all the rafts from the parts I've built so far, plus all the failed parts.by Wade - Plastic Extruder Working Group