Cupcake Upgrade Path?
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degroof
Sep 22, 2011, 2:16:37 PM9/22/11
to MakerBot Operators
I've been out of the loop for about a year. My Cupcake has a mk3-ish
extruder (dc gearmotor with toothed pulley drive & acrylic idler) and
(I think) gen 3 electronics.
What's a practical upgrade path for this thing? I'm guessing I should
pick up a mk6 extruder and gen 4 electronics should be pretty much
drop-in compatible, right?
Anything else I'd need to order? Any gotchas?
extruder (dc gearmotor with toothed pulley drive & acrylic idler) and
(I think) gen 3 electronics.
What's a practical upgrade path for this thing? I'm guessing I should
pick up a mk6 extruder and gen 4 electronics should be pretty much
drop-in compatible, right?
Anything else I'd need to order? Any gotchas?
JohnA.
Sep 22, 2011, 2:22:43 PM9/22/11
to MakerBot Operators
If you've got the money, Gen4 + MK6+ will make it a great printer
again. And then print a low-rider, and if you're nutty - print the z-
rider as well. Oh, and get a 3-axis Pololu setup as well -- it'll
make it a lot quieter. At this point it's getting pricey though.
I still run Gen3 with all of the aforementioned mods, and it works
well. I printed for 20 hours last weekend at Maker Faire, and had
lots of compliments on the print quality.
JohnA.
again. And then print a low-rider, and if you're nutty - print the z-
rider as well. Oh, and get a 3-axis Pololu setup as well -- it'll
make it a lot quieter. At this point it's getting pricey though.
I still run Gen3 with all of the aforementioned mods, and it works
well. I printed for 20 hours last weekend at Maker Faire, and had
lots of compliments on the print quality.
JohnA.
The Ruttmeister
Sep 22, 2011, 2:37:43 PM9/22/11
to MakerBot Operators
yourself its less than half the price of Gen4), and grab a Makergear
hot-end and a geared stepper motor. Overall will cost you considerably
less. You will then have to go through the dance of figuring out
firmware, but for my money that's worth the time, there are lots of
advantages.
nathanh
Oct 13, 2011, 10:26:38 AM10/13/11
to MakerBot Operators
I am in the same situation as you. Stock cupcake from june 2010. I was
looking at upgrading but everything on this platform seems to need
improvement. I am looking now just at making it more reliable - my
biggest problem is the filament being stripped.
Let me know how your upgrade goes.
Nathan
> I've been out of the loop for about a year. MyCupcakehas a mk3-ish
looking at upgrading but everything on this platform seems to need
improvement. I am looking now just at making it more reliable - my
biggest problem is the filament being stripped.
Let me know how your upgrade goes.
Nathan
> I've been out of the loop for about a year. MyCupcakehas a mk3-ish
> extruder (dc gearmotor with toothed pulley drive & acrylic idler) and
> (I think) gen 3 electronics.
>
> What's a practicalupgradepath for this thing? I'm guessing I should
> (I think) gen 3 electronics.
>
Aaron Double
Oct 13, 2011, 11:16:14 AM10/13/11
to make...@googlegroups.com
Where are you guys at? there are many people who have modded their cupcakes and they are everywhere!
If you want to go less expensive than gen4, Rob Giseburt's 3d -5d board is coming out very soon, allows you to connect a 4th stepper to Gen3 motherboards, if you don't mind making a custom cable you don't even need the board http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:11837
You could also go to 16th step drivers, makes it so you can talk on the phone 2ft away from your bot and the person on the other line can't hear it. http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4526
There are single sided versions of that one as well if you want to do it yourself. http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:7011
As for mechanical updates, for updating movement:
For X: http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4239 for Y: http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3697
Or for X and Y: http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4213
For Z (get rid of those threaded rods)
http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4740
http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:5586
http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:7954
As for extruders, go to a stepper version, you could do pretty much any variation as long as it has a stepper! Browse here: http://www.thingiverse.com/tag:extruder
Hope that helps!
Aaron Double
twotimes
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Shane Graber
Oct 13, 2011, 12:05:44 PM10/13/11
to make...@googlegroups.com
I've looked @ all 3 of those z-axis mods. Is there one preferred out of those?
FWIW, I printed the XY mod. I just have to get the hardware. :)
Shane
--
Shane ∞
Please Donate to Donor's Choose to help advance education: http://www.donorschoose.org/
http://google.com/profiles/sgraber/
http://sgraber.tumblr.com/
---------
I'm so cool I can be used to prove Bose-Einstein Condensation!
