Makerbot Thing-O-Matic build notes - Revision history

Shrapnel: Added link to timelapse video

2011-04-18T15:07:34Z

Added link to timelapse video

Shrapnel at 16:46, 5 April 2011

2011-04-05T16:46:21Z

MikeDillion: /* 3/23/2011 — Hot Wet Circuits. */

2011-03-24T22:41:03Z

‎3/23/2011 — Hot Wet Circuits.

Shrapnel: Added 3/23 build

2011-03-24T02:30:10Z

Added 3/23 build

Shrapnel: Added summary for 3/16 build session

2011-03-24T01:21:32Z

Added summary for 3/16 build session

Shrapnel: /* 3/9/2011 — Build Session The Thirde. */

2011-03-16T16:50:12Z

‎3/9/2011 — Build Session The Thirde.

Shrapnel: Added photos for problems encountered @ last build session

2011-03-16T16:48:52Z

Added photos for problems encountered @ last build session

Shrapnel: /* 3/9/2011 — Build Session The Thirde. */

2011-03-16T16:12:27Z

‎3/9/2011 — Build Session The Thirde.

Shrapnel at 15:24, 16 March 2011

2011-03-16T15:24:07Z

Bit0mike: /* 3/9/2011 — Build Session The Thirde. */

2011-03-10T02:53:59Z

‎3/9/2011 — Build Session The Thirde.

@@ Line 2: / Line 2: @@
-'''GATHER TIMELAPSE FRAMES!!'''
+'''TIMELAPSE VIDEO AVAILABLE!!'''
-We'll put them together into a video at the end of the build.
+We grabbed frames from our networked webcam during the build and cut it into a timelapse video. Go [http://vimeo.com/collexion/makerbot-build check it out].
 * <nowiki>while true; do sleep 10; wget http://172.30.1.253/jpg/image.jpg; mv image.jpg `date +%Y%m%d%H%M%S`_makerbot.jpg; done</nowiki>
 or, remotely:
-*<nowiki>while true; do sleep 60; wget http://lamecam.com/collexion/cam0.jpg; mv cam0.jpg `date +%Y%m%d%H%M%S`_makerbot.jpg; done;</nowiki>
+* <nowiki>while true; do sleep 60; wget http://lamecam.com/collexion/cam0.jpg; mv cam0.jpg `date +%Y%m%d%H%M%S`_makerbot.jpg; done;</nowiki>
 (as of Mon Feb 28 00:30 this is now happening server-side on lamecam.  Bit late, I know, but...)

