Waiting
The last 5 parts of my build, admittedly 4 of the big 5 needed to build a reprap, have been ordered and I'm patiently waiting for them.
I say patiently, its more like a child waiting for a birthday present.
Anyway the electronics, hotend and hardware where all ordered on Sunday (16/10/2011). I was expecting them arrive ready for the weekend. That way would have 2 days to soldering, frame and extruder build.
I figured 2 to 3 days to process the order (they were all paid for via paypal when I ordered) and 2 to 3 days shipping. Leaving them arriving any time from Thurday onwards.
With all the trouble I had sourcing the stepper motors I was expecting those to be last. I contacted ruben-ikmaak on the #reprap IRC channel on Friday, he said they had been shipped and should be arriving in 2 to 3 business days.
Anti Climax
On Thurday I got an email from my sister (currently out of work) telling me a brown smallish package had arrived for me.
Great I thought that will be the electronics, so I borrowed a multimeter from work and walked home with a smile on my face.
I looked at the package and instantly thought it couldn't be the electronics. I was right it was just a non-reprap related cable.
On Friday I received a similar message from my brother (bruised the bone in his leg, so he's off school), largish package with my name on it. Again I got excited, borrowed the multimeter and waited for my shift to finish.
About an hour before I was due to leave I received another message, Oh it was just that item I ordered in your name.
Today I was planning on staying in waiting for the postman (as all 3 items are fairly large), however I was persuaded (with food) to go shopping.
As soon as I got back I checked for post or any packages which the postie might have put safe. Nope nothing.
Delay
I checked my order status on both Thingfarm and RepRapWorld, Thingfarm had the same message it had had all week Payment Accepted, RepRapWorld also had the same message it had had all week Order Processing.
I was a little concerned about this as apart from 8 extra bolts, washers and nuts added to the Thingfarm order, everything else had been in stock at the time I ordered.
So I sent an email to both Thingfarm and RepRapWorld (only few hours ago at around 6pm GMT+0).
Within an hour or so I got a reply from RepRapWorld.
There was a little problem with the RAMPS board. I will ship it Monday by priority airmail and you will receive it within a few days!
Not the best of news, but atleast they where making sure he board works and there wasn't any massive issues.
As I was righting this post I thought I best check to see if Thingfarm had replied. Nothing yet however I did get another message from RepRapWorld
Your board is now fully tested!
My reaction :-D
So fingers crossed by mid next week I'll be ready to start my build or soldering.
Depending on how soon the parts arrive I'll either start posting the build or post how I came to pick the other parts of my build.
Showing posts with label Parts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Parts. Show all posts
Saturday, 22 October 2011
Thursday, 20 October 2011
Super quick update
The flux pen arrived yesterday.
Now I'm just waiting for Thingfarm, RepRapWorld and stepper motor orders.
Understandably the RepRapWorld and stepper motor orders should take the longest as they are coming from the Netherlands.
Fingers crossed I'll receive either the Thingfarm or RepRapWorld order by this weekend, or better yet both.
That way I can either start soldering or building the frame as currently I've just got a stack of packages which have little use without the Thingfarm or RepRapWorld orders.
Now I'm just waiting for Thingfarm, RepRapWorld and stepper motor orders.
Understandably the RepRapWorld and stepper motor orders should take the longest as they are coming from the Netherlands.
Fingers crossed I'll receive either the Thingfarm or RepRapWorld order by this weekend, or better yet both.
That way I can either start soldering or building the frame as currently I've just got a stack of packages which have little use without the Thingfarm or RepRapWorld orders.
Wednesday, 19 October 2011
Quick update on my orders
All of the parts have been ordered, fingers crossed the only extra items I either have already or can get from the new B&Q that has opened near me.
I drew up a little table for comparison purposes.
Out of the first batch of orders I was shocked by nophead's customer service, it was brillant I received a nice email confirming the dispatch, delivery times and a good luck message.
Another shocker was t-4-j, the tweezers were only about £3 with free delivery so I was expecting to get them this week. Nope they arrived at the same time as the plastics.
The braid I wasn't really too bothered about as its something I've never really used much, but thought it would be worth while.You don't get much for your money, althought that might have been due to me ordering the smallest width they sold.
