2012

The Makerbot and RepRap both printing nicely. Found nothing worthwhile to to publish here. Most of the stuff I made is published on Thingiverse.

Best wishes for 2012!

PLA

Switched from PEEK to PTFE for the insulator so, finally, the RepRap can print PLA as well.

The new nozzle is a RepRap nozzle derivative. Without the PEEK mounting plate and with NiCr. The combination of NiCr wire and Chamois clay I prefer over the wire-wound resistor approach.

Construction details you find on the RepRap website.

Night before Christmas

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
...
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear, but the BfB RapMan running!

Yes, this relates to the 2008 version 2 RapMan, a Darwin RepRap I never got printing successfully.

Now, with the Geared Brutstruder and a heater construction of my own, it is running. Some additional tweaks in the Firmware and Host for the final printing touch.


Details
Firmware: Gen2OnABoardFiveD_GCode_Interpreter
Extruder: Brutstruder with Wades Gears
Host: ReplicatorG-0009 (patched so that spaces are not removed from cmd string:
SerialPassthroughDriver.java, comment out line #173 clean = clean.replaceAll(" ", "");

For those interested in the final Firmware and hardware design used, leave a comment and I will post the files as well.

RepRap revisited

The successfull MakerBot prints gave me enough confidence and motivation to pick up the, last year abandoned, RepRap project. After some days of tough fights with the software, the RR is now in control! Finally I can test the extruder and hopefully the RR will be printing this year :-)

Follows a list of blocking issues:
1. Arduino had a HardwareSerial issue in the Sanguino (Atmega644P) library, solved in Arduino 0018. Mark that you clean up the firmware objects (FiveD_GCode_Interpreter/applet) to ensure a clean object recompiled with the proper libraries;
2. ReplicatorG SerialPassthroughDriver.java removes spaces from the commandstring, patched as follows;

public String clean(String str) {
String clean = str;
// trim whitespace
clean = clean.trim();
// remove spaces
// 2010.04.04 JvO DON'T clean = clean.replaceAll(" ", "");
return clean;
}

3. FiveD Firmware, byte datatype tested for -1 unsigned byte;
4. FiveD Firmware, cartesian_dda.can_step() code is incorrect for Max endstops, patched as follows;

bool cartesian_dda::can_step(byte min_pin, byte max_pin, long current, long target, byte dir)
{
bool canStep = true; // 2009.08.27 JvO
//stop us if we're on target
if (target == current)
canStep = false;
#if ENDSTOPS_MIN_ENABLED == 1
//stop us if we're home and still going
if(min_pin >= 0 && min_pin != 255) // JvO byte datatype is unsigned
{
if (read_switch(min_pin) && !dir)
canStep = false;
}
#endif
#if ENDSTOPS_MAX_ENABLED == 1
//stop us if we're at max and still going
if(max_pin >= 0 && max_pin != 255) // JvO byte datatype is unsigned
{
if (read_switch(max_pin) && dir)
canStep = false;
}
#endif
// All OK - we can step
return canStep;
}

Infinite series and beyond

So I spent again too much time on the FiveD Gcode and Java Host. For some reason the FiveD does see the MIN stops but refuses to recognize the MAX. Debugging the code gives me no clue whatsoever. Yeah, disabled the max stops.

Aside from the Mac Java Host stil failing with "gnu.io.PortInUseException", the latest Java Host (compiled with NetBeans) does not communicate with the FiveD properly. Despite tweaking baudspeeds and what not. The first command is sent and the next read returns "o" or "k" but no "ok". Maybe this is related to the Java Serial stuff. But why does the very same environment work well with the old GCode / Java host combination?

It's time to give RepRap the Java Host a break. In the meantime things may mature. Chances are I get an idea for the solution. But right now the Mac Intel, Java, NetBeans, Arduino, C-code, G-code, Extrusion, Heater construction and so on is too much to chew. It spoils my temper. True though, I learned a lot.

So that's it for now.

And then there was Extrusion!

Extrusion, glorious extrusion. Ah, this is Extrusion in its purest form!
;-)
After assembly of the improved BfB heater nozzle, finally succeeded in usefull extrusion speed! And that with the BfB boltdrive. Renoirs' item led me to give the original drive another chance.

So now production begins. The wishlist off things to be RepRapped, after having printed the minimug of course:
- curtain hook
- kitchen mixer tap handle
- motorbike (Yamaha xj900s) choke handle
- steppercontroller board (for the future stepper-extruder) mount

PS
Hm, it's becoming a flat minimug so rotate it prior to printing...

