Hoss's 3D Printers

Check out this one Hoss;
Huge DIY 3D printer predictably prints huge 3D items - Hack a Day

http://hackadaycom.files.wordpress.c...3d_printer.jpg

It's a nice big one. :)

I respect the whole makerbot philosophy that themachine can make more machines, but the implementation is gimicky with machines made from threaded rod and nuts and little plastic bits. It's sacrificing all performance all the time, for one benefit, the machine can make itself. Personally I think the machine should be designed to do it's job the best possible, so I'd build something like a fast precise gantry mill like the one above or the one RPovey linked in post #35.

I like plastics and have been keeping an eye on DIY 3D printers for a while. From what I've seen good results are very temperature dependent. So good control of table surface temp, extruder temp and even environment temp. A closed box around the machine might be a good option to have. :)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Ger21

...
I just spent two hours reading info from the links he posted.
Basically, you have a glass bottomed tank filled with resin. You move a plate down to the bottom, leaving a thin layer of resin, and project the shape onto the plate, curing the thin layer of resin. Move the plate up and repeat, thousands of times. It looks like it takes 5-10 seconds/layer.
...

---

Yep that's exactly how it works. :) I've been watching that project too, until it fizzled. I think he may be going commercial with it, or doing research for commercial. It only gives a small work area maybe 2" square, and I'm not sure how long the LCD will survive. But for jewelery it's a very nice machine. And one of the easiest to build, if you have a projector LCD and one vertical axis.

I am sure Hoss will add to the technology, instantly. There are so many areas for improvement most of which he already exhibits lots of creativity. Fun to watch for sure.

Yeah that's certainly cool and understandable that to make bigger parts you need a bigger more rigid machine.
Same goes for milling.
If the threaded rod setup wasn't rigid enough to make the small parts accurate enough
I'm sure it would have been abandoned ages ago.
I can see that going any larger than these like the Prusa would require a beefier setup,
you couldn't expect a 5/16 rod to give support across a 2 foot span but at 8 inches it's just fine.
If you look at the parts being made by a lot of people, little whistles and Prusa components
a big work envelop isn't needed.
80/20 will likely make it into my "next" one with expanded travels since I imagine I'll want to be able to make parts about 18 inches wide, maybe 24 and need the extra rigidity to support a dual head over that span.
Gotta get my feet wet with this little guy first.
We'll see.:)
Hoss

I did read one comment on that large machine. He remarked about the table doing the traveling. I think it might be a good idea to keep the table stationary on future builds. That is how I built my router.
Already thinking about some design improvements just looking at some add ons that some have made.
A ceramic heater was added to one.
I think a fully enclosed machine is the way to go. 80/20 will be a good choice I think. Low cost isn't really what I would aim at, but rather one built to a cutting machines standard.
I also don't think timing belts should be used in a fully enclosed setup. Perhaps some small rack and pinion?

Just convert your router to a printer.;)
Routers, if they have a decent Z would make a good platform for a printer and if you want
to mill the part later you could do that too.
Would be pretty easy to add the H1 system using Mach 3 to a CNCed router.
Just need the outputs for the driver for the extruder and a couple inputs for the heater with the temp control board.
Hoss

Bothacker.com has an admireable 80/20 buld. Also check out mendelmax . There's another 80/20 build onthingiverse as well but the name is eluding me.

Thanks, I'll check them out. Think I've seen the mendelmax.
Hoss

Hoss,

I love your creativity!

Although not a strictly self-replicating reprap 3D printer bot, the marriage of cnc mill and Prusa/Mendel 3D printer bot can produce some very impressive printer bot offspring. I imagine your wheels are already turning!

The ORCA version 3D printers offered by mendel-parts use an ingenious aluminum sheet frame for added riigidity and accuracy. You might want to check out their download tab of manuals and drawings.

Thanks I'll look for that too.
Hoss

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by hoss2006

Just convert your router to a printer.;)
Routers, if they have a decent Z would make a good platform for a printer and if you want
to mill the part later you could do that too.
Would be pretty easy to add the H1 system using Mach 3 to a CNCed router.
Just need the outputs for the driver for the extruder and a couple inputs for the heater with the temp control board.
Hoss

---

I am actually using Nuri's Gen 2 temperature controller. It is a stand alone piece of equipment that takes care of all extruder and bed temperatures, 3 inputs for thermistors and a thermocouple, 2 mosfet outputs and 2 relays. Seems to work nicely. Still waiting on a thermistor for the bed temperature.

