Time to get going.

[John2907]

Hi folks,
Call me, JohnS
I've been looking for a printer to make my own prototype parts on. Its been a bit coming as this firm operates on the principals pocket change right now.
So the Rostock Max arrived on Monday and I've managed to get most of the software downloaded and installed on my one laptop.
I've been clearing and setting up a place for the printer in new house, so I have not even opened up the box.
Hopefully I will get a chance to tear it open tomorrow and get moving on the assembly.
Both my sons are interested in the printer, but my 15 year old son may end up using it as part of an entrepreneurial class he's taking in high school.

I can't wait until I can actually print on it..

JohnS

[Eaglezsoar]

Hi JohnS and welcome to the forum!
Congratulations on purchasing a new Rostock Max!
You should enjoy the assembly especially if you bring in your children as part of the build.
We are here to help you if you need us and some day you will be answering other member's
question. A few pictures of your build would be nice when you get the chance.
Happy building!

[John2907]

Well I finished the construction of the printer and have had a very successful print and one that wasn't so great.
A couple of things I would have done differently in the build, mostly with the hot end, specifically the thermistor.
I hate soldering wires with such a great difference in gauge and there is a solution right in the standard kit.
Use the thermistor lead wire that your going to just cut off to splice the connector to the 18 gauge wire at the Rambo..
If I had to do it again and I might, I'd take the thermistor leads and solder them to the extra thermistor lead wires, then snake those smaller gauge wires back up to the top and solder to the 18 gauge wires there.

As it is now, I'm hesitant to install the peek fan, because I'm concerned the installation could damage the leads.

If this project takes off, I'll be ordering some goodies and possibly a second printer (one for prototyping and one for production runs).

So far I've done two prints (before I had to leave the office for a couple weeks ) , the first was the peek fan which came out just about perfect.
The second was a small figure that I rushed to print and probably did not scale up enough. That's my fault not the printer.
Now I've got to get the parts I'm fabricating moved from autocad running on an old laptop onto a new workstation, into .stl and into mattercontrol.
It would be done if I wasn't 1000 miles away.

[John2907]

Well I spent a little time in Mattercontrol yesterday and realized a couple of things.
1. Part of the issue with the figure print was that it had overhanging segments that needed support material.
2. I had add support material turned on so it seemed that matter slicer was doing something off.

I've doubled the size and played with adding support material, so we will see how print turns out when I get back the printer on the 15th.

In the mean time I've got to recover my prototype drawings from still packed up PC..

[Eaglezsoar]

Well I spent a little time in Mattercontrol yesterday and realized a couple of things.
1. Part of the issue with the figure print was that it had overhanging segments that needed support material.
2. I had add support material turned on so it seemed that matter slicer was doing something off.

I've doubled the size and played with adding support material, so we will see how print turns out when I get back the printer on the 15th.

In the mean time I've got to recover my prototype drawings from still packed up PC..

When you get everything ready and print some objects perhaps you would be kind enough to send us some pictures of your new prints,
we love to see pictures of prints from a new build.

[John2907]

Certainly.
My son's school project wants to do a keychain to show what they can make and I'm going to have a go at another mecha and maybe even a small tesla model S.
My business prototypes will be right up there on the priority list as well, but I need to do a couple things with the drawings first.

[John2907]

I have a question.
My first printed part was the peek fan mount/shroud for the Rostock, and it came out fine.

Then I read the installation section and see that I'll have to go through all the calibrations again.
I'm dreading the install right from the start, out of concern about the fragile thermistor wiring.
I'm tempted to just order a e3d v6 head and run the stock hot end until that arrives.

I'm not one to keep modifying and upgrading my tools, mostly because I want to use them..
So should I jump back into the printer and restart calibrating, or just run without the fan until the e3d v6 arrives?

[Eaglezsoar]

I have a question.
My first printed part was the peek fan mount/shroud for the Rostock, and it came out fine.

Then I read the installation section and see that I'll have to go through all the calibrations again.
I'm dreading the install right from the start, out of concern about the fragile thermistor wiring.
I'm tempted to just order a e3d v6 head and run the stock hot end until that arrives.

I'm not one to keep modifying and upgrading my tools, mostly because I want to use them..
So should I jump back into the printer and restart calibrating, or just run without the fan until the e3d v6 arrives?

You should NEVER run the printer without the PEEK fan running.
If the thermistor is installed properly and the leads tied down with wire tie or Kapton tape, the thermistor should not be that fragile.
The goal is to make the thermistor immovable. If you have calibrated your printer then add the Peek Fan, then you should be
fine to print. You may have to re-run the PID tuning on the hotend but that is not a major deal.
If you have more concerns just add another message to this thread. Happy Printing!

[John2907]

You should NEVER run the printer without the PEEK fan running.

The instructions tell you to do just that, to print the fan shroud without the fan connected. Then file-fit the fan into the shroud and connect it.

If the thermistor is installed properly and the leads tied down with wire tie or Kapton tape, the thermistor should not be that fragile.
The goal is to make the thermistor immovable.

Well I followed the instructions - using the kapton tape to insulate the resistor leads, both thermistor splices and wrap them all together.
So the thermistor wiring is as immovable as the resistor wiring, but its not tucked tight against the hot end.
I can't see angle that is not going to either push the thermistor wiring bundle outward or force me to turn the hot end in the mount and pull at all the wiring.

If you have calibrated your printer then add the Peek Fan, then you should be
fine to print. You may have to re-run the PID tuning on the hotend but that is not a major deal.
If you have more concerns just add another message to this thread. Happy Printing!

Well the instructions have you undo the hot end mount to get the fan shroud installed, so its going to move in relationship to the effector.
Even the manual tells you that you will have to rerun the PID tuning, and then re-calibrate.


After doing some research, and kicking around just jumping into the E3D V6 hot end, the various mounts for it and other details (like it will need calibration as well), I watched the video by Geneb where he modified the Standard hot end with a threaded thermistor (with longer larger leads) and heater cartridge.

Since no solution will avoid running the PID tuning and re-calibrating, I though about how impressed I was with the success I had with the rest of the printer.
I decided that GeneB (and company) had the best solution for now, so I ordered a second Hot End, 2 heat cartridges and 2 threaded thermistors.

I'll do the mods on the second hot end, install with the fan shroud and go through the recalibration process.
Then I'll pull the first hot end apart, modify it and put it aside for either my next Rostock (I know I'll be getting more) or just keep it as a spare.

[John2907]

Now for the naming.

I tend to name things and even get to talking to them at times (So, no GeneB I don't think you are crazy).

Sometime I just use the Radio Alphabet as in my very first Honda VFR Motorcycle was "Victor Frank Romeo" (even provided it with its own email).
Other times I use the name of a symbol or creature that the history of the item seems to relate to. Example, my current Motorcycle has been hit and wrecked three times and twice its needed extensive repairs - So the first time I named it Pheonix as it had to rise from the ashes of being run over by a delivery truck.

Seldom do I name something after a person, particularly a person that regularly irritated me. Well I'm naming my pseudo-uncle Jim Olsen.
He used to badger the heck out of me if he thought I wasn't working a problem, pushing at me to figure it out and make what ever part or discovery was needed to finish tough projects.
This printer will challenge me to make my designs work, but I can't do it without it.

SO, Old Ole' it is...