An update! Oh my!

So it´s been forever since my last post. Not done too much on the mendel (Huxley), but I´ve got most of the parts now. iPrint3D sent me electronics, motors and wires, so I should be good to go. I have spent a lot of time staring at the electronics and trying to figure how it should be wired up, I´m not doing very well (with the understanding, I´ve gotten pretty good at the staring).

I bought a ATX-power supply, cause I was under the impression that the mendel got it´s power from that, but I can´t find any such info so I guess thats how the makerbot does it. The mendel needs 12V for the stepper boards but the main board gets power from the USB-TTL wire, as far as I can understand. I think the Extruder controller draws power from the main board. There´s also a USB-connector I can´t seem to find much info about. However I guess i can always hack the ATX-P-supply to power the stepper boards.

Tried to assemble the x-axis onto the frame and discovered that one of my leadscrews were anything but straight. The ones I got now are plain studding, I guess I´ll cut new ones from stainless steel since that is supposed to be a bit straighter and better.

Frame after putting the x-axis on, getting annoyed at how hard the right leadscrew was to turn, partly disassembling the x-axis and realizing the leadscrew was horribly bent.

Here´s the bugger, If it looks like its real crooked it´s cause it is.

Thou name shall be Huxley

After listening to "A short history of nearly everything" by Bill Bryson yet again, I got inspired to name my mendel. Thomas Henry Huxley was a fellow biologist of Darwin and became an advocat for evolution, and will be given the honour of giving name to my reprap (or was it the other way around). So I hereby name my mendel "Huxley". *cheeering* Now all i need is a name-plate.

The frog is on the move

Finished up the parts for the y-axis and assembled them on the frog-plate and threw it in the frame. Always a good feeling seeing things work in their intended position. Fascinating to see how compact everything is. Every cutout on the frog-plate is needed and gives it a little more travel. I reckon there is quite a bit of thinking and refining that has gone into the designs.

Finally dawned on me why the build-platform has that little cutout as well, haven´t seen the purge plate beeing used around the web though. Seems like a thing most people skip.

I think iprint3D is getting around to assembling my electronics as well. According to their schedule my order is being worked on this week. Lets hope they do and that I´ll soon have all the stuff needed to complete my mendel.

Assemblies

Got some of the assemblies that make up the x-axis finished. I don't have the stepper motors or the extruder finished so there is only so much i can finish up. I also think my mudguard washers are too small. Can´t find any that are larger either, so I'll have to come up with a clever solution to that one.

Carriage without the extruder on top

Idler bracket

Vert bearing 180

Vert bearing 360

RP-parts! Halleluja!

The real news today is that DHL delivered my set of RP-parts! They only used 4 days from the U.S. door to door, while another package I'm waiting for was shipped 4 days before this one and still havent crossed the Atlantic.

Just like us neatfreaks like it, sorted in bags and with a checklist :) I bought the set from reprap forums user beverageexpert, he comes highly recommended. Fast delivery, good quality parts and a very nice guy.

I could finally assemble something after a few months of careful preparation, getting hold of all the different parts. I still need to get most of the electronics, but with these parts I'm a huge step closer to something that looks like a mendel.

A few hours of work later I got most of the basic frame done.

M3-capscrews

Finally got hold of the M3 capscrews today, ended up buying them from the RC-shop. Got some 23mm and some 25mm as they didn't have 20mm. Let's hope they will fit.

Thick sheet parts

Thick sheet parts almost done, I cut the build platform and frog in 6 mm MDF, the rest in 4mm veneer. I figured the other parts did not need to be as flat and strong so I went for the much lighter and more beautiful veneer. Still need to drill the holes as you can see.

I cut all the parts with a big band saw, it was a lot easier than I thought it would be. The frog was the most challenging of course, but that one was pretty easy as well. I mirrored the templates before printing so they will be wooden side up in the finished Mendel. I should probably come up with a name for it ...