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Discuss here what makes your printer moving.
Re: Power requirements of a hotend - 11 years ago
Srek, but that would mean waiting several minutes between each output, while the secondary hot-end warms up to temp. It would be more effective for maintaining print speed to idle the second hotend at or near the target temperature, which would imply a need for twice the maintenance current. One could theoretically heat up the first extruder, then heat up the second, to reduce the transient demaby xiando - General
Re: Printrboard heatbed output, won't turn off now - 11 years ago
You'll need to check (with the load disconnected), to see if the gate is being activated and deactivated on the FET transistor used to switch the source for the heated bed. If it is, then it's pretty likely you just blew the FET. Ifthe I/O channel driving the gate is blown, you *may be able to reroute by using one of the leftover I/O channels (see the auxiliary connectors) or you'll have to replby xiando - Reprappers
Re: Strength between layers - 11 years ago
Anyone considered using the post-process acetone vapor smoothing to increase bond layer adhesion for ABS prints? It might take some dry time afterwards, but from waht I saw on a friend's vapor smoothed prints, it seems to me that might help considerably.by xiando - Reprappers
Re: Printing ABS on glass without any additionnal stuff - 11 years ago
Not that hand sanding is bad, but have you considered either chemically etching or sandblasting the surface to save your arm some effort?by xiando - Reprappers
Re: Still getting Z wobble with ACME lead screw - 11 years ago
Why would I argue with Roton or Thompson, Akhlut the anti-american troll? Trapezoidal is a form factor commonly referred by the oroginator's name of Acme, whihc is the standard form factor upon which metric was made. Therefore "metric trapezoidal" is simply a metric version of ACME form factor. Dip. akhlut Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > ACME is trapezoidalby xiando - Reprappers
Re: Stepper motor alternative ? - 11 years ago
And I knee jerk to unnecessary moronicisms. cheaper than a $4 stepper that's a Chinese clone of an American stepper that used to cost $100? lol, you guys are really something.by xiando - Developers
Re: PCB Heatbed Temperature - 11 years ago
It's possible you created cold-junction solder joints, a routine thing with folks who are new to soldering, especially when using inexpensive soldering irons from places like radio shack. May people make the mistake early on of thinking that apply a blob of solder is enough. It's not. It MUST wet thoroughly both parts being joined 1) get a small sponge, wet it, shake (don't squeeze) the excess wby xiando - Reprappers
Re: How to get extruded ABS to stick to print bed? - 11 years ago
1) you need to get the bed heated up to 100-120C depending on the specific filament 2) the glass plate should be absolutely clean. 3) a light "wash" of acetone prior to print seems to be a popular choiceby xiando - Reprappers
Re: vibration dampers - 11 years ago
I'd think that dampers would be best added to the feet of the entire unit, to absorb the impulses delivered via the discontinuous accelerations (changes in direction). But like everything else, they're not just a willy-nilly add. You specify them based on load and vibratory content.by xiando - General
Re: Spiral aluminum Z coupler question - 11 years ago
I converted my friend from the plastic printed ones to the machined aluminum ones and his print quality improved. There's a reason why professionals use real couplers instead of tubing and other undergraduate level workarounds for zero budget work, and it's not just to spend money. They're designed for coupling motors to shafts.by xiando - General
Re: Good source for Fasteners? - 11 years ago
@flying_freak, if a US distributor is "good enough" try McMaster supply.by xiando - General
Re: Stepper motor alternative ? - 11 years ago
bunk. I suppose you pour your own engine blocks too, and cast your own tires. Some of this makes sense, some of it is simply foolishness.by xiando - Developers
Re: One axis running backwards - 11 years ago
I agree. Change in the firmware would be far easier. I was just getting a little pedantic about "reversing the connector", since I hate when people defeat connector keysby xiando - General
Re: Printing with FIRE!!! $%&#in awesome - 11 years ago
that sure puts a new spin on the wood burners I used to get a Christmas when I was a kid (they were basically something like a cheap Radio Shack soldering iron with a few different shaped screw-on tips) cool ideaby xiando - General
Re: One axis running backwards - 11 years ago
The waldom/molex connectors are keyed aren't they? So technically, you have to re-position the pins, not just flip the connector, right?by xiando - General
