[maker of things]

Hoss,
I followed your link to MakerFarm for the kits. Looks like a good find. Do you feel that I would be thinking correctly that if I got their 6 or 8" prusa i3 kit Prusa 6" i3 Kit - Kits that if I wanted to make a larger (and not wood framed) machine later I would basically just need to replace the rods and belt to fit whatever frame I came up with? i.e ramps, lcd, steppers hot end and extruder would all be reusable. Versus for example the Printrbot simple which appears that it wouldn't be upgrade-able without buying more steppers and maybe replacing the electronics.
Having completed your G0704 cnc mod I feel fairly comfortable with assembling a machine, but from the research I have done, it seems like MakerFarm's kit would be pretty tough to beat compared with finding and buying all the parts at 4-6 different vendors.

[hoss2006]

Well it looks like most of the frame parts would go to scrap if you wanted to make a bigger one, better to get the 8 inch version from the start I think.
The electronics and motors could be reused.
Have you compared to other kits available at 3ders?
3ders.org - price compare 3D printers
Hoss

[Miata2k]

from the research I have done, it seems like MakerFarm's kit would be pretty tough to beat compared with finding and buying all the parts at 4-6 different vendors.

Just my 2 cents..

After building my machine, sourced from vendors from all over the world (literally) it was a PITA! It turned out to be a big scavenger hunt and took months of my life just to collect everything. Some stuff came in wrong, and other parts wouldn't work with other things I ordered. I have about half the parts I need to build other machines just in spare parts, and that doesn't include the printed parts. So if you just want to print stuff, order the kit, and PRINT. If you want to drive yourself crazy, order from multiple vendors, and hope everything works together.

I finally got my machine up and running last week, its not perfect yet, but it getting better. Hoss makes this printing thing look easy, his prints always look perfect! Basically I'm jealous. I'm still tinkering with the software, I tried slicer, and now I've moved onto CURA (Cura - Ultimaker Wiki) software I like the interface better thank Slic3r, and its faster too. Tuning the printer is still mostly what I'm doing now. Leveling the print bed is the first pain, so get the Auto Print bed leveling feature on the I3 if you can, or at least get the parts for it. Getting the print to the stick to the bed was my next problem, found the abs dissolved into the acetone painted onto the glass works the best for me. Now I'm fighting temperatures, I can get the bed to temp without a problem, but the Prusa Nozzle MKII I bough is a different story. It requires a very small fan to blow on it all of the time, but doesn't include a way to mount it. So I stuck it on the carriage with some double sided tape and now with the fan running, the nozzle runs about 10 degrees below set point. So I have to turn off the fan, heat up the nozzle so the controller is happy, then turn the fan back on. This also requires that I set the required temp 10 degrees higher than needed.

Sorry, I'm on a bit of a rant so I'll stop now, but my point is to just get a full kit, or a complete machine and grow from there. Don't waste time trying to build your first machine from scratch.

Good Luck! And keep watching Hoss for all of great tips and tricks. My next is to install the nozzle scrape to work.

-C

[maker of things]

Yeah, I don't care for the wood frame, but overall I like the Prusa i3 design. I wanted to build one from scratch, but from what I found, by the time I bought an electronics kit, hot end, linear bearings, gt2 belt and pullies, an extruder etc, I don't think I can do it any cheaper. I looked at some of the other kits, but I don't like the tinker toy complexity of the older mendels and I don't like how the portabee/printrbot plus have the z rails just sticking up in the air. At least the list at 3ders is updated. I swear literally yesterday they still had the seemecnc sub$300 printer that they has not been offered for quite awhile. Maybe the older links point to a different address then now.
I even considered repstrapping via the 0704 to print a kit, but I would still need to buy basically everything and go through the hassle of tuning one machine to print well in order to make a second when I could just build one.
edit miata2k posted while I was distracted... Basically sounds like what I was thinking.

[Miata2k]

So I'm watching my printer last night waiting for it to finish the first layer so thank I can feel happy it is working and then could leave. While I was waiting I started watching a Youtube video from ZenmasterM
http://youtu.be/BqDie6w4YF4
He is unboxing his new printer from a place in Oklahoma City, wait, what? How did I end up buying stuff from all over the place, when there is a supplier about a mile away from my office!!! UGH.