I'm asured by eBay the flux pen has been dispatched as is on its way.
The microswitches where another prompt delivery, when I received the package I was expecting the flux pen, but I was pleasantly surprised it was the switches.
As for Thingfarm and RepRapWorld, I'm a little disappointed with them both.
After placing and paying for (via Paypal) my order I received an order confirmation from both. Thingfarm took it a little farther and confirmed my payment.
3 days later my orders still haven't changed status on either site, nor have a received an email from either.
I'm only disappointed as thingfarm had replied to any query I had within minutes of my sending it to them, so I was expecting a super speedy order processing.
If anyone from Thingfarm or RepRapWorld are reading this, I'm only disappointed because I personally can't wait to received your products. I feel like a child wanting for Santa during those long few weeks before Christmas. I have nothing against either company.
I drew up a little table for comparison purposes.
| Supplier | Via | Order | Date Ordered | Date Delivered |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| idg-trading | eBay | 1.5mm solder braid | 13/10/2011 | 17/10/2011 |
| t-4-j | eBay | Soldering tweezers | 13/10/2011 | 15/10/2011 |
| pretty-pink-daisy | eBay | Flux pen | 13/10/2011 | |
| nophead | eBay | Plastics | 13/10/2011 | 15/10/2011 |
| think3dprint3d_gmail | eBay | Microswitches | 16/10/2011 | 18/10/2011 |
| RepRapWorld | RepRapWorld | RAMPS 1.4 DIY Kit + 0.5kg pla filament | 16/10/2011 | |
| Thingfarm | Thingfarm | Extruder hardware, J Head Nozzle Mk2, Prusa Hardware (T5) and Kapton Tape | 16/10/2011 | |
| ruben-ikmaak | IRC | 5 Stepper motors - SY42STH47-1684A | 18/10/2011 |
Out of the first batch of orders I was shocked by nophead's customer service, it was brillant I received a nice email confirming the dispatch, delivery times and a good luck message.
Another shocker was t-4-j, the tweezers were only about £3 with free delivery so I was expecting to get them this week. Nope they arrived at the same time as the plastics.
The braid I wasn't really too bothered about as its something I've never really used much, but thought it would be worth while.You don't get much for your money, althought that might have been due to me ordering the smallest width they sold.
I'm asured by eBay the flux pen has been dispatched as is on its way.
The microswitches where another prompt delivery, when I received the package I was expecting the flux pen, but I was pleasantly surprised it was the switches.
As for Thingfarm and RepRapWorld, I'm a little disappointed with them both.
After placing and paying for (via Paypal) my order I received an order confirmation from both. Thingfarm took it a little farther and confirmed my payment.
3 days later my orders still haven't changed status on either site, nor have a received an email from either.
I'm only disappointed as thingfarm had replied to any query I had within minutes of my sending it to them, so I was expecting a super speedy order processing.
If anyone from Thingfarm or RepRapWorld are reading this, I'm only disappointed because I personally can't wait to received your products. I feel like a child wanting for Santa during those long few weeks before Christmas. I have nothing against either company.
Tuesday, 18 October 2011
Stepper motors
Out of all the parts to source the stepper motors have been the biggest head ache.
The beginning
First I looked over the forums for the best UK source and ZappAutomation seemed to have great reviews with the SY42STH47-1684A and SY42STH47-1684B.
For £11 each they looked like a bargin, however at the point of order the shipping cost was added on. £10.
This brought the total to £65, not as cheap as I was expecting.
As I was sourcing my hardware I noticed Thingfarm were selling stepper motors for £13 individaully or £58 for 5. Unlike ZappAutomation the shipping was only £5, perfect a total of £63.
A small saving of £2, but a saving none the less plus it cut down the number of suppliers.
First Issue
If you read my last post you'll know when I came to place my order with Thingfarm the set of 5 steppers where sold out.
Fine I'll spend the extra £2 any by them from ZappAutomation, nope they had sold out too.
I was left with 2 choices by them from Thingfarm for £13 each plus £5 delivery or find another source.
I picked the later option in the hope that Thingfarm would restock the 5 motor sets in the mean time. However every EU stepper motor source seemed to want either €20 (about £18) for each motor and/or a silly delivery cost.
