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Hi,
Well It is a DIY kit and I think the expectation is that people should know a little something before ordering one. In my case I waited two months for delivery and in that time I built a CNC kit. So by the time it arrived I knew all about stepper motors, drivers and x/y/z axis etc. I also read a couple of CNC books. I subsequently sold the CNC kit on ebay and recovered almost all my expense. So that worked out well. I was able to build the machine and get it printing in about 2 days, 10 hours per day. The software/firmware and MK4 pulley were problems for me. I bulged the ptfe and ruined a barrel during the first week. I ordered the makergear peek and a .5 big head nozzle and barrel and aluminum idler on ebay. Total cost about $50 to get everything going again. At the time I started the firmware was being upgraded. It took about 4 months for the firmware and software to progress to a point where I would upgrade permanently. Some people like myself had issues until the last release of the firmware. Many people claimed it was noise in mine and others machines but I didn’t buy this explanation. Put on the old firmware it worked. Put on the new it failed. Simple for me to determine that something changed in the software and it was not my machine. I probably do have a noisy machine but the original software ignored the problem and the latest works well also. The firmware in between had issues with it and prevented me from upgrading. The MK4 pulley worked but I had to increase the heat to make the filament not strip. The new MK5 pulley works great and I am now printing at the correct temperature. The heated build platform helped a lot but it lacked some things. That being a relay or a heatsink and something to reduce the tension on the wires. People came along and helped solve the issues. Now the board works well. I did switch to a larger hbp from Echertech on ebay. Works well and I can build larger pieces. The original board should have had a slightly larger footprint IMO as I kept bumping into the bolts. I never print on kapton tape. Right now I do not even believe it is possible as I never got it to stick except once after sanding and then that was it. I did buy the roll off ebay but still the same. So I used it to fix a stove and use it in place of the narrow kapton. I discovered I can use 3 inch white plain painters tape overlapped on the HBP and it sticks well at 120-130c and I replace it every other build unless it is damaged. It is not as smooth as Kapton but close.
My prints have steadily improved since the end of February to the point where I can make really good pulleys among other things. I very rarely get a failure now.
So the point of this long story is that I thought it would be easier than it was but I came into this during a time of change in the firmware/software and MK5 pulley and if I had waited till July I would have had it much easier but I would not have learned as much.
I also have a tendency to buy spare parts and really get into my hobbies. I think between Makerbot, Ebay and Makergear I have spent an additional $2000 both in upgrades, spare parts and building my Mendel. You want dissatisfaction then take a look at building a Mendel. You will appreciate the Makerbot so much more. I just sold the Mendel on ebay and with the money and all my spares I am building a second Makerbot. Hardly any loss there except from my own mistakes burning out some electronics and I learned a lot. I burned an HBP also. Took weeks to get the smell out of the house.
So in my opinion:
Is it unreliable:
Back in Feb 2010, Yes. In July 2010, No
Is it luck or skill?
It is skill/knowledge and asking a lot of questions and lurking in the forums. Do not assume that everyone knows all the answers. Most people can give you a clue and you have to try it yourself. Several times I was told my issues have to do with variation of where I place the thermistor, how much tape I used etc. and that I just had to try different settings as all the machines are made differently. So true, but really if you follow the wiki directions (improving all the time) you will come close. I even went down to Makerbot and took a look at their cupcakes. They were assembled just like mine. So why did I have trouble? I was running too cool. People said don’t run past 230c it burns the ABS. But then I saw skeinforge 7 default settings and they were real high. So I copied them and it worked. I printed for months at 230-235c. Well I probably had something off. Reading the forums I was able to understand the symptoms and knew that I had an issue somewhere but now that it works, who cares. Then I got a Makergear hot end and I am printing at 220c. So I guess people are correct even though I can’t see the issue.
Does it work as shipped:
Yes usually. But since you have to build it, anything can go wrong. Belts need to be just right. Wires need to be fully plugged in etc. People should read the forums before they make a purchase as this is a big time consuming hobby. It used to be that people soldered together their own boards. These are premade now. The packages look sealed for the plastruder and motherboard so I am guessing they are not tested. The steppers look like they are packed by hand so these might be tested. I don’t know. It seems some people had failures and Makerbot is willing to exchange the boards if you talk to them. I’m sure they want to know about manufacturing defects. But many people just resolder the boards. The expectation I think is that people should know how to do this. I learned. I still don’t know much electronics, but now I can solder anything, I can and have made all the boards.
Was Makerbot too optimistic about their product and this was not the experience I expected?
