I have a few suggestions: QuoteRTurnock Kits for the students to build, test, calibrate, print parts for another printer and then take the printer apart so that the next semester students can do the same thing all over again. Why not let the kids keep the printer and also teach them to work with the printer and CAD stuff etc. The printers keep evolving too, so just print new parts with the eby BackEMF - Smart_Rap
There is a chemical in the carburater cleaner that softens the PLA and according to his findings the PLA seems to stay soft. I have no idea what the actual chemical is, but sure would like to know. I personally don't like the idea of carburater cleaner, i only try to find a less toxic solution. I like choice, but right now it seems like i need rols os: PLA, ABS, hard, flexible, elastic, and iby BackEMF - Smart_Rap
I see, would it make a difference when a n object is thin (like a timing belt or a gasket?) And / or if the Ethyl is diluted in water or another substance so that it soaks more slowly into the material? Wild guesses, just sharing my thoughts... I have dropped a piece of PLA in some vinegar to see if that does anything maybe just silly though after reading the Ethyl wiki page I just got curby BackEMF - General
Hmm ok, then i have to keep my eyes open for the next chemical. Would be nice to know what chemical makes flexible PLA flex. I try to find a solution to keep just one type of plastic (PLA) in the machine and still be able to create Gaskets and Rubbery wheels occasionally. The few times i actually want to print something flexible isn't really worth the hassle of buying and storing flex PLA noby BackEMF - General
It's not a dream, carb cleaner does the trick already. But it's hard to get behind the ingredients of carb cleaner. And i'm hoping someone knows a more healthy material. I wonder how FlexPLA / Ninjaflex etc stay soft for long periods of time and if that's the same chemical. Though the recipe for those PLA mixtures are also not very open. This also raises the issue of how safe it is to print 'toby BackEMF - Smart_Rap
Does this Ethyl Acetate also soften the PLA? And if yes, does the PLA stay soft?by BackEMF - General
Cool, I hope I actually can find this stuff in .NL / .EU One question does this actually KEEP the PLA soft and flexible? Or does it get hard after the smoothing again? (Maybe that's the point that you seemed to have missed?) Uhm... The point is: to have just one roll of PLA in the printer and one on stock, and then still be able to print hard soft and colored items. Color is not that importantby BackEMF - Smart_Rap
I'm still trying to get my hands on carburetor cleaner that someone used to soften PLA Main reason is that i dont want to have a stock of 100 different plastics eating away shelflife. Right now i have only natural PLA that eventually can be colored with food coloring and chemically softened with carb cleaner. I will do another search too find out what chemical actually softens the PLA and hopefby BackEMF - Smart_Rap
Quotenapalmvictory Name 3 females on this forum. Excuse me for being off topic but that kind of remarks are not very inviting to them either... I'm sure there are more ladies reading this forum, though i don't blame them for being silent when there are remarks like this floating around.by BackEMF - Smart_Rap
Are there any original files available? My PC is not powerfull enough to convert the mesh back into a solid that i can edit in FreeCAD.by BackEMF - Smart_Rap
niiiice I like the connector idea. i think it would be nice if ramps had 6 terminal connectors for hotend, fan and bed instead of the screw terminals Anyway, thats what i'm going to do on the next build.. 5.08 pitch terminal connectorsby BackEMF - Smart_Rap
I see you have an antibacklash on the z-axis Maybe this M5 antibacklash nut can be adapted to the Smartrap.by BackEMF - Smart_Rap
Have a look at this: flexpla and bowden The human factor is the bottleneck once again.by BackEMF - Smart_Rap
Great thinking Duranza. Would it be an idea to put the switch below? Then you have an easy way to slide the hot end out without screwing things loose. Or is the switch also needed as a 'spring'?by BackEMF - Smart_Rap
You can also put some paper, or soft plastic between the LM8UU and the top clamp. the 0.47 has 3mm holes on the sides there so that you can clamp it down by screwing M3 's in. LOL @ Reg, it's cheaper to drill a hole in a coin then actually go to the hardware store to buy a washer.by BackEMF - Smart_Rap
It sure does. hehehe all my spare time goes into this. And to build a printer you still kind of need to have a printer to be able to print fixes and upgrades. I'm still wondering why the Huxley hotend didn't work for me as how i see it work for others. And yes. I had a few good pints from it. The supposed crosstalk seems not to be crosstalk after all. The X moves are only happening duringby BackEMF - Smart_Rap