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:46, 5 April 2011
Line 179:		Line 179:
	* Continue [http://wiki.makerbot.com/thingomatic-doc:testing-your-bot Testing Your Bot]. We need to get to the root of the Z-axis strangeness and find out why the extruder motor isn't motoring.		* Continue [http://wiki.makerbot.com/thingomatic-doc:testing-your-bot Testing Your Bot]. We need to get to the root of the Z-axis strangeness and find out why the extruder motor isn't motoring.
	* ''If a construction phase is incomplete, link to the instructions page and enter the title of the next step to be performed''		* ''If a construction phase is incomplete, link to the instructions page and enter the title of the next step to be performed''
		+
		+
		+	== 3/30/2011 — Hot Wet Plastic. ==
		+
		+
		+	[[File:makerbot_printing_cube1.jpg\|thumb\|border\|Printing Thing #0, a 20mm calibration cube]]
		+	[[File:makerbot_printing_cube2.jpg\|thumb\|border\|Printing Thing #0, a 20mm calibration cube]]
		+	[[File:thing0_thing1.jpg\|thumb\|border\|Thing #0 and Thing #1 (still on its raft)]]
		+	The nice new 500W+ modular power supply Mike had installed for us wouldn't start up. It seems it may be too smart for our 'bot. Solutions may include adding a dummy load or shorting -5V to ground as Makerbot Industries [http://wiki.makerbot.com/thingomatic-doc:coolermaster-psu-fix has recommended] for some Coolermaster power supplies.
		+
		+
		+	We solved the Z-axis stepper strangeness. The red wire on the stepper cable was poorly attached to the metal tab inside the plastic connector at the extruder controller board. It passed physical inspection, but a continuity test showed that minor flexing caused the electrical connection to break. We yanked the wire out of the crimp tab, soldered it to the outside of the tab, and re-crimped the strain relief. Works fine now.
		+
		+
		+	The cable connecting the Z-axis limit switch needs to be several inches longer. It can't be routed behind the Z-stage because there isn't enough clearance between the back of the Z and the wall of the case. Therefore it has to be routed ''over'' the Z-stage when it's homed all the way to the top of its travel. Ideally, we'd tack it along the back upper corner of the case, then down along the right side, but the cable is ''far'' too short for that. The only way it worked was to route it between the stepper's threaded rod and the right-side smooth rod, over the top of the Z-stage, down through the acrylic panel, and over to the motherboard as directly as possible. The cable still gets pulled taut every time the Z-stage homes to the top.
		+
		+
		+	We measured the maximum Z-height at 108mm per the [http://wiki.makerbot.com/thingomatic-doc:how-to-print#toc3 calibration instructions], then entered 107mm as a starting value in the alterations/start.gcode file in ReplicatorG's Skeinforge "SF35-Thingomatic-ABP-Stepstruder" profile. The ABP isn't level--the back edge looks to be at least 1mm higher than the front--so we'll need to level it with shims or washers. Getting the platform level and finding the correct Z-height has a huge impact on print quality.
		+
		+
		+	We finally got to try a couple of test prints! Two 20mm [http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:5573 calibration cubes] printed pretty well for our first shot. The first was a little wavy, and the Internet said to try upping the feed rate a bit (platform speed of travel) without changing the flow rate (extrusion speed), since the extruded thread works best when it's stretched just a bit. We changed the feed rate (in ReplicatorG's "Generate GCode" window, Edit -> Craft radio button -> Speed radio button -> Feed Rate) from 28.5mm/s to 30mm/s, and the second cube did look better. Success! Excitement!
		+
		+
		+	'''TODO:'''
		+	* The ABP needs to be leveled.
		+	* After leveling, the maximum Z-height needs to be found and marked on the 'bot. In fact, it wouldn't be a bad idea to make a plaque with a QR code directing potential users to a "best settings" page on this wiki.
		+	* Align the Z-stage threaded rod. One post recommended moving the Z-stage all the way down off the threaded rod, then alternately tightening the Z stepper motor's mounting bolts until the threaded rod is "aimed" at the hole in the top of the Z-stage.
		+	* Lube the rods with some dry silicone lubricant (spray on rag, wipe onto rods). 3-in-1 oil can be used, too, but it's messier.
		+	* Even the second cube seemed to have problems at the lower layers. We may yet have gremlins in our temperature or feed rate settings. On a large, flat surface, pairs of neighboring threads would sometimes twist and raise from the raft on the first layer.
		+	* While fiddling around with a few more prints, the 'bot occasionally just stopped mid-print (when printing from SD card or a tethered PC). The Internet says this can be a communication problem when tethered or a later communication problem due to RF interference. We need to twist our cables to reduce RFI.

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:41, 24 March 2011
Line 155:		Line 155:


−	In last week's build, we accidentally pulled a wire out of the extruder motor cooling fan. We'd attempted a repair, but it turned out to be unsuccessful. The fan is DOA. We replaced it with an old CPU cooling fan scrounged from ~~a basement~~.	+	In last week's build, we accidentally pulled a wire out of the extruder motor cooling fan. We'd attempted a repair, but it turned out to be unsuccessful. The fan is DOA. We replaced it with an old CPU cooling fan scrounged from member's otherwise useless stockpile of electronics junk.