Protostruder

With help of the Protospace FabLab I managed to cut an improved pinchwheel extruder from 8mm acrylic. Mounted the old BfB heater so it is ready to go, but for one gear, electronics and the steppermotor software... Anyway, Erik dB achieved promising results with this pinchwheel concept.
Pictures follow.

Pinchwheelextruder out of stock :-(

First of all, thanks for your comments on the previous post. After some productive weeks I am now back to tinkering at the RepRap hardware.

Migrated to Leopard, which is a breeze unless you have a mount of X-windows apps to compile and test. which I do. Studied Tcl/Tk which may be of interest for a digital scope application ( I hope syscompdesign will soon launch a 20Mhz digital scope.) Made my first 3D drawing, yes it is but a drawer, watertight so it could be printed by ShapeWays. Furthermore an attempt for a lasercut Sumi-e brushstand. To begin with started drawing a basic one.

Anyway all this single-handed :-p and now back as I have both hands free again!

Wanted to order the Makerbot pinchwheel extruder but it's out of stock :-(
This is a somewhat compensated as I received today the BfB kit with a new heaterbarrel design. This in preparation of an attempt to get the BfB extruder to work.

At the instigation of ProtoSpace I ordered Nanotech microstepping boards for future refinement of the RR. In particular usefull with the BfB lasercut RR as this has quite a number of bolts and nuts to shake apart.

Z-Flanges

The BfB kit (v2.0.1) has starshaped Z-Flanges. Material economics outweighed the construction requirements here. In my case the toothed belt realigns in continuous flip-flopping along the flange fingers and occasionally runs off from the gear.
I replaced these with full flanges cut from 5mm acrylic. With help of the FabLab and their Lasercutter. Now the belt runs much more smooth and does not roll off anymore.

Throw in the towel

Spent my RR Saturday on improving the heater barrel isolation using glasswool. Then lost quite some time on figuring out why the extruder motor would not work anymore. Finally backed out to Gcode_interpreter SVN version #2483. I suspect the preparations for stepper motor extruders to be the culprit so I will leave the code in development a while for what it is.

Anyway, I tried to get the extruder to work and did not succeed. Better isolation of the barrel only slightly helped in that a little more HDPE comes out of the nozzle now. Tweaking the thermistor lookup table (with createTemperatureLookup.py and setting Beta to 6000 :-) to achieve higher temperatures which didn't help much either. Btw, the heater shouldn't get too hot for the PTFE insulator.

I conclude I did not build the heater barrel correctly. So, I mailed BfB for a new heater barrel kit :-( and for that matter, a second extruder for future (two material) use.

ReplicatorG

As an alternative to the Java Host, having this NullPointerException condition, installed ReplicatorG and, together with Skeinforge, managed to perform a testdrive of M3-nut.stl!

Electronics Assembly

Mounted the driver boards and Sanguino. First testdrive...

Organizer Drawer

Waiting for the RepRap Cartesian parts being delivered, completed today my first 3D object, an  organizer drawer :-).
Download the Blender source and .STL file

The Blender crash course, that is tutorials, found at rab3d.com, starting with the 608 Bearing tutorial was very helpful.

Electronics parts

Ordered the PWM and DC driver kits as these are in stock again. Added extra Nichrome wire to revitalise a styrofoam cutter (built quite some time ago).

Products
------------------------------------------------------
1 x DC Motor Driver v1.1 Kit = $12.00
1 x Opto Endstop v2.1 Kit = $2.75
1 x Opto Isolator v1.0 Kit = $20.00
1 x PWM Driver v1.1 Kit = $11.00
2 x Molex Y Connector = $4.00
1 x Temperature Sensor v1.1 Kit = $4.00
1 x Sanguino Breakout Shield v1.0 Kit = $15.00
1 x Power / Communications v1.3 Raw PCB = $3.50
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RepRap parts

Ordered the RepRap, generation 2 electronics at RRRF. The PWM and DC motor driver kits are sold out :-(
The Cartesian (Silver) kit at Bits From Bytes.

Products
------------------------------------------------------
1 x GM3 Noise Suppressor v1.0 Kit = $3.00
10 x Cat 5e Cable = $2.50
1 x 100K Thermistor = $1.50
1 x ABS Coil (5lb) = $45.50
1 x HDPE (5lbs) = $30.00
1 x Magnetic Rotary Encoder v1.0 Kit = $20.00
2 x Molex Y Connector = $4.00
1 x Nichrome Wire = $0.60
5 x Opto Endstop v2.1 Kit = $13.75
1 x Sanguino v1.0 Kit = $45.00
Accessory 1 With USB to TTL cable
3 x Stepper Motor Driver v1.2 Kit = $75.00
1 x Thermocouple Sensor v1.0 Kit = $20.00
1 x PWM Driver v1.1 Raw PCB = $4.00
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