Another Issue
Back to Thingfarm however just before I placed the order I did a quick google search and stumbled upon this blog by IndieFlows.
Who so happened to be the person who created the thread (link) which came to the conclusion of ZappAutomation being the best UK source of stepper motors.
Anyway the post in question which got me thing was this one. This discredits Thingfarm's stepper motors claiming nophead recommended ZappAutomation's steppers instead as Thingfarm's aren't ideal for the job.
Now I must have read the thread in question half a dozen times and I never noticed the conlusion Thingfarm's weren't ideal.
So I decided to pick through the thread one more time. For some reason I had over looked this paragraph from nophead
I was referring to the eBay ones but the Thingfarm ones do seem to be similar. It is almost impossible to get 2A from a Pololu / Stepstick, even with a heatsink. Since the current available is limited, the torque from these high current motors will be be limited to about 1.65/2.5 * 48 / 43 i.e. 74% of the torque you can get from the Zapp ones. I think that would limit the extruder max flow rate and for a given torque the drivers will run a lot hotter.
Now I read that paragraph before as just saying the eBay ones weren't ideal.
So I went back to Thingfarm's stepper motor page (link), which seemed to lack the specifics merely saying see download tab for datasheet.
At the time of writing this there is no download tab.
Not one to give up easy I decided to check there North America site.
On the stepper motor page (link) there is a download tab.
Finally I got the specs Thingfarm's stepper motors.
In short they are
Rated Voltage - 3.1
Rated Current - 2.5
Holding Torgue - 4800g/cm
Now I can see why nophead wouldn't recommend them as they need 0.5 more amps then the stepper drivers can give to achieve the torque rating.
What now?
So back to looking for another source.
In a last ditch attempt at finding a source I decided to post for help on the RepRap forums (link to thread).
Thankfully devijvers (you might notice I've posted his name before, he's becoming a real savour) recommended ruben-ikmaak on the #reprap IRC channel.
So off I went to the IRC channel.
Within a few minutes of sending him a message I got a reply and within a few more minutes he gave me a brillant price and quoted 2 seperate shipping costs.
It turned out the stepper motors he (I think it was a he) was selling where the ZappAutomation stepper motors I was looking at to start with...
Paid via Paypal, information sent and was told the latest it would be shipped would be tomorrow.
Success
I ended up paying a little more then I was expecting, but atleast all my parts should arrive at a similar time.
Cost of Stepper Motors (x5) - €82 = £74.26
Total Cost so far - £372.55
The beginning
First I looked over the forums for the best UK source and ZappAutomation seemed to have great reviews with the SY42STH47-1684A and SY42STH47-1684B.
For £11 each they looked like a bargin, however at the point of order the shipping cost was added on. £10.
This brought the total to £65, not as cheap as I was expecting.
As I was sourcing my hardware I noticed Thingfarm were selling stepper motors for £13 individaully or £58 for 5. Unlike ZappAutomation the shipping was only £5, perfect a total of £63.
A small saving of £2, but a saving none the less plus it cut down the number of suppliers.
First Issue
If you read my last post you'll know when I came to place my order with Thingfarm the set of 5 steppers where sold out.
Fine I'll spend the extra £2 any by them from ZappAutomation, nope they had sold out too.
I was left with 2 choices by them from Thingfarm for £13 each plus £5 delivery or find another source.
I picked the later option in the hope that Thingfarm would restock the 5 motor sets in the mean time. However every EU stepper motor source seemed to want either €20 (about £18) for each motor and/or a silly delivery cost.
Another Issue
Back to Thingfarm however just before I placed the order I did a quick google search and stumbled upon this blog by IndieFlows.
Who so happened to be the person who created the thread (link) which came to the conclusion of ZappAutomation being the best UK source of stepper motors.
Anyway the post in question which got me thing was this one. This discredits Thingfarm's stepper motors claiming nophead recommended ZappAutomation's steppers instead as Thingfarm's aren't ideal for the job.
Now I must have read the thread in question half a dozen times and I never noticed the conlusion Thingfarm's weren't ideal.