@@ Line 128: / Line 128: @@
 * Finish body assembly, mount power supply and electronics.
 * [http://wiki.makerbot.com/thingomatic-doc:testing-your-bot Start testing!]
@@ Line 149: / Line 148: @@
 * Continue [http://wiki.makerbot.com/thingomatic-doc:testing-your-bot Testing Your Bot].
 * Finish body assembly, mount power supply and electronics.
 * ''If a construction phase is incomplete, link to the instructions page and enter the title of the next step to be performed''

@@ Line 128: / Line 128: @@
 * Finish body assembly, mount power supply and electronics.
 * [http://wiki.makerbot.com/thingomatic-doc:testing-your-bot Start testing!]
 * ''If a construction phase is incomplete, link to the instructions page and enter the title of the next step to be performed''

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:50, 16 March 2011
Line 95:		Line 95:

	Misery and woe!		Misery and woe!
		+

	[[File:cracked_acrylic.jpg\|thumb\|border\|After a week, our acrylic looked terrible]]		[[File:cracked_acrylic.jpg\|thumb\|border\|After a week, our acrylic looked terrible]]

@@ Line 96: / Line 96: @@
 Misery and woe!
+[[File:cracked_acrylic.jpg|thumb|border|After a week, our acrylic looked terrible]]
 We arrived in the evening to find our acrylic middle piece cracked at every hole, with cracks spiderwebbing everywhere. It seems that we overtightened the mounting bolts. Since the piece was fine last week and hasn't been touched since, we're blaming thermal expansion/contraction for the mess. We attempted to solve the problem by drilling a stop hole at the end of each crack and then spreading epoxy over the length of the crack.
@@ Line 103: / Line 103: @@
-In addition, we found that one of the stepstruder's feet had been superglued into place 180 degrees from its proper position. The bolt holes in the left and right feet didn't have the same spacing from front to back, meaning the stepstruder would sit kitty-cornered on the Z-stage platform, one edge hanging off the front. We were able to pry the bottom-most superglued plate off the misaligned foot, but the next piece that joined the two extruder halves was tightly glued in tongue-and-groove. We used needle files to lengthen the hex hole for the 4mm nut into a slot in the acrylic, which let us use the mounting nut in the proper location without further extruder disassembly.
+[[File:extruder_fix.jpg|thumb|border|Stepstruder foot fix]]

@@ Line 95: / Line 95: @@
 Misery and woe!
 We arrived in the evening to find our acrylic middle piece cracked at every hole, with cracks spiderwebbing everywhere. It seems that we overtightened the mounting bolts. Since the piece was fine last week and hasn't been touched since, we're blaming thermal expansion/contraction for the mess. We attempted to solve the problem by drilling a stop hole at the end of each crack and then spreading epoxy over the length of the crack.
@@ Line 119: / Line 120: @@
 * Stepstruder mounting (complete?)
 * Body assembly (almost complete)
 '''For next time:'''

@@ Line 90: / Line 90: @@
 ** Finish securing the XY stage rods as detailed in: [http://wiki.makerbot.com/thingomatic-doc:body-assembly#toc17 Adding XY stage]
 ** Then resume the build at: [http://wiki.makerbot.com/thingomatic-doc:body-assembly#toc21 Adding Z stage]
 == 3/9/2011 &mdash; Build Session The Thirde. ==
-* Replaced the RJ-45 serial cable with a more bendy one to solve bend radius issue with the supplied one's boot.
+Misery and woe!
-* Stepstruder assembly finished.  Since we'd used lead-free tin solder on the heating resistors, we decided that was good enough, vs finding some silver solder later.
-* [http://wiki.makerbot.com/stepstruder-mk6-electronics-assembly Stepstruder electronics assembly] in progress.  Initial resistance tests pass.  Calibrating the Z-axis stepper controller board potentiometers is done but should be re-checked carefully.  The only thing left, other than that, is wiring the stepstruder stuff to the extruder controller board.
+We arrived in the evening to find our acrylic middle piece cracked at every hole, with cracks spiderwebbing everywhere. It seems that we overtightened the mounting bolts. Since the piece was fine last week and hasn't been touched since, we're blaming thermal expansion/contraction for the mess. We attempted to solve the problem by drilling a stop hole at the end of each crack and then spreading epoxy over the length of the crack.
-* The ATX power supply was bad.  We gutted one of the Pentium 4's and that power supply worked.
-* Body assembly progressing slowly -- the acrylic cracks are pretty bad, but hopefully workable.