Jan 21, 2011

It seems the problems I've been having with my new Z axis is because I was trying to use my old threaded rods. These original threaded rods are 1/4", the Prusa parts I'm using are 5/16"... whoops... so I'm reworking this, in addition to installing kFreeBSD/Debian on another system.  (I don't know why this didn't publish when I wrote it)

PLA tests

I've read a few places that PLA is difficult to use in the warmer places of a reprap, that it can warp, and deform.  I haven't seen anything definitive, just some anecdotes, so I have some testing to do.  I'm printing up a prusa X-axis and extruder to replace the ABS bits on my reprap.  I'm making them as a direct snap in replacement. I should be able to keep the same Skeinforge settings, print for a while and see how it comes out.
In other news I'm using my heated bed again, it makes PLA prints almost perfect.  I still get little the "character" of PLA issues; blobs, hair-like strings, but distinctly much better than anything I've done before.  Unfortunately this bed, as it is, will not work for ABS, I can only get it up to about 60C.

Prusa/Catalyst PRINTS!

On the left is the best print of my printer when it was fully a Catalyst. This took about an hour. On the right, in black PLA, is what just printed from the same printer modded to half Prusa. As good if not better quality in about 22mins... and it could still go faster, this was at about 10mm/s. I'll find the upper limit of the feedrate and flowrate in the coming weeks. WHOO HOO!!

Prusa/Catalyst works

So it's up and working. I was able to start with one design of repstrap, and by replacing parts and rebuilding bit by bit I now have another machine, while it functioned pretty much the whole way.  I have added my heated bed back on, that is the last thing I'm dealing with. When trying to heat the bed the reported temperature dropped... it seems I reversed the vcc and gnd to the thermistor circuit, whoops.  I haven't printed anything on it yet, but all the bits and pieces work correctly so I should just have to fix the bed thermistor and adjust some settings in Skeinforge.