Is there some protection in the software? Something like: If hotend is on and temperature is less then 10C (in case the thermistor is disconnected) then stop and shut down though that still doesn’t protect from a thermistor that just doest touch the heater block. I'm going to test how flammable my PLA is. The plastic in your video is that PLA or ABS?by BackEMF - Safety & Best Practices
Yes i have 2 'twisted pairs' with a different number of turns. but if there is crosstalk then I think it happens at the input of the pololu on the X. I'm still experimenting with all the feedback i get from everyone. The endstops seem to work fine it's only the X that moves tiny steps when the Y moves in long straight lines. I've had lots of stuff on this first printer so i'm now probably thinkiby BackEMF - RAMPS Electronics
@ napalmvictory: I'm also very budget minded, that's why i choose the smartrap. The huxley hotend seems to work good for some, i had a reasonable print out of it before it started to fail, and got ever worse. And now i have this Genie hotend I do clearly see the difference despite other issues that are not hotend related. I dont get why you are so biased against the bowden configuration. Ultiby BackEMF - Smart_Rap
Yeah i have been playing with that but nothing seems to change, In another thread nophead said that this could ne 'normal behaviour' of the auto bed level though that doesn't explain all of it. Still trying to get my head around it. I have had to many things happening to this machine already and it is now beginning to become a bit complex. What is really going on? I'm probably thinking to hardby BackEMF - Smart_Rap
I see Thank you another thing learned today. I thought the Autoleveling only tweaked the Z axis, good to know that there is more going on. i will check it with autolevel disabled. I hope this will clear things up. I still have to find out the what's going on, i thought i was getting close but it's getting more complicated.by BackEMF - RAMPS Electronics
You can get it at http://regpye.com.au/ I think ABS needs more testing, it's build for and mainly tested with PLA. So once ABS is propper tested then Reg will sure give his ABS approval. ABS and PLA are lowtemperature plastics. Hotends have a PTFE-linet inside and that limits the max. temperature to the meltingpoint of the PTFE (250C if I’m not mistaken) So if you want to print high temperaturby BackEMF - Smart_Rap
No I’m not sure, but I assume that during the probing of the bed the Grid probing moves in straight lines and not semi straight. And when send G1 Y100 Then the X also should not move, right? But on my machine the X then moves about 1 degree in 100 little steps. And this smells a lot like 100 crosstalk pulses on the Step trace of the X-driver. I'm still a RepRookie so I can be wrong. And I wby BackEMF - RAMPS Electronics
Hm indeed, i'll give that a go. I have another RAMPS in the pipeline so within a few weeks i can try both.by BackEMF - Smart_Rap
You can power the hotwire with RAMPS though you need to add some current sensing if you want temperature control. have a look at this current sensing circuit: hotwire foam cutter I think it is a nice way to control the temperature if the schematic actually works. Inkscape + Gcode tools might also get you there to make the Gcode g-code tools for inkscapeby BackEMF - RAMPS Electronics
There are many hotends around, I have RegPyes Genie hotend and I agree with Verteez it's a good choice for the SmartRap, Regs geared extruder also works like a dream. I personally have only the huxley hotend to compare with and the difference is huge. I think it is a nice extra to have Reg's support right here in the room. :-)by BackEMF - Smart_Rap
Try to make some sandcastles 3D style and bring some innovation to the beach. Happy holidays !by BackEMF - Smart_Rap
@areoalex: Was this a crosstalk issue? If yes, how did you fix it? @konwiddak: Why is it "normal behaviour" during auto bed level? When Y gets 100mm Gcode command and X gets no command then X should just not move, or am i wrong? After auto level the Z is autolevelled so yes then it moves but during autolevel Z should not be moving either.by BackEMF - Printing
I'm having crosstalk issues on the X axis when Y is moving long straight lines. When Y moves lets say 100 mm then X turns about 1 degree. Is there a 'best solution' available? I see several other topics with similar issues but can't find actual solutions.by BackEMF - RAMPS Electronics
I can see the movement during auto level, and when printing a Rack from the rack & pinion i get skewed results. So it always happens on long straight moves. It is a crosstalk issue, though i'm a bit puzzled why i'm seem the only one with this issue. I don't see a reason why my electronics would behave different. And even after some changes to the machine the issue hasn't changed. Still whby BackEMF - Smart_Rap