This printer continues to be the most fun/frustrating/fun you could ask for!
So far, we've learned that making long continuous smooth bends in acrylic (such as one might want for a shape-conforming enclosure for a Rostock Max V2) is a task for people with appropriate skills and tools. The dinosaurs and their human helpers have neither, but we do have an abundance of persistence and (very recently), some oven heating elements scrounged from the dump. We'll see if that translates into beautifully shaped acrylic, or lung cancer, first.
On the plus side, mounting an E3D V6 using the adapter from SeeMeCNC was easy and fast, and works great!
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http://gchristopher.net/3dprinting/e3d_first_look.jpg[/img]
Since we aspire to dual extruders, nice quick-connects were used for the wiring. However, the planned connection panel doesn't exist yet, so right now binder clips will serve.
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http://gchristopher.net/3dprinting/amateur_wiring.jpg[/img]
Also, it turns out that nice all-metal print heads do absolutely nothing to solve issues with overhanging edges curling up or choosing to print things with tiny footprints and no raft. First we failed with ABS!
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http://gchristopher.net/3dprinting/abs_ ... g_fail.jpg[/img]
ABS is easily fixed with a good raft, but nothing seemed to work for t-glase. Even this beefy ramp pulled up, bending the stupid ramp in the process. Several tries with glue stick and various temperatures from 70-90 failed. Even though the adhesion is poor, the real problem is the edge of the print curling up so the print head collides with it. I assume that's from uneven rapid cooling and hope that a heated enclosure will eventually help.
In this picture, the print head hit the left print, pulling up and bending the large raft underneath.
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http://gchristopher.net/3dprinting/tgla ... g_fail.jpg[/img]
But even with setbacks, the plans to improve the printer continue! The motors are getting way too hot, especially the extruder, which is a definite burn hazard. Nice
40mm heatsinks from RobotDigg arrived. The longest M3 screws from McMaster Carr are 60mm, which isn't quite enough to attach heat sink and fan, but if a little plastic is cut off the fan, it fits great!
Pictured are the fan, heat sink, motor, new screws, and old screws. Not pictured is some CPU thermal compound to be applied between the heat sink and motor. (Oops, can't use the corner screws, had to switch to two adjacent ones to match the screws in the heat sink.)
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http://gchristopher.net/3dprinting/moto ... _parts.jpg[/img]
It sure all did go together well.
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http://gchristopher.net/3dprinting/moto ... embled.jpg[/img]
That should make for cooler happier motors! If only it didn't come at the cost of a surprise $25 shipping cost from MacMaster-Carr for $12 in screws. That's pretty bad for something that would have shipped fine USPS in a padded envelope.