So I decided to pick through the thread one more time. For some reason I had over looked this paragraph from nophead
I was referring to the eBay ones but the Thingfarm ones do seem to be similar. It is almost impossible to get 2A from a Pololu / Stepstick, even with a heatsink. Since the current available is limited, the torque from these high current motors will be be limited to about 1.65/2.5 * 48 / 43 i.e. 74% of the torque you can get from the Zapp ones. I think that would limit the extruder max flow rate and for a given torque the drivers will run a lot hotter.
Now I read that paragraph before as just saying the eBay ones weren't ideal.
So I went back to Thingfarm's stepper motor page (link), which seemed to lack the specifics merely saying see download tab for datasheet.
At the time of writing this there is no download tab.
Not one to give up easy I decided to check there North America site.
On the stepper motor page (link) there is a download tab.
Finally I got the specs Thingfarm's stepper motors.
In short they are
Rated Voltage - 3.1
Rated Current - 2.5
Holding Torgue - 4800g/cm
Now I can see why nophead wouldn't recommend them as they need 0.5 more amps then the stepper drivers can give to achieve the torque rating.
What now?
So back to looking for another source.
In a last ditch attempt at finding a source I decided to post for help on the RepRap forums (link to thread).
Thankfully devijvers (you might notice I've posted his name before, he's becoming a real savour) recommended ruben-ikmaak on the #reprap IRC channel.
So off I went to the IRC channel.
Within a few minutes of sending him a message I got a reply and within a few more minutes he gave me a brillant price and quoted 2 seperate shipping costs.
It turned out the stepper motors he (I think it was a he) was selling where the ZappAutomation stepper motors I was looking at to start with...
Paid via Paypal, information sent and was told the latest it would be shipped would be tomorrow.
Success
I ended up paying a little more then I was expecting, but atleast all my parts should arrive at a similar time.
Cost of Stepper Motors (x5) - €82 = £74.26
Total Cost so far - £372.55
Monday, 17 October 2011
Hardware + Extruder
As you can tell by the number of posts my project is flying along at this stage.
Since the plastics arrived on Saturday and electrics ordered, I really need to get a move on with the hardware and extruder.
As I started to enter the items from my BOM into the cart at Thingfarm I noticed all the stepper motor kits where sold out.
No trouble as I can just use Zapp Automation, its a tad more expensive, which means I can get all the parts around the same time.
Nope all the nema 17 stepper motors suitable for my RepRap where also sold out.
After browsing various other RepRap stores I noticed a trend they where either sold out of nema 17 stepper motors or charging €18+ each (excluding shipping) for them.
Well over the £65 budget for the motors.
I contacted Thingfarm and was informed they would be ordering more stock the same day, however the lead time as roughly 2 weeks. Not only this, but the cost might be more (due to an increased price from there supplier).
I could order the single motors for £13 each or just wait a few days and see if Zapp Automation or Thingfarm get new stock.
For the moment I picked the latter.
Hardware and Extruder order
Prusa Hardware kit (T5) - £46.67
J Head Nozzle MK2 - £35
Wade's Extruder Hardware Kit - £18
Kapton Tape - £3.33
Delivery - £5
Total - £108
Why did I pick Thingfarm?
Because the prices are great, they include extras and a few freebies.
The above order includes 100 cable ties, plumbers tape and heat shrink tubing all free.
On top of this after placing the order I noticed I needed an extra 8 M3x20 bolts, nuts and washers. Gingerly I sent a message to Thingfarm if this would be ok. Within a few minutes I got a reply saying it would be fine and they are considering added them to the kit as a standard.
Thats what I call good customer service.
Hot Ends
There are 3 main types of hot ends currently being using for RepRaps.
Arcol.hu. is the most complex design, the looks and number of parts put me off this design almost straight away. Its also considerably more expensive to source in the UK then the alternatives.
J Head, combines the nozzle and heater block, making the hot end form a J shape.
Simple, is almost the same as J Head only with a separate heater block.
For me it was a choice between J Head and the standard simple design.
In the end it came down to cost, a standard hot end with the resistor and thermistor worked out at £40+, the J Head worked out at £30+.
Plus I prefer the look of the J Head nozzle.