Anyway, as I'm looking through their gallery, I notice that someone had printed their own scale model. This is when I realized that Hoss had missed one from his collection.
I'm not sure if that is 1/4 scale or not, but you get the idea..
Attachment 218670

[hoss2006]

Tried something I saw Fastest1 doing but I used the white All Purpose Elmers Glue Stick with PLA, works great.
Hoss

[rcazwillis]

I am using the purple Elmers. It works great with pla. I don't even turn the bed on. Not much impact on abs.

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[hoss2006]

Yeah I found the white cleans up easy with water just like the purple, my new go to now.
Hoss

[rcazwillis]

Unless I am looking for a prefect finish, I don't even clean the glass between prints. Just reapply glue to the area the last print covered. It will start to build up, but lightly scraping a blade across it will knock off the high spots.

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[stephenrc]

I just tried some Elmer's purple washable school glue on borosilicate glass with ABS and it works. For the few things I've printed, I don't need a brim like with ABS juice & PET. I applied the glue until the glass has an even purple color.

[hoss2006]

Yeah I don't know if the kids purple glue is really much different other than the color for the kids but the white all purpose glue washes off quick with water too.
Hoss

Looked it up,

The disappearing purple formula goes on purple so it is easy to see when applying, and dries clear. It is safe, non-toxic and acid free.

It's the same as the all purpose,

washable, acid free, photo safe, and non-toxic.

They do make an extra strength Craftbond stick that's goes on blue but the ones we're using hold plenty well it appears.

[rcazwillis]

When you wash the purple off with water, it turns purple again.

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[Miata2k]

From the first update about using the glue stick, I'm guessing there was a run on them. My local walmart was out of the single packs, and only had a 6 pack, of 3 regular, and 3 purple. I tried the purple with no luck. I guess I'm still fighting with some bed leveling issues.
This also leads me to a question, when leveling your bed, how close do you place the head to the glass?

-C

[rcazwillis]

I have been using a sheet of paper. Slight drag on paper between glass and nozzle at all four corners. Working on the auto bed level routine now. Seems like an excellent setup for dependable prints.

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[stephenrc]

I used a piece of paper to set the z endstop for a slight drag.

I'm currently using Marlin's auto bed leveling. Once the settings have been entered, I don't have to do the periodic adjustment of the z endstop. I've posted what I made for mounting the servo at: Auto bed-leveling servo mount by stephenrc - Thingiverse

[maker of things]

Did you guys do anything to earth ground the arduino/ramps boards like was common with the c10 board on g0704 setups?

[KENJUDOPOW]

YES! I'M IN!!!!!!

[Turbo442]

Hoss,

I have been looking around for a new printer project. The main thing I am looking for in a new printer is print quality followed by reliability. Larger build volume is also important. I have built an OrdBot with a SeeMeCNC extruder with a MK7 hotend. Its working fairly well now although success didn't come easy or quickly. Here are a couple of my better prints.





I like the Ordbot design although I feel I am limited by the precision of the v-groove wheels running on the makerslide and z wobble issues.

I am considering trying the SeeMeCNC Rostock MAX v2. I am concerned that a Delta printer might not have the precision I am looking for although I could be wrong.

I have a bunch of linear rails of all different sizes and lengths I have been collecting. I am sure the precision would be there for a new printer design but I am concerned that at higher speeds their resistance might overwhelm the Pololu stepper drivers and complicate the build.

That brings me back to the precision ground rods the Reprap design uses. Why re-invent the wheel? Are you happy with your with your design? Is there any other designs out there that interest you right now?

[hoss2006]

I'm very happy with mine with linear rails.
I've not been paying much attention to the printing scene lately, I built mine so now it's just another tool that I use.
Don't care what's on the cutting edge these days or try to keep up with the Jones' much.
My advice is to check out 3ders.org for the latest info.
Hoss

[duzallcnc]

Hi Hoss,

I was catching up on this thread and thought I would respond about CAD and editing Stl files. I have been using Turbocad Professional and I am able to open an Stl then explode it back to polylines, scale it as most are in MM and my brain works on decimals and fractions. I can then edit and convert back to MM and save as an Stl

Question:

are the files for your direct drive extruder available somewhere?

Thanks

Sean