Raising Geeks & Gear-Heads

Sunday, April 10, 2011

April 10th: MakerGear Instructions Links

I'm tired of hunting around for instructions, so this is my summary link page...thanks to all those who have documented these items!

Gary Hodgson's Visual Prusa Instructions

Brock Tice's Maker Gear Prusa Mendel Instructions (Differences from the Visual Prusa Instructions)

MakerGear Stepper Plastruder Instructions (and links to build the HotEnd, BrutHead Filament drive, etc)

MakerGear Flickr Photostream

MakerGear Critical Photos - PRINT THESE BIG and KEEP THEM NEAR! I've linked to the "all sizes" page for each photo - once I realized you could download / print them at "original" size, I could then make out MUCH more detail...

(More links after the photos...)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/makergear/5559963697/sizes/z/in/photostream/
Note: you can see the Y-endstop in this pic on the left side smooth Y-axis rod at the back. The X-endstop is visible on the back smooth X-axis rod on the right side.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/makergear/5560549408/sizes/z/in/photostream/
Note: This is a bowden cable setup, but a good view of the Z-end stop, the X-carriage belt, etc.

GrooveMount
http://www.flickr.com/photos/makergear/5487863467/sizes/z/in/photostream/

MakerGear Stepper Extruder Prusa Mendel Mount - Top
http://www.flickr.com/photos/makergear/5488460856/sizes/z/in/photostream/

MakerGear Stepper Extruder Prusa Mendel Mount - Bottom
http://www.flickr.com/photos/makergear/5488460910/sizes/z/in/photostream/

RAMPS build Instructions - Note: I believe the 10nf notation to be incorrect on these instructions, my RAMPS 1.2 board had a 100nf label and came with a 100nf cap.

Saturday, April 09, 2011

April 9th: MakerGear Prusa Mendel Kit - Build Day #2 - Afternoon

(This is Part 3 of the build - links to: Part 1, and Part 2)

The afternoon didn't go as smoothly. It would have been really handy to have some Prusa experience or someone reading the instructions with me. Trying to piece together the right steps from the Prusa Visual Instructions and Brock Tice's MakerGear instructions left me with some rework.

I also made a pretty big mistake - I opened up the holes on the x-idler and the x-motor brackets for M4 bolts when they should have been M3 bolts - I was reading Brock's instructions and got confused, mostly because I wasn't reading carefully enough. The Z motor brackets take M4 vs the Prusa M3. Ooops. I think there is still enough plastic in there to keep the nuts and smooth rods captive.

At this point I'm out of instructions and need to figure it out as I go. I added the end stops with some MakerGear pics and some IRC answers from MakerGear|Rick

Tomorrow I will finish up the RAMPS / Pololu build that I started a few weeks ago (I ordered a spare), and I'll get the heated print bed installed, and the servos + end stops wired.

Sometimes, having graphical instructions makes things worse. The MakerGear parts are quite different then their standard Prusa counterparts. Once installed, they made sense - the Prusa ones are open on the sides due to the PLA bushings instead of the round metal bushings.

You can see some of the bolt holes have been enlarged due to my inability to follow directions (or the right directions at the right time...)

I really wish the instructions had told me to install the nuts / bolts for the smooth rod adjustment at this point. Doing it later was a real pain.

Adding the bearing to the x-idler pulley with the mallet as I did earlier.

Installed flush. Note that the inner surface of the pulley has two different diameters, one is sized for the bearing.

Hardware installation order for the x-idler

X-idler pulley installed (this was a later pic where I'd also installed the bushings - I really wish the instructions told me to finish these parts all at once...

I thought this was assembled. Later steps add the x-carriage, bushings, and the nuts / bolts to adjust the smooth rod - I wish I'd read ahead and done it all at one time.

I used a bolt with fender washer to seat the captive nuts

Z-motor smooth rod holder installed

x-carriage bushings installed

Taped in the Z motors for now...

Z motor coupling. One side was super easy, the other side didn't want to grab the servo shaft and I really had to tighten it down.

x-carriage belt holders

I used the manufactured pulley on both X and Y. (this is the X motor) MG|Rick said that he recommends using the manufactured one on X, but the printed one "works fine" on Y.

Y-axis endstop

X-axis endstop

Z-axis endstop - note the split design for "fine tuning" as per MG|Rick

April 9th: MakerGear Prusa Mendel Kit - Build Day #2 - Morning

(This is part 2 of the build - Part 1 is here)

I'm splitting today's progress into pieces, mostly so I can remember things along the way.

This section took from 9:30am to 1:30pm, so 4 hours - with about 45 minutes of trying to get the feet to sit flat and another 45 minutes of rework by forgetting the PTFE sleeve that prevents belt / rod contact :(

Quote of the morning from my 11 year old - "Dad, we should get a laser cutter..." I couldn't agree more!

UPDATE: I'm a dork, I used the wrong rods for the Y-Carriage. They are the ones with red on the ends. I've swapped them for the right length, you can see them in the Day 2 afternoon post...

Note: the PTFE sleeve is missing in this photo

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Note: the PTFE sleeve is missing in this photo

Pile of debris from cleaning out all the laser cut wood pieces.

The top shows how far I could get the bushing in by hand...the bottom was after using a socket and a rubber mallet to seat them. Pics below...

I'll be suggesting to MakerGear that the middle brace be notched if possible to not block the holes for the belt holders - it was tricky to get them on...

My 11 year old bolting together the Y-Carriage

Note: the PTFE sleeve is missing in this photo

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I'll be suggesting to MakeGear that the middle brace be notched if possible to not block the holes for the belt holders - it was tricky to get them on...