"Easy" is a relative term... But there's nothing stopping you from increasing the z-axis on a standard reprap printer, although for variants like the Mendel, you either have to get creative or expand the x-y dimensions in concert with the Z-axis. For the one's based on using extruded channel, it's something of a no brainer, and for those based on sheet aluminum, it's just a matter of changing thby xiando - General Mendel Topics
If you're totally new to 3D cad, I'd recommend that you download Sketchup and do their tutorials. Very simple, and at no cost (aside from your time). Sketchup does not compare with higher end design tools, but as I noted it's free, so at least you won't have buyer's remorse if it all ends up being too much and you decide that 3D design isn't for you. If nothing else, Sketchup can give you some baby xiando - 3D Design tools
probably, but I'd be worried about injecting abrasive material into the print...granted, under certain circumstances, that might not be a bad thing. Sandblasting also tends to produce very fine grained byproduct which is a dangerous inhalant (see silicosis for more info) edit: (Plus, even if you don't breathe it in, the crushed abrasive tends to get into everything if it's not properly containedby xiando - General
"Josef would be the person to ask" Not really. Joseph is, like you, an amateur. He's is the last one I'd ask for technical advise.by xiando - General
For figurines? Sand paper, emery cloth, scotch pads, riffler files. Pretty standard stuff for fine detail finishing work.by xiando - General
The best z-coupler, hands down, is a real motor coupler, not make-shift pieces of tubing.by xiando - General
The nice thing is that they're actually made to pull air. The problem with box fans (like those in use here on rep rap) is that they're made for relatively low pressure gradients and they're not at all suitable for compressed flow. (for instance, creating a plastic reducer with your printer will result in an undesigned restriction on the fan's air flow profile, and therefore added, and unexpectedby xiando - Reprappers
@ugen, look into a portable vacuum like those sold at computer stores or for an automobile. They'd probably be right up the alley for fume extraction in a small diameter profile, although as has been pointed out, there will be a noise cost. (you can put the device into an insulated box though, which would help. I ran a shop vac to draw residual material off a PCB milling machine...got very loud.by xiando - Reprappers
@Enlightx, easy enough to build one for yourself and try it. Plans are all over the net, and it really doesn't take much in the way of hardware. The basic recipe is a coffee can, a couple bearings, a motor to turn it, and some abrasive (walnut shells, etc.) And any bits and pieces you need for the tumbler assembly can probably be printed...by xiando - General
I'd recommend that you simply sand and then finish using a coating like polyurethane. I don't know that there are any reasonable solvents that will work in the same way as acetone does for ABS. And even acetone isn't a very nice chemical and in larger quantities should be reclaimed using evaporators and closed environments. As individuals, we may not be subject to the laws that business has to foby xiando - General
alj_rprp Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Original trapezoidal profile is US ACME 29° > thread in late 19th century. > Nowadays when someone speak of trapezoidal profile > it is usually the 30° metric profile, but the > ACME profile is still widely used worldwide. > > The origin of the ACME thread is that the previous > leadscrew profile, sby xiando - General
Anyone happen to know who invented trapezoidal profile lead screw? Or for that matter, where it was originally invented?by xiando - General
You *can directly connect it to the power supply, although as has been mentioned, you won't have temperature control of the bed, so it will continue to heat until thermal equilibrium with the ambient environment is reached, until the power supply can deliver no more power to the heated bed, or until the heated bed cooks like a hotdog on a spit. Traumflug (sp) sells an offboard switcher board suiby xiando - General
I'd think a bit of sanding would be all you'd need to finish it well enough for an anemometer cup, although I don't think you're going to produce a true mirror finish without a bit of work and light overcoats of paint or similar in between sandings. At 1mm wall thickness, I wouldn't risk it's shape by introducing acetone into the equation. fwiw, Scotch pads are a great source for a conformable sby xiando - Reprappers
What's known as "single strength" glass should be fine. In the USA, it's 3/32" thick.by xiando - General