I choose MK2, as after reading as much documentation as I could find about J Head nozzles/hot ends, is designed to be easier to mount. As this is my first build I want this to go as smoothly as possible so I spent the extra £5.
Cost of Hardware and Extruder - £108
Total Cost so far - £298.29
Since the plastics arrived on Saturday and electrics ordered, I really need to get a move on with the hardware and extruder.
As I started to enter the items from my BOM into the cart at Thingfarm I noticed all the stepper motor kits where sold out.
No trouble as I can just use Zapp Automation, its a tad more expensive, which means I can get all the parts around the same time.
Nope all the nema 17 stepper motors suitable for my RepRap where also sold out.
After browsing various other RepRap stores I noticed a trend they where either sold out of nema 17 stepper motors or charging €18+ each (excluding shipping) for them.
Well over the £65 budget for the motors.
I contacted Thingfarm and was informed they would be ordering more stock the same day, however the lead time as roughly 2 weeks. Not only this, but the cost might be more (due to an increased price from there supplier).
I could order the single motors for £13 each or just wait a few days and see if Zapp Automation or Thingfarm get new stock.
For the moment I picked the latter.
Hardware and Extruder order
Prusa Hardware kit (T5) - £46.67
J Head Nozzle MK2 - £35
Wade's Extruder Hardware Kit - £18
Kapton Tape - £3.33
Delivery - £5
Total - £108
Why did I pick Thingfarm?
Because the prices are great, they include extras and a few freebies.
The above order includes 100 cable ties, plumbers tape and heat shrink tubing all free.
On top of this after placing the order I noticed I needed an extra 8 M3x20 bolts, nuts and washers. Gingerly I sent a message to Thingfarm if this would be ok. Within a few minutes I got a reply saying it would be fine and they are considering added them to the kit as a standard.
Thats what I call good customer service.
Hot Ends
There are 3 main types of hot ends currently being using for RepRaps.
- Arcol.hu
- J Head
- Simple (don't know the correct name)
Arcol.hu. is the most complex design, the looks and number of parts put me off this design almost straight away. Its also considerably more expensive to source in the UK then the alternatives.
J Head, combines the nozzle and heater block, making the hot end form a J shape.
Simple, is almost the same as J Head only with a separate heater block.
For me it was a choice between J Head and the standard simple design.
In the end it came down to cost, a standard hot end with the resistor and thermistor worked out at £40+, the J Head worked out at £30+.
Plus I prefer the look of the J Head nozzle.
I choose MK2, as after reading as much documentation as I could find about J Head nozzles/hot ends, is designed to be easier to mount. As this is my first build I want this to go as smoothly as possible so I spent the extra £5.
Cost of Hardware and Extruder - £108
Total Cost so far - £298.29
Microswitches
I was planning on ordering my micro switches for the end stops from RepRapWorld, but I was informed by members on the official RepRap forums they could be purchased from elsewhere for less.
I checked the other suppliers I was using and not of them sold micro switches for RepRap.
Maplin had them in but wanted more then RepRapWorld (when delivery was included).
So off to eBay it was.
A quick search for RepRap switch (isolated to the EU to reduce shipping time and cost) lead me to this.
£3.74 deliveried, which works out at a saving of ~£2.
Not much I know, but with upgraded extruder nozzle and few other upgrades/tweaks to my BoM it all adds up.
I could probably got them for even less, but the seller says they'll fit the default mounts and it saves me spending a lot of time looking for a small saving.
I checked the other suppliers I was using and not of them sold micro switches for RepRap.
Maplin had them in but wanted more then RepRapWorld (when delivery was included).
So off to eBay it was.
A quick search for RepRap switch (isolated to the EU to reduce shipping time and cost) lead me to this.
£3.74 deliveried, which works out at a saving of ~£2.
Not much I know, but with upgraded extruder nozzle and few other upgrades/tweaks to my BoM it all adds up.
I could probably got them for even less, but the seller says they'll fit the default mounts and it saves me spending a lot of time looking for a small saving.
Electrics and Filament
Which electronics package?
There are 2 main types of RepRap electronic packages.
All in one, does exactly as it says on the tin, everything is packaged on one board with the board being stand alone.
