QuoteIf you want a printer first and a project second, I really recommend A Thing-O-Matic, Ultimaker, Mosaic, RapMan, Up! or one of the other commercial printers. But I want to use a Mac so won't I have the same problem? Anyway I did want to make something myself and I could not afford the commercial stuff. When I failed to get the applications that send Gcode to the RepRap I wrote my own in Proby Grumpy Mike - General
Quotealthough when I last upgraded to the new version, I tried to go through the install procedure and I was not successful. So I just ran it anyway it seems to work That is exactly what I mean, only in my case it didn't work. It seems to me that no one is actually interested in getting anything that is stable, they are all interested in putting yet more incomprehensible, poorly documented twidby Grumpy Mike - General
Well I am getting quite disillusioned with the whole 3D printing thing. I have had my Prussa built since August and haven't managed to print anything. The main problem is all this software quite simply doesn't work. I am on a Mac 10.6.8 and anything written in Python is about as frustrating as those old text based adventure games. You know, missing file you need to install X, so you download X anby Grumpy Mike - General
I have just built the Universal Mini Extruder and what with it being my first printer I am not sure what is my fault and what is the design. I used a 6R8 resistor at 12V and it is getting up to temperature but only just, the heater is powered all the time, all be it with a bit of PWM when I am over 230C. I am trying to extrude ABS and it comes out but is not so liquid as I see it in some of the vby Grumpy Mike - Plastic Extruder Working Group
Thanks, QuoteThe motors take less current from the supply rail than the set coil current. do you know how much less it takes. With 6A to divide over four motors with two coils per motor, that would see me setting all the motors to 0.75A. However, I suspect that a bit more current in the X and Y and a bit less in the Z and extruder would make better use of the torque producing current I have. Tby Grumpy Mike - Controllers
I have a 12V 6A supply devoted to moving the stepping motors in a Prusa. Is this enough? How would you recommend I distribute this current between the various axis motors for best effect? I am using Adriana's 1.7mm Extruder. Thanksby Grumpy Mike - Controllers
Downloaded the latest version today after problems with an earlier. Unfortunately the problems are worse. Basically a G0 move can result the motors moving to nearly reach the destination and then virtually stopping. The pulse it too infrequent to show up on my scope (it's not a good one) but you can here the motor ticking and feel the motor very slowly pulsing. I have eliminated hardware problemsby Grumpy Mike - Firmware - experimental, borrowed, and future
Thanks that seems to have done the trick.by Grumpy Mike - Skeinforge
Just found out about, sounds great but as usual with me python = it will not run. I am using a macbook with Python 2.7.1 when I double click it I get:- QuoteFile "/Users/mikecook/Desktop/printrundist/skeinforge_application/skeinforge.py", line 220, in from fabmetheus_utilities.fabmetheus_tools import fabmetheus_interpret File "/Users/mikecook/Desktop/printrundist/fabmetheus_utilities/fabmeby Grumpy Mike - Skeinforge
QuoteAbout 50 Gen7s are running with this package....... So at least it basically works. Yes but how many of those people were using a 664P processor, I was using a 644. I tracked down the problem to this code in the HardwareSerial.cpp file:- #if defined(__AVR_ATmega644P__) || defined(__AVR_ATmega1280__) ISR(USART0_RX_vect) { unsigned char c = UDR0; store_char(c, &rx_buffer); } Which onlby Grumpy Mike - Next Wave Electronics Working Group
Sorry I am not making myself clear. I know from my other forums that it is difficult to tell the competency level of posters. Let me say that while I am completely new to 3D printing I have some experience with arduinos. Please see:- some of my projects here The ISR I refer to is in the support package for the arduino itself. Let me explain in more detail what has happened. I built a Gen 7 elecby Grumpy Mike - Next Wave Electronics Working Group
No it is the 644 system that freezes, there must be some error in the serial input ISR. Hence any reprap controlling firmware will not work.by Grumpy Mike - Next Wave Electronics Working Group
I have built a Gen 7 electronics board with a 20MHz ATmega644. I have burned a boot loader on it with the arduino ISP and I can load in software to make LEDs blink and read the values back from the limit switches. It talks to me using Serial.print(). However, when I send it anything down the serial port the whole system freezes. I am not even reading the data, just sending it one single byte. Iby Grumpy Mike - Next Wave Electronics Working Group
I am in the process of making a Gen 7 circuit on strip board. I used a Atmega 644 running at 20MHz. I have the processor down and I flashed in the boot loader yesterday using the arduino's built in ArduinoISP sketch. I put some red / blue LEDs on the step and direction inputs to each driver so I get red, blue and purple indication of the motor drives. These were all flashing away merrily with somby Grumpy Mike - Next Wave Electronics Working Group
You can't program the boot loader through a serial connector, you need a programmer. If you have an arduino that can be made into a programmer. Otherwise you will have to buy or make one.by Grumpy Mike - Sanguino(lolu)
No. The external pull ups will do the job. I would make them 4k7 and not 10kby Grumpy Mike - Sanguino(lolu)
Dip the wires in a solution of copper sulphate, the one that gets coated in a copper film is the negative.by Grumpy Mike - General
You need to get a meter and measure it. These are less than £5.00 so there is no excuse for not having one.by Grumpy Mike - General
There is no way you are going to solder to aluminium not matter what you do to the surface. The chemistry doesn't work.by Grumpy Mike - General
I have used a hair dryer to slightly soften the plastic before pulling the nuts in. It takes about one minute on hot blow to get them up to temperature.by Grumpy Mike - General
No I am in the UK. I did manage to get some ABS from RoboSavvy but I wanted PLA.by Grumpy Mike - General
I have got all the bits to make the new 1.75mm extruder and now I can't find anyone who has this size of filament in stock. It seems it has been discontinued at a lot of places. Is this obsolete or too new to be in general use?by Grumpy Mike - General
I am just starting out to make the Gen7 electronics but feel there is something wrong about the FET circuits to drive the heaters. First off it uses an IRFZ44N FET and this will not fully turn on with 5V, the data sheet seems to indicate 6V. Secondly there is a 1K resistor in series with the base. This is designed to protect the driver circuit from excess current but this is too high. The resultby Grumpy Mike - Controllers
I have been soldering for almost as long as I can remember, and I do electronics for both a hobby and a living, but I am surprised at the advice to have DIY reflow soldering. With the packages used here you would be much better off just placing with tweezers and soldering them down with a fine iron. The problem as I see it is the temperature profile, that is how quickly you can get the board up tby Grumpy Mike - Reprappers