Shane ∞
Please Donate to Donor's Choose to help advance education: http://www.donorschoose.org/
http://google.com/profiles/sgraber/
http://sgraber.tumblr.com/
---------
I'm so cool I can be used to prove Bose-Einstein Condensation!
Mark Cohen
Oct 13, 2011, 12:51:30 PM10/13/11
to MakerBot Operators
Hi,
I just finished 4213 and I think it will be a vast improvement.
As I am about to mount it in the cupcake would you be able to tell me
how to mount the X end stop. Y is obvious as it is just centered with
some long spacers ( I am actually using one large and small on each to
get the height right) but there is part 19 and 20 and I think that has
something to do with X. Also it looks like you no longer need to
double up on 1 and18 as they are now included or is that something to
do with the endstop?
Thanks,
Mark
On Oct 13, 11:16 am, Aaron Double <aad...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Where are you guys at? there are many people who have modded their cupcakes and they are everywhere!
>
> If you want to go less expensive than gen4, Rob Giseburt's 3d -5d board is coming out very soon, allows you to connect a 4th stepper to Gen3 motherboards, if you don't mind making a custom cable you don't even need the boardhttp://www.thingiverse.com/thing:11837
>
> You could also go to 16th step drivers, makes it so you can talk on the phone 2ft away from your bot and the person on the other line can't hear it.http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4526
>
> There are single sided versions of that one as well if you want to do it yourself.http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:7011
> For Z (get rid of those threaded rods)http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4740http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:5586http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:7954
I just finished 4213 and I think it will be a vast improvement.
As I am about to mount it in the cupcake would you be able to tell me
how to mount the X end stop. Y is obvious as it is just centered with
some long spacers ( I am actually using one large and small on each to
get the height right) but there is part 19 and 20 and I think that has
something to do with X. Also it looks like you no longer need to
double up on 1 and18 as they are now included or is that something to
do with the endstop?
Thanks,
Mark
On Oct 13, 11:16 am, Aaron Double <aad...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Where are you guys at? there are many people who have modded their cupcakes and they are everywhere!
>
>
> You could also go to 16th step drivers, makes it so you can talk on the phone 2ft away from your bot and the person on the other line can't hear it.http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4526
>
> There are single sided versions of that one as well if you want to do it yourself.http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:7011
>
> As for mechanical updates, for updating movement:
>
> For X:http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4239for Y:http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3697
> As for mechanical updates, for updating movement:
>
> For Z (get rid of those threaded rods)http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4740http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:5586http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:7954
Mark Cohen
Oct 13, 2011, 1:21:56 PM10/13/11
to MakerBot Operators
I think the switch goes on either the left or right rod holder with
the extra two holes and 19 and 20 go on the bottom front?
On Oct 13, 12:51 pm, Mark Cohen <markcoh...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I just finished 4213 and I think it will be a vast improvement.
> As I am about to mount it in the cupcake would you be able to tell me
> how to mount the X end stop. Y is obvious as it is just centered with
> some long spacers ( I am actually using one large and small on each to
> get the height right) but there is part 19 and 20 and I think that has
> something to do with X. Also it looks like you no longer need to
> double up on 1 and18 as they are now included or is that something to
> do with the endstop?
>
> Thanks,
> Mark
>
> On Oct 13, 11:16 am, Aaron Double <aad...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
>
> > Where are you guys at? there are many people who have modded their cupcakes and they are everywhere!
>
> > If you want to go less expensive than gen4, Rob Giseburt's 3d -5d board is coming out very soon, allows you to connect a 4th stepper to Gen3 motherboards, if you don't mind making a custom cable you don't even need the boardhttp://www.thingiverse.com/thing:11837
>
> > You could also go to 16th step drivers, makes it so you can talk on the phone 2ft away from your bot and the person on the other line can't hear it.http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4526
>
> > There are single sided versions of that one as well if you want to do it yourself.http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:7011
>
> > As for mechanical updates, for updating movement:
>
> > For X:http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4239forY:http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3697
> > For Z (get rid of those threaded rods)http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4740http://www.thingiverse.com/thing...
>
> - Show quoted text -
the extra two holes and 19 and 20 go on the bottom front?
On Oct 13, 12:51 pm, Mark Cohen <markcoh...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I just finished 4213 and I think it will be a vast improvement.
