My MBot Improvments

[ian.b...@stackflo.com]

Hi,

Just thought I would start a thread with pictures of changes I have made on the MBot.

My most important improvment has been upgrading the Z-Axis as it was pretty wobbly before, probably other makes are as well. I could see I could get much better print quality if the bed wasn't bouncing around. I had some second hand linear bearings I bought a while ago cheap, so after a bit of thought seem they would fit in nicely. Print quality is pretty good now!!

[ian.b...@stackflo.com]

Also you may notice the heated bed as well.

[ian.b...@stackflo.com]

A better bracket for holding the extrude tubes and cable bunch.

Have STL file if anyone wants it.

I will be printing brackets for other cables shortly.

[ian.b...@stackflo.com]

The Z Axis is quite solid now!!!

[Jeffkyjin]

So good！

Hope to see printed parts.

Sent from my iPhone

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[Lolo Cortes]

ian.b...@stackflo.com

Can pass the connection diagram for the hot base?

 fantastic improvement, congratulations

[ian.b...@stackflo.com]

Heat bed connections. I have tried to make this as understandable as possible. Any question just ask.

[ian.b...@stackflo.com]

Whoops some bad english there.

I use the relay so as not to run the high current through the control board. Since I am connection the 24vdc (I did adjust it down to about 21vdc) to the heat bed 12v terminals, the current is twice as high, probably close to 20 amps. But it heats up quickly and will reach temperatures higher than 120 easily.

[Karrly K]

Hi Ian,

could you send me the .STL file of the cable thing? :)

or post a link to it.

thank you!! :)

[ian.b...@stackflo.com]

Sure, I modified it slightly so its not so important how well calibrated your printer is. Let me know if it works out well.

thanks.

[ian.b...@stackflo.com]

Here is another useful cable support for the wires on your carriage. Its just a friction fit, just push it on.

[Alejandro Colina]

Hi Ian,

Are you using the power supply from the printer, a new power supply replacing the stock one, or an extra power supply?

[ian.b...@stackflo.com]

Hi,

An extra power supply, easiest and cheapest way for me. Probably hard to find a 400w power supply with a 24v and 5v output. I just hung it of the left side of the printer.......

cheers

[ian.b...@stackflo.com]

Power supply size required obviously depends on your heat bed setup.

[Mishal Alkusaier]

Nice job , did you have any overheat of the motors or wires issue ?

[ian.b...@stackflo.com]

No Issues so far. Wires should be fine, I am on top of keeping wires strain relieved I hope.

[Shaun]

Thank you for the posts! Very helpful. Running into nothing but trouble with ABS - my first filament. For a while it printed okay. Tried the whistle, calibration box, standard stuff. Then for the most part, it will print OK for the first 5 minutes and then begin to curl upward. I've tried hairspray, Elmer's glue, blue painter's tape, heat gun. This past weekend I went to Lowes and had a sheet of glass cut. Still curling... which leads me to the heat bed. I've also ordered PLA as a back up. Your modifications are great!

Looking at Amazon I see a heat-bed similar to yours. Can you list out the parts your purchased? I'm interested in adding a heatbed to my rig to see if that will help.

Is this the heatbed? http://www.amazon.com/heated-resistor-soldered-Reprap-Mendel/dp/B00BLCW1NA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1396324459&sr=8-1&keywords=heated+bed+3d+printer

Thanks.

[Phil Wheat]

Shaun - 

  You might want to look at http://www.amazon.com/SainSmart-printers-HeatBed-Updated-Version/dp/B00EZKEGG0/ - it makes it easier (at least for me) to use the 24V mode.  Just remember that you'll need to upgrade your Power Supply as well.  My Cube came with a 150W PS which isn't enough to drive a heat bed.

[macouno]

Hi ian,

Can I ask what relay you got? And how it needs to be wired?.... I'm looking at a supplier's website and they have a lot of options (none of which mean much to me): Coil Voltage, Contact Current, Contact Voltage VAC, Contact Voltage VDC, Contact Configuration, Coil Resistance

[ian.b...@stackflo.com]

Hi Shaun,

Any of the standard heat beds will do, 24v bed is probably a good idea. I screwed the heat bed to the steel plate with approx 5mm spacers between heat bed and plate. You can see in the attached photo. the 3 holes I have drilled and tapped, the heat bed is screwed on top with spacers.
Definitely need a bigger power supply, I attached an extra PS instead of trying to find a dual output voltage one with high wattage.

cheers

[Shaun M]

Well, I went ahead and ordered the sainsmart heatbed which came today. Unfortunately there is no user guide, no LED's, no 1k SMD resistors included. Now I need to order those too? Do you think Radioshack would have those? This is such a pain in the ass.

[Shaun M]

Crazy idea here...

What would happen if I decided to just connect my 24V to the corresponding solder points without even going through the control board, using LED's, resistors, etc. I want to start printing this weekend, but I'm not 100% if I'd burn this board up. Is there a maximum temperature? Sure, I wouldn't be able to get a temperature reading, but would it really cause damage?

On Wed, Apr 2, 2014 at 1:37 AM, <ian.b...@stackflo.com> wrote:

[ian.b...@stackflo.com]

Doesn't matter about the LEDs, they are just indicators. But I would advise controlling the temperature if possible, I am not sure what temperature it will reach if power is left on, it may plateau out at a certain temperature........, but the power supply that came with the MBot is not big enough anyway.

[Phil Wheat]

My 24V heatbed tops out about 110C (going through the Mightyboard connector, not a relay.)  I could probably get it higher if I did some better insulation between it and the metal supports, but I don't really need it much hotter.

[Shaun M]

Thanks all for responses. I should have a decent rig by tomorrow morning. Picked up a switch at lowes to power on/off heatbed as needed. Went to a sheet metal shop earlier today and had a replacement surface made out of aluminum. Might move to pyrex depending on performance. As insulation I had a smaller piece of aluminum cut which will mount on the underside of the PCB heatbed to prevent or at least minimize loss of heat from underneath.

24v, no thermistor, no LEDs. 17 Amp PSU. S-400-24 @ amazon.

[Shaun M]

Well... it seems as though I have a bad PSU. Wow. Lol. Is this a possible sign? Is the good man telling me to avoid 3D printing at all costs? Ha ha.

On Apr 12, 2014 10:31 PM, "Phil Wheat" <philip...@gmail.com> wrote:

[ian.b...@stackflo.com]

OK for those still struggling with ABS sticking to a heated glass build plate, there is a product that I have tried call Wolfbite. You brush it on the bare cold glass plate, print your object, let it cool and then the print just comes straight off. It works very well so far I have had great results, no more lifting of prints off bed.

[ian.b...@stackflo.com]

No more worries of prints lifting, now I am back to printing :) . I was waiting for a Geckotek build plate of kickstarter, but no need now with using Wolfbite. Heres my latest print(s).

Its a 90 degree duct for my bathroom extraction fan. It is an old size outlet (98mm) and nothing in the hardware store was going to work well. SO it is sort of a test case, I printed it in three pieces and glued together. I will brush some acetone over the surface to strengthen it. As you can see it has come out OK.