Skip navigation

It’s working.. and I’m slowly working through the issues. Now I just have to defeat the stringing problem, work out the best settings to use, build a spindle, and get it cranking.

also, it needs lubrication. Must look into that.

here’s some samples

.

The problems I’m having seem like a setting issue. I’m at odd ends trying to figure out where. I know my bed probably needs to be aligned again, but the annoying thing is, I get two or three GOOD layers, and then everything goes wonky.

 

I bought a 3D printer, and I’ll write more about it later, but this is just my first thoughts on its construction -

- SPECIFICS – I bought a prusa mendel kit from a reputable dealer, with a heated build plate and other accessories. Prebuilt arduino shield, etc…

 

The FRAME – Easily constructed. Built the frame and mounted most of the motors in 12 hrs.

The Plastruder/heating element – far more difficult than I thought it would be, but doable. Good thing I had an electrician handy.

The Heated Build Platform PCB – here, my electrician messed up a bit, soddering power from the ATX computer PSU directly to it, instead of from the controller. I fixed this later.

The Electronics – I honestly have NO IDEA why they built this thing like this. They wanted me to strip the perfectly good molex connectors off of cabling, and replace them. Instead, I’m mounting my electronics higher, and Voila! all my cables reach.

PROBLEMS -

The HEATED PCB build platform is too tall – Right now, unless I can solve the issue, I’m looking at about 4 inches of clearance, if that. that’s not a lot of build space, when I bought this model for the supposed 5 inches of avalable build. Still working on this, as it may just be that I don’t have my extruder barrel in tight enough.

POWER – I’m not sure if I should be running 2x 5v or 1 12v and 1 5v power line into those connectors. I’ll have to figure this out later.
Cable Management – I seriously need to print out a cord box for the ATX cables.

Tiny Little Fan – where do you go? I don’t have a connector for you?

Missing Molex cable-spike – I don’t know the actual term for this, but I’m missing a cable-end-spike (male) that fits into a molex connector for the  extruder/thermristor and the heated PCB/thermristor. I’m working on those, though.

Calibration – my apartment was built by men who do not understand the terms Level, Clay, to-code, or Flood-plain. Getting this thing to print straight is going to be more difficult than getting George Takei to father a child.

I hope to finish the electronics monday night, and have it calibrated and printing by friday. We’ll see how this goes.

 

 

I’m not here to talk about frivolous things. I’m here to make monsters. I’m here to make people into cyborgs, to turn ideas into physical reality. I’m not talking about magic, and I’m not telling you a story (I’m saving those for later). I’m going to show you, by hook or by crook, how I can turn a spool of plastic into damn near anything I can put in a CAD file. I’m going to show you how I can turn a person into a demon, a monster, an animal, or anything I can sculpt in plaster, then mold in latex. I’ll show you how magic doesn’t have to be spells an incantations.

Miracles don’t exist.

Technology does.

Bring your brain online.

-Hagan out.