> As I am about to mount it in the cupcake would you be able to tell me
> how to mount the X end stop. Y is obvious as it is just centered with
> some long spacers ( I am actually using one large and small on each to
> get the height right) but there is part 19 and 20 and I think that has
> something to do with X. Also it looks like you no longer need to
> double up on 1 and18 as they are now included or is that something to
> do with the endstop?
>
> Thanks,
> Mark
>
> On Oct 13, 11:16 am, Aaron Double <aad...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
>
> > Where are you guys at? there are many people who have modded their cupcakes and they are everywhere!
>
> > If you want to go less expensive than gen4, Rob Giseburt's 3d -5d board is coming out very soon, allows you to connect a 4th stepper to Gen3 motherboards, if you don't mind making a custom cable you don't even need the boardhttp://www.thingiverse.com/thing:11837
>
> > You could also go to 16th step drivers, makes it so you can talk on the phone 2ft away from your bot and the person on the other line can't hear it.http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4526
>
> > There are single sided versions of that one as well if you want to do it yourself.http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:7011
>
> > As for mechanical updates, for updating movement:
>
> > For Z (get rid of those threaded rods)http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4740http://www.thingiverse.com/thing...
>
> > As for extruders, go to a stepper version, you could do pretty much any variation as long as it has a stepper! Browse here:http://www.thingiverse.com/tag:extruder
>
> > Hope that helps!
>
> > Aaron Double
> > twotimes
>
> > On Oct 13, 2011, at 10:26 AM, nathanh wrote:
>
> > > I am in the same situation as you. Stock cupcake from june 2010. I was
> > > looking at upgrading but everything on this platform seems to need
> > > improvement. I am looking now just at making it more reliable - my
> > > biggest problem is the filament being stripped.
> > > Let me know how your upgrade goes.
>
> > > Nathan
>
> > > On Sep 22, 2:16 pm, degroof <degr...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > >> I've been out of the loop for about a year. MyCupcakehas a mk3-ish
> > >> extruder (dc gearmotor with toothed pulley drive & acrylic idler) and
> > >> (I think) gen 3 electronics.
>
> > >> What's a practicalupgradepath for this thing? I'm guessing I should
> > >> pick up a mk6 extruder and gen 4 electronics should be pretty much
> > >> drop-in compatible, right?
>
> > >> Anything else I'd need to order? Any gotchas?
>
> > > --
> > > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "MakerBot Operators" group.
> > > To post to this group, send email to make...@googlegroups.com.
> > > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to makerbot+u...@googlegroups.com.
> > > For more options, visit this group athttp://groups.google.com/group/makerbot?hl=en.- Hide quoted text -
> > As for extruders, go to a stepper version, you could do pretty much any variation as long as it has a stepper! Browse here:http://www.thingiverse.com/tag:extruder
>
> > Hope that helps!
>
> > Aaron Double
> > twotimes
>
> > On Oct 13, 2011, at 10:26 AM, nathanh wrote:
>
> > > I am in the same situation as you. Stock cupcake from june 2010. I was
> > > looking at upgrading but everything on this platform seems to need
> > > improvement. I am looking now just at making it more reliable - my
> > > biggest problem is the filament being stripped.
> > > Let me know how your upgrade goes.
>
> > > Nathan
>
> > > On Sep 22, 2:16 pm, degroof <degr...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > >> I've been out of the loop for about a year. MyCupcakehas a mk3-ish
> > >> extruder (dc gearmotor with toothed pulley drive & acrylic idler) and
> > >> (I think) gen 3 electronics.
>
> > >> What's a practicalupgradepath for this thing? I'm guessing I should
> > >> pick up a mk6 extruder and gen 4 electronics should be pretty much
> > >> drop-in compatible, right?
>
> > >> Anything else I'd need to order? Any gotchas?
>
> > > --
> > > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "MakerBot Operators" group.
> > > To post to this group, send email to make...@googlegroups.com.
> > > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to makerbot+u...@googlegroups.com.
>
> - Show quoted text -
Aaron Double
Oct 13, 2011, 9:59:37 PM10/13/11
to make...@googlegroups.com
Sorry for the delay in the instructions. Here are some images that should help.
