What to do while waiting for my first MakerBot
Pete
to arrive. Any suggestions for what prep work I should do while
waiting? Is there anything such as installing software, etc. that can
make the process go smoother once it arrives?
Len Trigg
Learn to drive a 3d modelling tool if you don't already know how. I've
had my makerbot going for almost a week, and now really need to put
some time in to learning Blender. I'm on linux, where it seems like
it's a toss-up between Blender and Art of Illusion (which I tried and
had it crash a couple of times). OpenSCAD also seems pretty flaky for
me (sometimes stops accepting input into the editor, sometimes minor
changes make the rendering not display).
Stuff like replicatorg and skeinforge can be installed in advance I
suppose, but it's not really going to save you much time.
Cheers,
Len.
Spacexula
(if you don't have it already)
Cheap voltmeter (or expensive 1 that can read thermistors)
Soldering iron (cheap stick 1 will do, or get an expensive one that
let's you adjust the heat)
Solder (finer the better)
1 thin metal ruler with mm measurements (best if it lists distance in
mm instead of centimeter, it's easier that way)
1 small level
1 medium hemostat (wife got me one at work last night at the store,
best 3mm wrench in the world!)
Helping hand (2 alligator clip, 1 magnifying glass type)
1 container 2 part epoxy (looks like a double syringe)
finish or pant of your choice for the outer skin
some spay lubricant (I use gun oil)
some 1 sided razors
Some 18-20 gauge stranded wire (two different colors, one for your
nichrome, 1 for your thermistor)
Extra parts you might need within a month or 2 (buy now if you can
afford, that way you don't have a week downtime in case of breakage)
1-2 extra PTFE
2-3 insulator retainer rings
2-3 extra thermistors
2-3 foot of Nicrome
1 caliper 4 inch works, 6 inch is better, also digital is better
Nice things to have that you might want shortly.
Some samples of all the different plastics you might want.
A 3 inch pocket knife (great for prying parts off acrylic)
Buy a heated build plate.
A clear tackle box ($5 at walmart in the fishing section (don't buy
the hardware ones, cost twice as much, and don't have as good of
holders)
Free stuff to do before you get the kit.
Clear off a table for you to work on, if you have kids get a plastic
tote to hide all the parts in when you are not working on it.
Download Skeinforge, Blender, & Replicator G. Go ahead and install
Arduino, Sangrino & RepRap libraries for Arduino.
Start a blog. Just list what you want to do. It sounds silly at
first, but it keeps you honest with yourself.
Place a Marker on both the Makerbot & RepRap Google Maps.
Track down any owners of a Makerbot or RepRap within 1 hours drive of
you. Get their # and email if you can.
Start a Makerbot group for your area if 1 does not exist
Join the RepRap forum.
Troll the Bits from Bytes Forum
Friend All the members off RRRF if you can on Facebook.
Will that keep you busy enough?
On Mar 6, 4:38 pm, Len Trigg <len...@gmail.com> wrote:
Dave M.
similar) heated build platform and build it, because you'll need it
eventually.
Jordan Miller
jordan
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Spacexula
Makergear have competiive products, and this is the Makerbot
group. :)
As far as the Wiki, They have done such a good job keeping it clean, I
would rather one of the Makerbot group add it.
It would need it's own section, and I am NOT going to mess their
organization up.
wulfdesign
setting up skienforge, usb2ttl drivers, and
Arduino, Sangrino & RepRap libraries for Arduino.
are a good idea.
design something in 3d and output to STL and
run it though Skienforge to get use to the settings.
btw, go out and buy a short piece of 1/2 copper that'll splice
2 pieces of 1/2in copper pipe together.
(it shouldn't have a seam/ridge in the middle)
and a couple of small stainless steel hose clamps
(along with a bronze or brass 6m nut)
cut the copper splice piece in half lengthwise with a hacksaw
or favorite metal cutter of choice.
when you install your PTFE you'll want you use the nut to keep
the PTFE from pushing out. and the split Copper tube with hose clamps
to keep it from bulging.
this step will probably save you a lot of down time and cursing
extruder design MK4 engineers.
get some (or make) shielded Cat5e for your extruder cabling to rule
that out as a possibility
of extrusion failures.
(there is a way to shield the extruder motor noise but which is
probably the last thing to cause any EMI but I'm not exactly sure what
parts you need for that upgrade).
keep up and read all the google group stuff you can stand and/or make
sense of.
btw good idea to go ahead and have many a few extruder parts on hand
(PTFE, Nichrome, Thermistor)
since it's still the weak point in the design (however there are some
improvements that make it better).
-L
Ivan Locke
Robert Hunt
wiki as it will become lost and fragmented in this group over time. A
lot of the discussion in this group have become pages on the wiki such
as the one about reduction of operating noise and the collective
knowledge of Skeinforge settings.
I have added a new page to the MakerBot wiki with an edited version of
this information. http://wiki.makerbot.com/preparing-for-the-makerbot
It is the initial version and may require further editing to bring it
up to the standard of other pages. Feel free to change or update any
information as necessary.
-Rob