Modular, on the other hand is a base board to which other boards are attached to. For example the stepper drivers and usb host are separate.
On top of this each type of package has numerous variations and upgrades.
The most popular all in one packages are Gen 3, Gen 7 and Sanguinololu.
On the modular side there is only one choice RAMPS (RepRap Arduino Mega Pololu Shield), however there are numerous versions.
Which one did I pick and why?
After much research and a few questions on the offical RepRap forums I went with my gut and choice RAMPS 1.4.
I choice RAMPS for a few reasons.
Assembled or DIY kit?
The next big decision once I'd decided upon RAMPS was do I solder the kit myself or buy it pre-assembled.
To help with the decision I needed to find a RAMPS 1.4 supplier which ships to the UK and doesn't cost an arm and a leg for it.
After looking at various sites I stumbled upon RepRapWorld which offers full RAMPS 1.4 kits including all the required items.
Cost of DIY Kit €100 + delivery
Cost of Assembled Kit €130 + delivery
So if I can solder the parts I save €30, seems simple enough.
That was until I read this line on the description;
In RAMPS 1.4, the resistors and capacitors are now surface mount to fit more passive components. This does add another set of steps to assembly, but we stuck with larger sizes to make it fairly painless.
Through hole soldering I'm fine wit, but I've never done any surface mount soldering with anything as small as the resistors required.
After more videos, research and a forum post I was assured it was just a little tricky.
Luckily I brought the tweezers, braid and flux (I was only expecting to through hole solder).
So I headed back over to RepRapWorld and added RAMPS 1.4 DIY Kit Full to the basket.
At the same time as I was checking RepRapWorld reviews/comments on the forums I noticed they also offered the lowest price on PLA filament so I threw in 0.5kg of blue PLA 3mm filament (to save on re-ordering later and paying for delivery again).
Cost of RAMPS kit + Filament - £108.29
Total Cost so far - £190.29
There are 2 main types of RepRap electronic packages.
- All in one
- Modular
All in one, does exactly as it says on the tin, everything is packaged on one board with the board being stand alone.
Modular, on the other hand is a base board to which other boards are attached to. For example the stepper drivers and usb host are separate.
On top of this each type of package has numerous variations and upgrades.
The most popular all in one packages are Gen 3, Gen 7 and Sanguinololu.
On the modular side there is only one choice RAMPS (RepRap Arduino Mega Pololu Shield), however there are numerous versions.
Which one did I pick and why?
After much research and a few questions on the offical RepRap forums I went with my gut and choice RAMPS 1.4.
I choice RAMPS for a few reasons.
- Its modular, if something breaks I can just replace the broken part without too much soldering or hassle.
- Upgrade-ability, as its modular I can reuse a lot of the parts if I ever need to upgrade to a newer package
- Add-ons, there are a decent amount of worthwhile add-ons which are exclusive to (or atleast easier with) RAMPS. Such as SD support, multiple extruders and heated print beds
Assembled or DIY kit?
The next big decision once I'd decided upon RAMPS was do I solder the kit myself or buy it pre-assembled.
To help with the decision I needed to find a RAMPS 1.4 supplier which ships to the UK and doesn't cost an arm and a leg for it.
After looking at various sites I stumbled upon RepRapWorld which offers full RAMPS 1.4 kits including all the required items.
Cost of DIY Kit €100 + delivery
Cost of Assembled Kit €130 + delivery
So if I can solder the parts I save €30, seems simple enough.
That was until I read this line on the description;
In RAMPS 1.4, the resistors and capacitors are now surface mount to fit more passive components. This does add another set of steps to assembly, but we stuck with larger sizes to make it fairly painless.
Through hole soldering I'm fine wit, but I've never done any surface mount soldering with anything as small as the resistors required.
After more videos, research and a forum post I was assured it was just a little tricky.
Luckily I brought the tweezers, braid and flux (I was only expecting to through hole solder).
So I headed back over to RepRapWorld and added RAMPS 1.4 DIY Kit Full to the basket.
At the same time as I was checking RepRapWorld reviews/comments on the forums I noticed they also offered the lowest price on PLA filament so I threw in 0.5kg of blue PLA 3mm filament (to save on re-ordering later and paying for delivery again).