Re: Forum going down frequently? - 11 years ago
Sorry, wasn't complaining VDX. Speaking at least for myself, I'm grateful for the work you guys put into reprap.orgby xiando - General
Re: Eradicate backlash - 11 years ago
Backlash is specifically generally caused by loose fit (or deformation) between two or more drive components, and it's unlikely you'll ever remove 100%, although you can get close. (personally, I don't usually consider friction based problems to be "backlash" and deal within them as different degrees of freedom from coupling issues) Using machined metal gears, high precision on mounting, properlby xiando - General
Re: Stepper motor alternative ? - 11 years ago
IMO, there's a time for re-purposing and a time for using. Just buy some cheap steppers and get on with it. Time is money too... Can't speak for you, but mine costs between $75 and $100 per hour. As for positional feedback, there are also inexpensive (relative to optical encoders) resistive encoders available. Basically, they're just linear pots with no stop, but for most you'd need dual outpby xiando - Developers
Re: Why the Angst about a fan on the hot end? - 11 years ago
A peltier cooler would work, but the're no lighter than a 1 inch (25mm) fan. And of course you have to get that heat off the hot side of the peltier which likely means...a fan.by xiando - General
Re: Forum going down frequently? - 11 years ago
Skeleton crew maintaining the page, low cost server...etc. can't complain too much when it's freeby xiando - General
Re: Air pump instead of fan for cooling - 11 years ago
I'd be inclined to use a metal "sweep", ie, a piece of re-worked brake tubing fixed to the extruder assembly and fed by a flex-hoseby xiando - Reprappers
Re: Good source for Fasteners? - 11 years ago
Have you tried , located in Western Canadaby xiando - General
Re: Cooling Fan - 11 years ago
adamlister: fwiw, In general, a capacitor's voltage rating should be chosen above the operating voltage. If you're using a 12V source, use at least a 16V capacitor to avoid damage if and or when the 12V bus gets an unwanted rise due to a motor shutting off/etc. See 'ground bounce' for a hint as to why this happens.by xiando - Reprappers
Re: best motor: high torque or high resolution? - 11 years ago
The 4800g/cm motor is technically a "better" motor, but you'll need to feed it twice as many steps, so there are two limits, first, max travel speed will probably be reduced from what you can achieve with a 1.8 degree motor, and second, you may run into buffer issues for travel distance, since the reprap translation is based on stored counts from "system zero" instead of using real positional feeby xiando - Stepper Motors, Servo Motors, DC Motors
Re: Still getting Z wobble with ACME lead screw - 11 years ago
"I'm using the McMaster 1/4-16 ACME screws. The came pre-bent from McMaster. Very nice of them. I highly recommend not purchasing screws from them (at least 1/4" anyway). I've bought (3) 3' screws from McMaster, each one pre-bent. Live and learn. If you've got 8mm smooth rods I wouldn't go up to a leadscrew larger than 8mm. " Then you should have sent them back to McMaster, since they were obvioby xiando - Reprappers
Re: Huxley heatbed won't heat up - 11 years ago
From your post, I'm working on the assumption that your thermistor is working correctly. EDIT: I also presume that the firmware is doing its job properly, so add that to the checklist if the other tests don't result in a problem source. wiring, bad FET, bad I/O, bad heated bed wiring: visual check, continuity checks. Make sure to check for both open and short-circuit conditions bad FET: use amby xiando - Reprappers
Re: Still getting Z wobble with ACME lead screw - 11 years ago
jbernardis, for the record, ACME lead screw IS trapezoidal form-factor. In fact, it's the first trapezoidal form-factor lead screw and the "trapezoidal" refers to the thread profile, nothing more. Don't let the EU rhetoric and dogma about metric vs SAE fool you. The ACME thread was invented in the US in the late 1800s and was later made in a metric form-factor. Some here choose to ignore the factby xiando - Reprappers
Re: print bed ? - 11 years ago
FWIW, most storefront hardware stores (not Lowes/Homedepot...I mean the mom/pop outfits) sell glass in whatever dimension you ask for.by xiando - General
Re: Direct Drive Gear - 11 years ago
google search for "nema17 planetary gears" I got lots of suitable hits.by xiando - General
Re: Extruded plastic sticking to nozzle - 11 years ago
jrherita, A bit of 3-in-one or pretty much anything will act as a "release agent". Use whatever you have. Wipe it on with a q-tip or a bit of paper towel (sparingly). DO NOT spray it with WD-40. avhon, just to be safe, check the orifice with a magnifier to make sure there aren't any tiny burrs in the orifice that the plastic is getting hung on.by xiando - Reprappers