Discussing 3D Printers and Fab Labs

Posted on by
Reply

StackExchange curate some excellent Q&A forums. They also have a fairly rigorous open process for deciding which new forums to start. A proposal for a forum dedicated to 3D printers, laser cutters and other sorts of personal manufacturing is currently going through that process. Today they entered the “commitment” phase, asking people who would like to use the forum to commit to asking at least 10 questions in the first 3 months. If you’re interested in this forum appearing – and I suggest you probably are :) – then please visit this link and make your commitment known. http://area51.stackexchange.com/proposals/22246/3d-printers-laser-cutters-personal-manufacturing cheers Phil

The Making of the Arduino

Posted on by
Reply

There’s a really interesting article by David Kushner, in the latest IEEE journal, on the history of the Arduino, including the fact that it got it’s name from a little-known 11th century Italian king, Arduin. What’s the connection? Well, in the town where he ruled there’s a bar named after the king, and that’s where the devlopers of the Arduino hang out. It’s a moot point whether it’s named after the king or after the bar!

Lead Nuts …

Posted on by
Reply
Two M8 studding connectors as lead nuts

Two M8 studding connectors as lead nuts

I have been thinking of using M8 studding connectors rather than a single M8 nut on the z-axis lead screws of my 3D printer.  My sense is that the x-axis motion would be more stable, and with two connectors, held together in the same plastic piece, it reduces backlash (but I don’t know how to measure that … it just feels like it; I can feel the backlash in a nut, but not in the pair of studding connectors).

Below is a screen capture of it in Google Sketchup.  You can download the SKP file here.

The STL file is here.  Basically the connector is just an M8 nut that’s 23.7mm thick.

M8 studding connector

M8 studding connector

It’s starting to look like a 3D printer!

Posted on by
11
JamesOrcaV3

Not printing yet ... but it's starting to look like a 3D Printer

I would be further on, but I discovered MUCH too late that a whole batch of the 624ZZ bearings were faulty.  Had to disassemble the whole thing, check all the bearings, and replace the faulty ones.  The centre race is a few thou too slim, so when you put a washer either side and tighten it up, it binds on the outer race and won’t go round.

Anyone want 60 bearings that won’t go round?

Will fire it up tomorrow, hopefully, if I can find my laptop and get it going.

Whew! So what to Make now?

Posted on by
Reply

Well, I’m back in the UK after my totally mind-blowing trip to Eindhoven, and my head is totally spinning.

In front of me is my new copy of “The Power of Making“, the book that had a profound effect on me a couple of weeks ago, and I’m thinking, “so what do I want to make today?”

And Susan gives me the heads-up on the state of our finances (grim), so I guess the answer is, today I better make some money!

Better get writing, designing, manufacturing, and, most importantly, selling.

Today I’m looking at the potential of mini (and, maybe, not so mini) t-slot profiles in the education, prototyping and just general Making markets.

More later.  In the meantime, if you don’t know about these things, check out: