I have now been using Printbite for a couple of months on my Ordbot and I must say it is a big step forward. I have it stuck down on a Mk3 bed using 3M tape. I only print ABS now and at 110 deg C it adheres to the bed very well. I made the mistake at first of dropping the bed temp as the print progressed and it popped off. If it is kept at 110 deg C it stays put. I previously used Kapton tape anby dave3d - General
A gas flame produces water and carbon dioxide as the products of combustion, so forget that method. A microwave is so easy it has got to be the preferred way. Not sure about cat litter, but silica gel can be bought very cheap on fleabay. It is used for flower drying among other uses. A quick check and it is less than 10 GBP per kg. Also I see the colour change says orange to green! Mine was blueby dave3d - General
Silica Gel is however re-useable and the colour change indicates when it needs to be re-generated. When dry the crystals are blue, turning to pink when spent. It is water of crystalisation which is bound to the molecule. It is not present as "free" water. Industrial air dryers for instrument air use Silica Gel as the desiccant. A humidity meter inside the storage container would be a more scienby dave3d - General
I have got one. I fitted conventional Reprap bolts/springs at all four corners. Leveling is really a one off at the start then only periodically after. Had heating problems on 12v, so then converted to 24v and latterly fitted Printbrite surface. Very pleased with the performance now.by dave3d - Reprappers
Assuming it is a silica gel type dessicant, use a microwave oven. It is very simple to do. Spread it out on a shallow tray and put it on the high setting. Open the door and check at say 1 minute intervals and you can see the water coming off as steam. Once no more steam comes off, give it one final minute. I have used this method many times. Not for 3d printing but for another project.by dave3d - General
My ssr runs cool, but I do have it bolted directly to one of the aluminium printer frame uprights. My arduino also no longer needs a fan. All the steppers are cold to the touch.by dave3d - Reprappers
Brian, Can you machine a Diamond Hotend? Or even better a variation using standard J-head parts? If so I would be interested. Shipped to the UK.by dave3d - General
OK thanks guys. I am in the UK and the Excelvan wood filament is more readily available. I am going to give it a go. I have just assembled a 3d body scanner and want the head and body scans to look more like a wood carving.by dave3d - General
I have seen several wood effect filaments advertised. Seems to be PLA with either bamboo or hardwood filler. Anybody recommend a good one? I have just built a 3d scanner and I fancy doing a "mini me" in wood effect.by dave3d - General
Hello Brian, I have got two of your Mk V J-heads. Your machining is superb. I am very happy with the way they perform. I print exclusively ABS now. No complaints at all. Dave UKby dave3d - General
QuotetKc wrote: Quote dave3d I switched to a 24v Mk 3 heat bed controlled via a SSR and connected to Ramps. dc/dc SSR rated at 40 amps. Simple wiring 2 wires in and 2 wires out. Huge advantage. Bed heats up to 110 deg C in less than 2 mins. No heat from Ramps any more. Just bang bang (on/off) control. Switch to Repetier firmware for Arduino. It is easier to configure. Hoby dave3d - Reprappers
I switched to a 24v Mk 3 heat bed controlled via a SSR and connected to Ramps. dc/dc SSR rated at 40 amps. Simple wiring 2 wires in and 2 wires out. Huge advantage. Bed heats up to 110 deg C in less than 2 mins. No heat from Ramps any more. Just bang bang (on/off) control. Switch to Repetier firmware for Arduino. It is easier to configure.by dave3d - Reprappers
msaeger: Yes. Mine is about the same size but with a plastic handle. You want fine bristles so it is a gentle action. I can't tell from the photo.by dave3d - Reprappers
I use a small fine brass wire brush. The type that is used to brush suede shoes. The brush head measures about 1" x 1/2". I use it on my (brass) jhead. Couple of strokes at 230 deg C and it gets the black deposits off. Need to be careful about damaging the thermistor though.by dave3d - Reprappers
I have built a smoke sensor device that cuts the power to the printer and I have been using it now for about a year. It has a latching relay and the way I have got it wired, the device can only be reset by turning it off and back on at the mains plug. The smoke alarm will not put the power back on automatically when the alarm condition clears, that would be dangerous.by dave3d - General
I went bowden with my OrdBot. I have twin Wade extruders bolted to the top frame and short 300mm long tubes to the hotend. The secret is keeping the tubes as short as possible to minimise hysterisis. I am using 1.75mm filament. I have no experience of 3mm. Reasons were to try twin colours (still trying) and and also to get the moving weight down /printing speed up. I print usually at 100 -150mm/by dave3d - General