Cost of RAMPS kit + Filament - £108.29
Total Cost so far - £190.29
First orders placed
I've had a pretty busy weekend and things have moved along quite quickly on the RepRap side.
On Thurday (13/10/11) I placed my order for the plastics from nophead, via ebay, as well as a few other items.
On Friday I recieved an email saying the order had been shipped, along with a tracking number. The email stated it should be with me no later then noon monday, but most of the packages sent on a Friday had been delivered on Saturday.
As I mentioned before I was a little busy on Saturday, but low and behold when I returned home Saturday the plastics where there.
I opened them in a spite of excitement and the parts where all I had hoped for, lovely finish and all parts present and accounted for.
I shall take some pictures of the full set tonight as well as a quick review.
The other items I ordered at the same time where just bits and pieces I've been meaning to buy (RepRap being the final nudge).
Out of the 3 the tweezers arrived at the same time as the plastics.
I'll write a mini review of each items (just in case anyone's interested) when they all arrive and I've used them for this project.
Cost of Plastics - £82
Total Cost so far - £82
On Thurday (13/10/11) I placed my order for the plastics from nophead, via ebay, as well as a few other items.
On Friday I recieved an email saying the order had been shipped, along with a tracking number. The email stated it should be with me no later then noon monday, but most of the packages sent on a Friday had been delivered on Saturday.
As I mentioned before I was a little busy on Saturday, but low and behold when I returned home Saturday the plastics where there.
I opened them in a spite of excitement and the parts where all I had hoped for, lovely finish and all parts present and accounted for.
I shall take some pictures of the full set tonight as well as a quick review.
The other items I ordered at the same time where just bits and pieces I've been meaning to buy (RepRap being the final nudge).
- Soldering tweezers
- Solder braid/wick
- Flux pen
Out of the 3 the tweezers arrived at the same time as the plastics.
I'll write a mini review of each items (just in case anyone's interested) when they all arrive and I've used them for this project.
Cost of Plastics - £82
Total Cost so far - £82
Friday, 14 October 2011
BOM v2
If you have read BOM v1 you'll know I was a little unhappy about the number of suppliers and the cost of that build. So after spending time researching other vendors, as well as reading other RepRap blogs, I came up with BOM v2.
BOM v2 is almost £20 cheaper and includes a few freebies from Thingfarm (cable ties, plumbers tape and heat shrink tubing).
On top of this I reduced my total number of suppliers from 4 (5) to a mere 3. As well as all the suppliers being RepRap specific this means I should be able to get support for each item.
| Part | Description | Cost | Vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ramps 1.4 DIY-kit FULL | Full RAMPS 1.4 DIY kit, Arduino MEGA 1280 and 4x stepper drivers (with heatsinks) | €100+€2 | RepRapWorld |
| Prusa Kit | All the bolts, nuts, washers, springs and belts (T5) for Prusa | £47+£5 | Thingfarm |
| Plastics | All plastic parts including plastics for Wade's Extruder | £75+£7 | nophead - eBay |
| Stepper Motors | Nema 17 high torque stepper motors x 5 | £58+£5 | Thingfarm |
| J Head Hotend | Complete hotend set (including electronics) | £30 | Thingfarm |
| Wade's Extruder Hardware Kit | All the hardware for the extruder | £18 | Thingfarm |
| Microswitch | Endstops x3 | €6 | RepRepWorld |
| Total | €108 + £246 | ||
BOM v2 is almost £20 cheaper and includes a few freebies from Thingfarm (cable ties, plumbers tape and heat shrink tubing).
On top of this I reduced my total number of suppliers from 4 (5) to a mere 3. As well as all the suppliers being RepRap specific this means I should be able to get support for each item.
BOM v1
Please note this post is purely for reference and the BOM itself is obsolete.
Total vendors 4 (5)
Why didn't I go with this BOM?
Firstly it was more then I was expecting to pay for my first RepRap.
I had budgeted £300 to £350 for the full build, this BOM works out at £360ish
Second I was wary about the number of suppliers, nophead and RepRapWorld have good reviews however information on the others where non-existent.