Well they really didn’t promise me anything but that I would receive a 3D printer kit that I had to put together. That implies I need to be able to do that and if I can then it would work. I did not realize how much work it is to gain this skill. Days to build , Months to master actually. Some people might know more coming into this than myself and so have it easier. I did no research and just read the make magazine article and bought one. I was real surprised how much work it was.
I can if I want say that some of the things they put out could have been better. but that is because I have 20/20 hindsight LOL. I can and others did suggest several things. Those have happened either through Makerbot directly such as the new Relay Board even the MK5 pulley and all the software enhancements are based on user input and their own testing. Believe me they want to put out a great reliable product, but they are just a handful of people and are now expanding and adding in all the nice things that bigger companies take for granted. I visited them so I know. They are gradually tackling all the issues. You can see this happening daily.
That’s my thoughts on this subject.
Regards,
Mark
As someone who has had great luck getting things to work out of the
box, would you mind taking us through the process you went through to
get both your MakerBots working smoothly, skeinforge configured well,
and making high quality 3D prints?
Probably the best way for others to learn, and succeed, would be by
replicating your examples...
-Martin
I'm still learning what in skeinforge affects what else, so I can't
say that I make artistic quality prints, but I can fire up the bot and
expect something useful to come out after a session.
I've been building electronic kits since grade school, so I didn't
find any aspect of the assembly challenging. The wiki docs have been
under continuous improvement, so I did have questions at the start
that now would be answered just by reading along.
For reference, I'm still using the old 1.6/1.8 firmwares, running RepG
0014 w/Skeinforge 0006 on a CentOS (RedHat) laptop - the Bot has an
ordinary MK4 printhead and a self-built aluminum-plate 25W HPB. I'm
mostly using it right now to make misc parts for a Mendel (new
printhead parts, etc), but I still have a couple of things to work out
before I'm printing there.
-ethan
I just finally stopped printing :D woodstruder successfully printed a
Printruder both parts for the first time the big part. and the hand
model and then I adjusted my LEDs and am calling it a night. Tomorrow I
am going to buy some more Polycarbonate to make v6 look better but so
far v5 is perfect. :D
What OS do I use? You mean for my controlling the print or to make the
gcode? xD I actually have 5 computers in front of me with diff. OSes :p
I actually have been doing the gcode part on my vista because it is my
fastest computer atm... I start up replicatorg in another computer
though using XP. It is also controlling my other CNC computer I only use
repg to preheat the extruder and the heated platform...I run the actual
file off the SD card now.
I don't even know anything about google profile or what mine says...I
only signed up to be able to view and post in this makerbot group... I
don't use google groups other than this.
Soon I can start making my Mendel yay! ^__^
Thanks for the reply!
I just put mine together at the beginning of July. I was plagued by
filament stripping issues at first. The mk4 gear and the acrylic
idler worked ok, but I'd say every 4th or 5th print they would strip.
I would not put in an mk5 gear unless you get one of Brian's aluminum
idler wheels from ebay. The mk5 gear for me was worse until I put
that new idler in. With the combination, the extruder has been rock
solid. I've printed about a 1/2 lb of ABS with no stripping or jams
(knock on wood). I'd highly recommend getting the two parts as an
upgrade. The $25 is probably the best bang for the buck upgrade I've
spent on my makerbot.
--Sonny
-Martin
> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to makerbot+u...@googlegroups.com.
Ask away and maybe we can all get you thru this,
O.
I was wondering about the Delrin myself (since I have indirect access
to a laser cutter). Does anyone have any experience to suggest what a
good shape of Delrin would be to cut up? (I'm guessing something like
6mm-thick plate vs rod or something) I have access to a local place
that sells scrap sizes of plastic for cheap, but I don't know exactly
what to shop for.
I'm interested building a Paxtruder myself, and the Delrin is probably
the biggest issue holding me back. In the meantime, I'm humming along
with an MK4.
Thanks,
-ethan
What makes Delrin special? Could a piece of PTFE serve as well if cut
to an appropriate shape?
Cheers,
Len.
I've found Acetal to be the best solution due to its hardness and low
coefficient of friction with ABS. A one piece pusher makes life a
little happier.
However, I encourage others to test new materials. There may be
something even better out there that we'll never find unless we keep
exploring. You may even run into a material that will be perfect in a
completely different application.
Charles Edward Pax
blog: http://charlespax.com/
twitter: http://twitter.com/charlespax
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> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "MakerBot Operators" group.
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Charles Edward Pax
blog: http://charlespax.com/
twitter: http://twitter.com/charlespax