I finally got mine inside an enclosure made out of 4x8 foot sheet of white bathroom tile I was using for a whiteboard.
[img]http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/ll16 ... 63255A.jpg[/img]
There is a box inside the keeps the electronics separate from the printer, so the electronics can run cool while the printer runs hot. The head is at 200C for ABS, the bed at 70 C, and in about 15 minutes the air temp inside is 37C, when the outside is 20C. The power supply and electronics are vented on the outside, and when the power and printer cables are disconnected nothing protrudes outside the 20"x20"x17" box.
Still need to add additional support, hinges, and seal for the front to replace the tape.
I can now print 5" cubes with thin walls without delamination, cracking, or warping.
Which means the Lego hands for Halloween costumes are coming out great!
Also thanks to the person here who pointed out the cheap eBay thermocouple thermometers. For $5 each I can afford to watch all the relevant temperatures.
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Interestingly, I thought the heated inside of e chamber would be an important aspect, but is morning I decided to try it out starting out cold. It was 15C to start with, and the bed and head at the usual temperature. Started the print, closed the box, and let it go.
When it was finished the interior had heated up to 27C, and the print came out fine.
It seems a lot of the cracking/delamination/warping I had been experiencing must have been due to air currents around the printer. As long as the air around the print is a consistent temperature, I don't have any issues. So I don't think I'll need to control the interior temperature, or add more heating capability to get up to 50C, which is what I was expecting when I was reading other blogs.
On the other hand, these are still relatively smallish prints, if it were a Mendel or larger printer perhaps heat plays a bigger role.
Still, I'm happy I can print to the full size of this printer without worrying about thermal stress.
When it was finished the interior had heated up to 27C, and the print came out fine.
It seems a lot of the cracking/delamination/warping I had been experiencing must have been due to air currents around the printer. As long as the air around the print is a consistent temperature, I don't have any issues. So I don't think I'll need to control the interior temperature, or add more heating capability to get up to 50C, which is what I was expecting when I was reading other blogs.
On the other hand, these are still relatively smallish prints, if it were a Mendel or larger printer perhaps heat plays a bigger role.
Still, I'm happy I can print to the full size of this printer without worrying about thermal stress.
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Looks good! If you have an Ikea close by, you can pick up all the parts to make the hinged door on the cheap.
The first thing I noticed was the thermometer since I have a few also (and was the one that posted the link
The first thing I noticed was the thermometer since I have a few also (and was the one that posted the link
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Ah, it was you! Thanks!
Ikea is a good idea. I might have the hardware I need already, but I'll keep it in mind as Ikea is only 20 minutes away from me.
Ikea is a good idea. I might have the hardware I need already, but I'll keep it in mind as Ikea is only 20 minutes away from me.