Re: [MakerBot] Ongoing Makerbot Review

[Andrew Plumb]

Looks like Beamsville is a little West of Niagara Falls, Ontario: http://www.beamsvillesecondaryschool.org/news/bdsstechnologysmakerbot

Jamie, maybe try touching base with some folks at Think|Haus in Hamilton: http://www.thinkhaus.org/

Looks like they have weekly "open|haus" on Tuesdays at 7pm:  http://www.thinkhaus.org/open-door-tuesday/

Andrew.

On 2013-01-10, at 12:00 PM, Mark Cohen wrote:

You are in Canada?

On Thu, Jan 10, 2013 at 11:58 AM, Mark Cohen <markc...@gmail.com> wrote:

Is this a Replicator or a Replicator 2?

Have you tried printing from the SD Card?

On Thu, Jan 10, 2013 at 11:43 AM, Jamie Brown

<jamiebro...@gmail.com> wrote:

As my final project I have been assigned to do a Makerbot review.

Please check out this blog post, it will be updated daily and I would very

much appreciate feedback and hints on issues we've been experiencing!

http://bdssmakerbotbyjamie.blogspot.ca/

Thanks xo

Jamie

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"The future is already here.  It's just not very evenly distributed" -- William Gibson

Me: http://clothbot.com/wiki/

[Enginwiz]

Hello Jamie,

 

the heated build platform of the Replicator 1 and the plastic arms underneath

warp during the heating process of the build platform. You have to do your

leveling procedure for the build platform when it is hot. Be careful not to burn yourself!

 

The plunger design of your Replicator 1 Extruder is not spring loaded. A lot of users

printed the parts for the "Minimalistic Mk8 replacement" by Emmet on Thingiverse,

that uses a spring and a ball bearing to apply constant feed roll pressure to

different filament diameters and reduce friction. Makerbot just switched to a similar design

for the extruders of the new Replicator 2X. This is a major improvement and

leads to much higher extruder reliability. I also upgraded my Replicator 2

to a spring loaded design with a ball bearing and my extruder runs now

reliably without clicking noises.

 

To get an easy entry point for printing reliably on your Replicator 1 you

might consider to print PLA on a cold printbed covered with blue painters tape

3M Scotch Blue 2090. Leveling a cold print bed is less tricky and PLA

extruded at 230°C sticks to cold 3M Scotch Blue 2090 quite well,

if your first layer height is correct. I can recommend Makerbots green

PLA as an easy printing material. Avoid Makerbots clear natural PLA.

It is brittle, needs high printing temperatures and a very precise

first layer height.

 

Good luck

 

Robert

 

 

 

 

 

You still have to level

[Ben McCallum]

Hey Jamie,

My name is Ben - I'm on the support team at MakerBot. We had a look at your blog and see you've run into some problems with your bot and the software. Please don't hesitate to get in touch with us if there's anything we can help with - you can always reach us at sup...@makerbot.com. 

Best,

Ben

MakerBot Support

On Friday, January 11, 2013 11:45:56 AM UTC-5, Jamie Brown wrote:

Thank you so much for the advice! I will most definitely be looking into the updated firmware. I also did note that the build platform often moves, even if you've only printed once, I think we'll most definitely have to start making sure the platform is level after every build.

Thanks again, Robert!


- Jamie

On Friday, 11 January 2013 06:57:05 UTC-5, Enginwiz wrote:

Hello Jamie,

 

Makerbot just released Makerware 1.1 and Firmware 7.0.
This might be what you are looking for.

 

While still being a Beta version Makerware 1.1 is now
capable of slicing reliable and beautiful prints with the fast
makerware slicer. I now slice layer heights of 0,10 to 0,20 mm
in medium resolution (with the Makerware slicer engine)
many times quicker than in ReplicatorG 0040. My Replicator 2
prints these .x3g files reliably. Makerbot finally fine tuned the
presets in Makerware 1.1 to provide a working setup out of the box.

 

Firmware 7.0 introduces accelerated drive modes for the stepper
motors. In addition to quieter axis operation the extruder motor
is operated in a smoother and much more reliable way. For my Replicator 2
this firmware upgrade is really a quantum leap forward in reliability.
Nearly 100% of my multi hour prints get finished. No more clicking
noises in the extruder, that indicate lost steps of the extruder motor.

 

You still need to level the build plate very accurately within
+/- 0.02 mm if you want to print layer heights of 0,2 mm or less.
My recommendation is to use an analog gauge to measure the
distance between the print head and the upper surface of the
build plate. Leveling instuctions of WPTHOMAS posted in the
Google group for Makerbot owners are pretty helpful. He also
published a nice gauge holder on Thingiverse.

 

Patience and persistence will lead you to success with your printer.

 

Good luck!

 

Robert