More good stuff!
Thanks, Hoss

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by lcvette

..... CRAZY watching it happen.

any more info anywhere?

Chris

---

Why, Yes plenty more info:
1. Go to the 3dlprint website
2. Join the Yahoo! groups : diy_3d_printing_and_fabrication
3. and do ask questions. :-)

Cheers!
Peter

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by 3DLPrint

Why, Yes plenty more info:
1. Go to the 3dlprint website
2. Join the Yahoo! groups : diy_3d_printing_and_fabrication
3. and do ask questions. :-)

Cheers!
Peter

---

I joined but it'll be a while before I try and get into that stuff, very promising though.

The H1 kit shipped and is due tomorrow but I gotta get the prusa together first,
got the rest of the parts in for it including a box full of electronics to solder,
good thing my light has a magnifier.;)
Hoss

The threaded rods and moving platforms are plenty accurate, at slower speeds.
It's when you try to up the print speed that they show their weaknesses.

But even with a platform that only moves in Z with the head doing the X & Y you still have issues and tradeoffs, you can go the route of Ulitmaker and have a remote filament driver which allows for a very light head that can move very quickly but the long filament after the driver makes it hard to keep stringing to a minimum.

Or take the MakerBot approach and have the filament driver as part of the head and the associated weight, this limits your speed quite a bit unless you have some good acceleration algorithms in your firmware or slicer (the new Replicator has a Z only platform and a head that moves X&Y)

Since most of this stuf is open source and community driven it can take a good while for the best features to get to the point where they are usable.

Hoss, you should grab the free version of NetFabb, it will check and quite often repair issues with STL files, will help make the printing process a bit smoother and cleaner

Finally took a look at this site: RepRap: Blog
The Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2011 post is what I went to look at, he's printing at .01mm on a Prusa Mendel, what really intrigues me is he does it with ABS which most would have said wasn't possible.

No info on the nozzle size

A little off topic, but anyone got a source for a computer to run Mach3, did a little checking and 32 bit is harder to find than I thought.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by BAR553

A little off topic, but anyone got a source for a computer to run Mach3, did a little checking and 32 bit is harder to find than I thought.

---

If your in Highlands Ranch near Denver...

Craigslist...

denver all for sale / wanted classifieds "desktop xp" - craigslist

DON'T get a Dell E510. Some may work fine but I had loads of problems with mine and had to acquire another pc.

Doug

Downloaded Netfabb and will give it a looksee, thanks.

Check pricewatch for PC's.
Pricewatch - Web's first Price Comparison site. Find the lowest price, Valentine's day deals and store reviews on tech and more

Spent a few hours yesterday and got 75% done on the Prusa frame.
Followed the directions but now that I'm near the end, I can see it's wasting
about an inch of X travel so I'm gonna extend the frame mounts out to the end of the rods.
This is the Prusa V2 so maybe the dimensions were still for the Prusa v1.
No biggy.
Hoss

Looking good Hoss. My SeeMeCNC kit is expected too ship on Monday.

As for PCs, do you have a "free cycle" list near your town? We do and I snagged all my PCs for free. A lot of people just want to get rid of them. Flat panel displays too.

cheers,
Michael

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by hoss2006

Downloaded Netfabb and will give it a looksee, thanks.

Check pricewatch for PC's.
Pricewatch - Web's first Price Comparison site. Find the lowest price, Valentine's day deals and store reviews on tech and more

Spent a few hours yesterday and got 75% done on the Prusa frame.
Followed the directions but now that I'm near the end, I can see it's wasting
about an inch of X travel so I'm gonna extend the frame mounts out to the end of the rods.

This is the Prusa V2 so maybe the dimensions were still for the Prusa v1.
No biggy.
Hoss

---

What YOU found an inch of wasted travel? Say it isnt so.:D I am sure before the month is up the printing world will be amazed with your contributions. The rest of us see the wheels spinning up there in your head. We are anxiously waiting to see them revealed.