On top of this from previous experience (building PC's) the more suppliers you have the more frustrating it can get if you have an issue.
| Part | Description | Cost | Vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ramps 1.4 DIY-kit FULL | Full RAMPS 1.4 DIY kit, Arduino MEGA 1280 and 4x stepper drivers (with heatsinks) | €100+€2 | RepRapWorld |
| Hardware Kit | All the bots, nuts, washers, rods and print bed. Plus hotend hardware (excluding electronics). | £100+£10 | RepRap Kit Store - eBay |
| Plastics | All plastic parts including plastics for Wade's Extruder | £75+£7 | nophead - eBay |
| Stepper Motors | Nema 17 high torque stepper motors x 5 | £55 + £10 | ZappAutomation |
| Thermistor | For the hotend | €7 | RepRapWorld |
| Resistor | To head the hotend | £2+£2 | n/a |
| Microswitch | Endstops x3 | €6 | RepRepWorld |
| Total | €115 + £261 | ||
Total vendors 4 (5)
Why didn't I go with this BOM?
Firstly it was more then I was expecting to pay for my first RepRap.
I had budgeted £300 to £350 for the full build, this BOM works out at £360ish
Second I was wary about the number of suppliers, nophead and RepRapWorld have good reviews however information on the others where non-existent.
On top of this from previous experience (building PC's) the more suppliers you have the more frustrating it can get if you have an issue.
Thursday, 13 October 2011
Reprap getting started
If your reading this blog you probably found it via a post on RepRap forums or something else RepRap related.
But on the odd chance you stumbled upon my blog then I suppose I best explain what Reprap is first.
The idea is fairly simple, create a 3d printer capible of reproducing itself. As 3d printing is generally used for rapid prototyping and the the aim is to create a replicating machine, you get RepRap.
The best place to get a feel for RepRap is the official wiki, thingiverse and youtube.
Where to start?
When I started researching RepRap a few weeks ago there wasn't really a newbies guide, however luckily for anyone reading this blog sdevijver over at RepRap forums has started to create this guide.
Its the only beginners guide I seen and the level of detail is excellent, I would highly recommend it as a starter reference.
Basic parts
All RepRaps consist of 4 main parts; Electronics, Hardware, Extruder and Plastics
Electronics control the RepRap and bring it to life, its broken down into;
Hardware is all the nuts, bolts, rods and surfaces needed to create the RepRap itself.
The wiki is the best place to get a full list of hardware parts as they vary depending on model and which variation.
Extruder, its a combination of all 3 other main parts and for that reason I've given it its own section.
The extruder consists of;
This is just a rough run down of parts, the types and number of parts vary depending on RepRap type, variation and personal preference massively however they will all be present in one form or another.
But on the odd chance you stumbled upon my blog then I suppose I best explain what Reprap is first.
The idea is fairly simple, create a 3d printer capible of reproducing itself. As 3d printing is generally used for rapid prototyping and the the aim is to create a replicating machine, you get RepRap.
The best place to get a feel for RepRap is the official wiki, thingiverse and youtube.
Where to start?
When I started researching RepRap a few weeks ago there wasn't really a newbies guide, however luckily for anyone reading this blog sdevijver over at RepRap forums has started to create this guide.
Its the only beginners guide I seen and the level of detail is excellent, I would highly recommend it as a starter reference.
Basic parts
All RepRaps consist of 4 main parts; Electronics, Hardware, Extruder and Plastics
Electronics control the RepRap and bring it to life, its broken down into;
- Stepper motors
- Stepper motor drivers
- Controller board (RAMPS, Sanguinololu and RepRap electronics Gen x)
- Endstops
- *Arduino MEGA
Hardware is all the nuts, bolts, rods and surfaces needed to create the RepRap itself.
The wiki is the best place to get a full list of hardware parts as they vary depending on model and which variation.
Extruder, its a combination of all 3 other main parts and for that reason I've given it its own section.
The extruder consists of;
- Hotend
- Thermistor
- Resistor (heat source)
- Plastics (depending on extruder variation)
- Nuts, bolts, washers and screws (again varying depending on extruder variation)
This is just a rough run down of parts, the types and number of parts vary depending on RepRap type, variation and personal preference massively however they will all be present in one form or another.
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