You want to put the X endstop on the left side, as in the side away from the motherboard. You would have to cut a hole in the wooden platform below to make space on the right. The rest is pretty self explanatory in the images. I don't rightly know how long the plunger screws need to be for your setup, my platform is extremely not standard (130mm wide)
Best,
Aaron Double
The Ruttmeister
Oct 13, 2011, 10:17:12 PM10/13/11
to MakerBot Operators
On Oct 13, 9:05 am, Shane Graber <sgra...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I've looked @ all 3 of those z-axis mods. Is there one preferred out of
> those?
than mine. But I'm not convinced that any cantilevered Z-stage is
actually that good an idea (at least the ways that have been done so
far). Of the upgrades I have seen so far Aaron's guide rods for the Z
stage seem the simplest (and most elegant) solution.
http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2151
Matt Smollinger
Oct 13, 2011, 11:33:31 PM10/13/11
to MakerBot Operators
The nice thing about Aaron's wobble arrestor is that if you have just
one or two rods that are out of whack, you can just replace those
mounts with the printed mounts and get pretty significant improvements
without a lot of effort. I replaced one on my Cupcake and made a lot
of difference (although I plan on doing the full mod. I am just
waiting on parts to finish the *new* ugly cable hack from RobG before
printing the rest).
I also am not convinced of the cantilevered setup after watching
Prusas and Ultimakers work, so I'm kinda loathe to do anything more
than the wobble arresters. After looking at the landscape, my upgrade
route is/has been:
- Pololus 1/16th (currently individual steppers, but will move to
RobG's board when it's available)
- Stepper Extruder (ugly cable hack, then RobG's new shield. Currently
using MBI wiki ugly cable hack, and its got issues).
- Wobble Arrester (already one in use),
- x/y carriage.
This will effectively put me at a ToM (or better), without the need to
move to Gen4. Until MBI integrates some of the more advanced firmware
features that the 3rd-party firmwares have (look-ahead, acceleration,
curve smoothing, etc.) I really don't see a reason to move to Gen4.
I'm working on redoing the Gen3's firmware to support thermocouples
(which it should have in the first place). And like was mentioned
previously, RAMPs supports all that for nearly 1/2 the cost(possibly
exception of thermocouples). Even a fully-assembled Ramps v1.3 is
probably 2/3rds - 3/4 the price.
--Matt--
one or two rods that are out of whack, you can just replace those
mounts with the printed mounts and get pretty significant improvements
without a lot of effort. I replaced one on my Cupcake and made a lot
of difference (although I plan on doing the full mod. I am just
waiting on parts to finish the *new* ugly cable hack from RobG before
printing the rest).
I also am not convinced of the cantilevered setup after watching
Prusas and Ultimakers work, so I'm kinda loathe to do anything more
than the wobble arresters. After looking at the landscape, my upgrade
route is/has been:
- Pololus 1/16th (currently individual steppers, but will move to
RobG's board when it's available)
- Stepper Extruder (ugly cable hack, then RobG's new shield. Currently
using MBI wiki ugly cable hack, and its got issues).
- Wobble Arrester (already one in use),
- x/y carriage.
This will effectively put me at a ToM (or better), without the need to
move to Gen4. Until MBI integrates some of the more advanced firmware
features that the 3rd-party firmwares have (look-ahead, acceleration,
curve smoothing, etc.) I really don't see a reason to move to Gen4.
I'm working on redoing the Gen3's firmware to support thermocouples
(which it should have in the first place). And like was mentioned
previously, RAMPs supports all that for nearly 1/2 the cost(possibly
exception of thermocouples). Even a fully-assembled Ramps v1.3 is
probably 2/3rds - 3/4 the price.
--Matt--
Aaron Double
Oct 14, 2011, 8:52:33 AM10/14/11
to make...@googlegroups.com
I forgot to mention the wobble arresters, I agree and disagree about the cantilever comment, it takes a lot of tweaking but you can get awesome results.
If you do the full wobble arrester treatment, as in use 4 of them and then install the vertical rods to the front to register the platform you will get to the same level of detail as the cantilever designs, one thing I found with that design (the reason I got away from it) is the platform can bind against the smooth rods when traveling down, I found I needed to weigh down the front of the platform, I just put a pair of pliers across the front of the Z platform.
Matt, you'll find that Rob G's 3G 5D cable hack is pretty easy, it only involves 4 wires, what the board really gets you is endstops to go with the steppers.
For me, the number one upgrade to do is get to a stepper extruder, any type, then pololus, then mechanical stuff.
Aaron Double
Matt Smollinger
Oct 14, 2011, 10:50:30 AM10/14/11
to MakerBot Operators
Aaron - Yeah I'm just waiting on my parts order (still). Ordered a
bunch of 0.1 headers male & female so I could make it nice nice from
Pololu and they haven't arrived yet (close to a week).