The relay cuts the mains power supply to the printer so everything is shut down.by dave3d - General
I only print ABS now and I have got it down to a fine art. I have a series of small bottles of different coloured ABS juices. All except black which I have given up on. I can't find a good black. I dissolve the ABS first so it is fully saturated in the acetone, I then separate the solid ABS pieces out and dilute the liquor back to 50% saturation. It works better more dilute. I have printed a lotby dave3d - General
I switched from Marlin to Repetier firmware. It is much better and easier to configure using the online web page. There are a lot more safety features. There are settings to catch a thermistor being upcoupled using min temp rise for example.by dave3d - Reprappers
Quotedr.hunter s. thompson wrote: This is the very tip of the iceberg. An unregulated industry is inherently unsafe. For all the futuristic, almost utopian aspirations of the 3d printer movement, there will be consequences. No good deed goes unpunished. I could not agree more. Repraps are by definition home built DIY printers that are built by a wide range of enthusiasts but all with differentby dave3d - General
QuoteGraywolf wrote: I'm quite surprised that you don't get false alarms with the ionisation device and foreign body's on the hotend getting burned off can trigger them. I have got the detector head on top of a bookcase immediately behind my printer. I have just measured the distance and it is about 70 cm away from the hotend. I don't get any false alarms with normal printing. I have tested itby dave3d - Reprappers
As I mentioned in another thread, I have installed a smoke detector that cuts the power to the printer. It has been in use for about a year. It is based on an Aico Ei141 ionisation type smoke alarm with an integral Ei128R base unit that houses a switching relay. Other manufacturers should make them with an integral relay. Because it is momentary contact, an external latching relay is required forby dave3d - Reprappers
I bought one of those modules but have never used it. I ended up using an Aico Ei141 ionisation type smoke alarm with an integral Ei128R base unit that houses a switching relay. An external latching relay is required for the circuitry and I housed this in a separate box. These are commercial quality parts not cheap, possibly unreliable, electronics. It has been in use now over a year and it worby dave3d - General
It happened to me. I had a close shave when the hotend thermostat got pulled out by a print that went awol. It filled the house with smoke. I fitted a smoke detector that cuts the power to the printer. Not absolutely failsafe but should catch majority of problems. Don't give up. Re think the way you do things. Don't print unattended. Printing overnight is particularly dangerous imho. This iby dave3d - General
I have Ramps 1.4/Arduino 2560 combo like yours. I went from a Mk 2b bed with 6mm glass on 12v, which was slow, to a Mk 3 aluminium bed. It was even slower, until I fitted a 24v PSU just for the bed, as lunarkingdom. It is controlled separately via a SSR. I reduced the 24v voltage down to give 15 amps through the bed to keep it within the PSU rating. Situation was suddenly transformed! It heatby dave3d - General
I like the idea. A simple, low cost circuit to catch hot spots on the printer, to alarm or cut the power at say 20 deg C above the hotend temp? I think it would need a wide angle of view to take in the whole printer. A spot temperature would not be much use.by dave3d - Safety & Best Practices
I had the same problem. Instead of turning up the 12v voltage and risking damaging the Arduino, I fitted a second 24v PSU. My aluminium bed now heats up to 110 deg C in about 2 mins.by dave3d - General
I bought an aluminium mk3 heat bed and it was very slow heating up on 12v. I posted on the problems on here. I ended up adding a second 24v led type psu just for the bed. My ramps/arduino still stays on the original 12v psu. I put an ammeter on it and turned down the 24v psu voltage to give a bed current of 15 amps to stay within the rating of the psu and give a safety margin. Temperature is conby dave3d - General
I have an intermittent problem with my printer which I can't figure out. I don't know if it is hardware or software related. Just as the nozzle lowers to the bed and the print should start, the extruder sometimes suddenly goes into high speed retraction. I have to press emergency stop to stop it. I really mean high speed. I have to catch it quick to stop the filament from flying back out of the bby dave3d - Printing
I used to use the same, kapton tape on 6mm glass with ABS juice. Bed at 110 deg C. However, I have just changed to an aluminium bed. No glass, but still with kapton tape and juice. It just works.by dave3d - General