Dibloff's Build Log

[cvoinescu]

If you want a full-complement bearing (one without a cage, but with enough balls to fill all the available space, so that they can't all gather on one side and self-disassemble), you can build the inner and outer races with a notch each, on one side only, just deep enough to insert one ball at a time with moderate force when the notches face each other. The balls won't come out unless the notches are aligned (which they won't be, most of the time), and even then it would take some force.

[fma]

Good idea!

[dibloff]

Here is the tallest build so far. 165 mm high. You can notice the upper rollers are almost off of the track.

[dibloff]

This was the second largest print I have done: http://youtu.be/bEMrUDiwkgo
it took 14+ hours to complete. In the meantime I've ran out of blue filament, so I finished with pink.

[dibloff]

No updates from April??? Wow. time flies. I started the build about this time last year, and so much happened since. I've got a lot of updates, I just need to find the time. The latest one? I'm building 3 more Hadron's. I have all the old suppliers, except the Helios Heated Bed. The panuccat webpage shows it's out of stock. I'm wondering if anyone of you ordered the heated bed recently. Any other comparable heated beds out there?

[dibloff]

Merry Christmas everyone. http://youtu.be/tvMgFUsfGgo

[dibloff]

Well. Long time no entry.
First of all Happy New Year to everyone.
I've made a few improvements on the Hadron printer I've built. I'll try to list them in the next couple weeks, maybe you'll be able to use some of them.
One of the things I wanted to improve was the Z axis stop screw. Here is the one I've made originally.

I just used a solid aluminum block back then, and threaded an M4x0.7 screw into it, and added a nut to prevent the screw from rattling out. As robust this design is – I used it for a year – it's a pain to adjust it. You need to raise the Z axis, insert an Allen wrench, use a wrench to loosen the nut, adjust, tighten the nut and check the z height again. This was tedious. Also you'll have to have those wrenches handy every time you want to adjust it.
Why do I need to adjust it that often? I realize If I print 0.25 mm layer height or 0.1 mm layer height I’ll need to have different Z height. Sure you can do this in the slicer, but I like to manually adjust it
First I used a 3/4”x3/4” bracket made out of aluminum angle stock. I threaded it, but because the aluminum extrusion thickness in 3.175 mm only 4 threads were grabbing. This allowed the screw to wobble, thus my z height was all over the map.
Next I bored the hole out to add this rivet nut.

I pressed it in, but the result was pretty much the same.
Well, I kept researching and came across another rivet nut from McMaster Carr. This is the real deal. Here is a x-section of the assembly.

With the help of the printed lever you can fine adjust the Z-height. I usually put a strip of standard printer paper under the extruder nozzle. I then lower the Z axis all the way until the paper is pinched and hard to pull by hand. Then I start going up @0.1 mm at a time. I record how many times I raised the Z gantry, and then knowing the thread I used has a 0.7 mm pitch I can adjust the lever. This make the whole adjustment process really straightforward. If the lever hits the makerslide I can rise it, reposition and when it comes back down I can continue the adjustment.
Here are the loose parts:

After assembly:

and here it is mounted on the printer:

I print the handle without support. that is how it's designed. The bolt is M4x0.7 and 30 mm long. the Spring used is also stock. Last and most important thing - I add a dab of blue thread locker to the screw thread. this will make it rock solid, but with some prevailing torque you still can do the adjustment.
Here is the stl file for the handle: http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:217377

[dibloff]

I saw someone using cut-to-size springs for cable channel. It might have been Bart. The part number he listed was not the right size for all the Hadron's cables, so I have to use 3/8” size spring. I designed a nut for it.

As you can see it has threads inside which mates with the spring's turns. It works out pretty nice.
I use two M4 screws to mount it to the Gantry. I run the cables in a 3/8 heat shrink tube. Here is a picture after the assembly:

I bend the end of the spring:

Wind it into the nut with a help of pliers:

Then bend back the spring or just cut off that end:

Here is how the final cable channel assembly looks like:

Source files are here: http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:220405

[dibloff]

Printed a foot for my heater today. It kept tipping over. this foot simply snaps on the heater body. I use this to shrink heat shrink tubing. It worked out nice:

Here is the stl file for the base: http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:217379

[dibloff]

I'll keep publishing some of the improvements I've done in the past 6 months for the Hadron Bot.
Because I mounted the power supply under the printer I have to elevate the printer to account for the height increase. The new mean well PS is 50 mm high, 8-10 mm higher than the cheap eBay power supplies being sold for LED strips. I came up with this simple foot design. This actually solves several issues, namely:
1. Elevate the BOT to provide room for the power supply
2. House two rubber inserts to provide solid footing on any flat surface

The foot is printed without support. I recommend printing it without support, because otherwise you'll have to clean up the threads. These are M15x1.5 so if you don't have a tap for it, it'll be pretty tedious. The 1/4" holes usually print ok, and since they'll house rubber inserts some out of true position will not heart them. The collar of the foot holds the printer's aluminum foot so the threads are not being subjected to shear.

If you want to print it with support use slic3r 098 and @ the support material options set the overhand threshold to 29 (the standard metric thread has a 60 deg. profile)

The foot and the mating screw should have enough clearance, so you'll be able to assemble them using no additional tools. I designed the screw with torx T40 socket rather than with hex (Allen wrench) because with this it'll be the strongest. I tested it, and it'll carry 5 Nm of torque before the torx bit will shear the plastic. I add a dab of thread locker to prevent the screw from loosening.

I ordered some o-ring stock from McMaster (Buna N 1/4" o ring stock). I cut 10mm long pieces and insert them into the hole with a help of a set of pliers.
The foot assembly will improve the Hadron Bot look, and prevent it from damaging the table it is resting on, also it'll prevent the printer to wonder away.

the source files are here: http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:220123