--Matt--
bunch of 0.1 headers male & female so I could make it nice nice from
Pololu and they haven't arrived yet (close to a week).
--Matt--
max mulholland
Oct 14, 2011, 1:09:42 PM10/14/11
to MakerBot Operators
I run MK6+ ish on a cupcake with gen 3 and my machine out preforms the
commercial machines on most prints the lowest layer height I am
comfortable with is .15 mm but that is a lot of risk because the table
is flying at 80mm/s i just wish i could get the printer to print form
the sd card
commercial machines on most prints the lowest layer height I am
comfortable with is .15 mm but that is a lot of risk because the table
is flying at 80mm/s i just wish i could get the printer to print form
the sd card
Owen M Collins
Oct 14, 2011, 1:32:20 PM10/14/11
to make...@googlegroups.com
What if the guides holding the bushings went both up and down from the plate holding the z-stage? Right now they just continue down. Since my z-stage does not have a notch in it so it won't hit the Z-stepper, I have an inch or so above the zstage that I could use. How different would it be for other cupcakes? I know they changed the z-stage so it wouldn't hit the stepper anymore. SO maybe you guys would lose build height if you did that.
O.
Owen M Collins
Oct 14, 2011, 9:52:52 PM10/14/11
to make...@googlegroups.com
Yeah I saw that, and it was what I was thinking of. Well that continues below the z-stage, what if the clamp connected at the center of that piece instead of the top of it? Would that counteract the forces better?
O.
On Oct 14, 2011, at 9:46 PM, Aaron Double wrote:
> You mean like this? it's part of the wobble arrester.
>
> Aaron Double
>
>
>> --
>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "MakerBot Operators" group.
>> To post to this group, send email to make...@googlegroups.com.
>> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to makerbot+u...@googlegroups.com.
>> For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/makerbot?hl=en.
>
> <DSC04703_display_medium.jpg>--
nathanh
Oct 15, 2011, 9:13:05 AM10/15/11
to MakerBot Operators
I'm in Ottawa Canada
On Oct 13, 11:16 am, Aaron Double <aad...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Where are you guys at? there are many people who have modded their cupcakes and they are everywhere!
>
> If you want to go less expensive than gen4, Rob Giseburt's 3d -5d board is coming out very soon, allows you to connect a 4th stepper to Gen3 motherboards, if you don't mind making a custom cable you don't even need the boardhttp://www.thingiverse.com/thing:11837
>
> You could also go to 16th step drivers, makes it so you can talk on the phone 2ft away from your bot and the person on the other line can't hear it.http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4526
>
> There are single sided versions of that one as well if you want to do it yourself.http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:7011
> For Z (get rid of those threaded rods)http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4740http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:5586http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:7954
On Oct 13, 11:16 am, Aaron Double <aad...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Where are you guys at? there are many people who have modded their cupcakes and they are everywhere!
>
>
> You could also go to 16th step drivers, makes it so you can talk on the phone 2ft away from your bot and the person on the other line can't hear it.http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4526
>
> There are single sided versions of that one as well if you want to do it yourself.http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:7011
>
> As for mechanical updates, for updating movement:
>
> For X:http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4239for Y:http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3697
> As for mechanical updates, for updating movement:
>
> For Z (get rid of those threaded rods)http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4740http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:5586http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:7954
>
> As for extruders, go to a stepper version, you could do pretty much any variation as long as it has a stepper! Browse here:http://www.thingiverse.com/tag:extruder
>
> Hope that helps!
>
> Aaron Double
> twotimes
>
> On Oct 13, 2011, at 10:26 AM, nathanh wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> > I am in the same situation as you. Stockcupcakefrom june 2010. I was
> As for extruders, go to a stepper version, you could do pretty much any variation as long as it has a stepper! Browse here:http://www.thingiverse.com/tag:extruder
>
> Hope that helps!
>
> Aaron Double
> twotimes
>
> On Oct 13, 2011, at 10:26 AM, nathanh wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
Andrew Plumb
Oct 15, 2011, 10:24:50 AM10/15/11
to make...@googlegroups.com
If you can make it out, drop by ArtEngine for next Wednesday's ModLab gathering and we can bounce things around. Details are at http://artengine.ca/modlab/index.php/Main_Page
Feel free to bring your cupcake so we can figure out an upgrade plan.
Andrew.
--
"The future is already here. It's just not very evenly distributed" -- William Gibson
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