3D Printing

14 January 2013

I’m not dead.  I switched jobs back in September, and it’s seemed like an impossible task to catch up to everything until now.  But I’m working on some cool stuff!

For example, I’m building a 3D printer:

This is the start to my Rostock 3D printer.  I started printing the parts for this way back in October, and I’ve just now gotten to the point where it’s starting to come together. Unfortunately, a much better version has come out in the mean time.  A couple of people have already come through LVL1 building the improved, extruded aluminum delta bot.  It was almost enough to make me start over and try again, but not this time!  I’ve tried to build three other printers in the past, but they never got further than printing some plastic parts.  This time, I’ve spent real money on the project, so I’m going to forge ahead!

So far, I’ve run into two major setbacks.  The first: the printed arms an u-joints are really, really terrible. Threading an M3 bolt into the U-joint as instructed is painfully difficult, and the result isn’t particularly smooth motion.  I’m going to have to buy a set of real rods before I can continue.  Second, the specced GT2 belting and pulleys were completely unavailable in the lengths I needed, so I had to switch to HTD 3M belting and pulleys.  It was expensive!  The company I bought the stuff through charged me $15 for shipping, on top of $35 for the belt.  Then I cut the belting wrong, so I have to buy even more!

I’ll be using a Printrboard Rev. D to drive the whole thing, unless it blows up in my face.  Then I’ll probably just buy a nice reliable RAMPs setup, or a fully assembled printrboard.  And then, I’ll be off to the races!

This is the wrong way to cut the belting. Instead, leave a long tail, loop it back on itself, and zip tie it together.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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