timing belts are used to drive the X and Y axes. Their respective lengths are called out in the wiki. They are not, afaik, used to drive any of the extruders. There are a variety of extruder designs. Read/search the many posts here in this forum or go to the reprap wiki for a listing of the various designs.by xiando - General Mendel Topics
"will non scented nail polish work for abs juice? " AFAIK, the solvent used in nail polish is acetone, so I give the same advise for its use as for the standard "ABS juice"... when in doubt regarding health, ventilate. FWIW, I'd think you'd need to dilute the nail polish anyway.by xiando - General
Almost anything *can be done. But with incumbent accuracy and durability? Probably more work than finding a supplier that will sell the length you need.by xiando - Reprappers
Cobra, Good for you! And yeah, that's exactly what I meant by "It might not be a bullet proof validation". Admittedly, a conniver could send really nice filament as sample, and still ship crap for purchase, but if more of us would use due diligence when dealing with material vendors, they'd be far less able to do so or potentially face a class action suit and more serious legal woes regardingby xiando - General
"Because the reprap project originated in the UK where we don't use these funny units! (apart from for driving.....)" Exactly how many stones did you say you weigh? In the US, if we're not using metric, we use mils (0.001 inch) for precision work. Fractional values are usually left to carpentry, low grade machine work, or just for "common" speak. So IF filament was made to those specs, it woulby xiando - General
Seems a reasonable standard. As long as they can't be pierced easily or snapped by flexing, and won't warp/etc under pressure from belts or other mechanical loading, as some parts are required (the motor mounts, pulley supports, etc.) lol, I wish I was younger... Sounds like an interesting master's thesis.by xiando - General
Contact them and request samples of their stock. It might not be a bullet proof validation, but if they won't send sample lengths (we're talking 6" or so), it's a pretty damning comment on their quality standards. Poysonally, I tink everyone should consider asking for samples with stuff like this, where quality is a hit and miss issue since there doesn't seem to be any required standard of qualitby xiando - General
Maybe consider using more external layers (top, bottom and perimeter) too, That seems to provide a lot more strength.by xiando - General
Andrew said: "That doesn't seem to exist. The trapezoidal charts stop at 8mm, the ACME charts stop at 1.4 inch" Maybe I missed something. What doesn't exist?by xiando - General
Does Europe have ebay? If so, you could check there for machined pulleys. I'd expect that at least some of the reprap vendors in Europe also carry machined pulleys. The ones I purchased from ebay here in the US (actually mfg'd in China fwiw) were made for 5mm shafts. Europe must also have something akin to the USAs' SDP-SI, which supplies a wide variety of gears and other mechanical components,by xiando - General
Hey now ... don't blame it on me... I read a similar BOM, which is why I was asking about the use of under-performing standard-grade, oversized 10mm diameter trapezoidal threaded rod (the value I saw in the lulzbot BOM I viewed) . BTW, just for the record, many distributors and manufacturers still refer to metric trapezoidal as "metric ACME" , (I suppose that's since ACME was invented first anby xiando - General
Not sure where you're located, but if in North America, Digikey and other distributors carry the Molex housings. As shown in Andrew's post, in the UK (and possibly in Continental Europe), they can be purchased from Farnell. An example part from Digikey is shown here There are associated links embedded into the product page for other configurations and mating headers, fwiwby xiando - General
Oh, ok. I wouldn't think so either, but I thought that I'd read somewhere that the spec for this design called out 10mm diameter, general purpose trapezoidal screw, hence the question... thanks for the clarification.by xiando - General
ACME is trapezoidal. In fact, it is the first trapezoidal profile. The difference is that metric trapezoidal uses a 30 degree included angle, vs the 29 degree included angle of the imperial trapezoidal, or "ACME", so metric is ~%3 more efficient.by xiando - General
brnrd... Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that by saying "That's basically what a skirt is." you meant "that's basically what a brim is", yes? right. I figured it was possible. I just didn't think it through (since a brim is essentially a series of single layer skirts). And the bit you said about targeted brims seems a cool benefit of skeinforge...by xiando - General