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Leveling Table (80/20) for the R2

Discussion in 'Mods and Upgrades' started by adikted2astro, Jan 18, 2018.

  1. adikted2astro

    adikted2astro Active Member

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    This really isn't an upgrade exclusive to the R2. But I'm really happy with it, so I decided to share. I made this leveling table out of 80/20 and some leveling feet I got from McMaster. I do need to stress that this table is NOT, in any sense of the word, cheap. This was extremely expensive, but I did over-engineer the hell out of it. You could probably make one out of 80/20 like this for about 2/3 the price; maybe less. A large chunk of the money was in the corner connectors (they have others) and you could probably use 5-hole flat plates instead of 7-hole.

    The table is 420 mm long, 420 mm wide, and 150 mm tall (without the leveling feet). The components used are as follows:

    80/20 Parts (Part number is first):
    40-4040-Lite: Extrusion - 340 mm long X 4 ($35.11)
    40-4040-Lite: Extrusion - 150 mm long X 4 ($19.85)
    33964: 90 Degree inside corner connector X 8 ($72)
    40-4352: 7-Hole 90 degree angled squared flat plate X 4 ($34.80)
    40-3203: 5/16-18 Standard slide-in T-nut X 32 ($25.28)

    McMaster:
    6111K462 - Swivel leveling mount, plastic with cushion and 2" long 3/8-16 stud X 4 ($28.84)
    91255A580 - 5/16-18 Button head hex drive screw, black-oxide alloy steel, 5/8" long, pack of 50 ($10.67)

    Total = $226.55 (OUCH!)

    Yes, very expensive but well worth it in my opinion. Not only will this last 1000 lifetimes, it's easy to add on to and build anything you can think of. As a matter of fact, I'm in the process of getting some storage bin hangers for it and adding a platform for a filament spool holder. I'll upload more photos when I get those mods done. The dimensions are a perfect fit for the R2, but I'll be honest, I wish I had made it at least 40 mm longer in length and width, just to be on the safe side. Maybe I will in the future. The large 7-hole flat plates are there mostly just so the rubber feet on the R2 have a platform. You can easily use something else, but all of the options I looked at were either right around the same price, or would be too time consuming to do. For instance, I was originally going to use a sheet of acrylic on the top instead of the flat plates, but I didn't want to have to face the sides of it on a mill; these flat plates look way better anyway (imo). You will have to drill and tap the holes for the leveling feet. If you don't have any taps, they will do it for you.............for a price (and a few extra days of in-house processing).

    Please know I'm not trying to brag, I just think this is an awesome upgrade that will last forever and can be modified to fit any situation. Plus, this thing is sexy as hell. If I could put this printer on a larger cabinet than it's already on (the black thing underneath), I would've made the leveling table much bigger. However, I'm already hurting for space as it is.

    Also, the reason I made it so tall (right now, with the leveling feet, it's 8" tall ) was so I could put (large) things underneath it, like the storage bin you see in the pictures. If you want to look at the components online, just type in the part numbers on the 80/20 and/or McMaster websites. The capacity of EACH leveling foot is 300 lbs. I highly recommend one of these if you feel like shelling out the $$$ for it.

    IMG_0657.JPG IMG_0658.JPG
    These corner connectors are ROCK-SOLID.

    IMG_0659.JPG IMG_0660.JPG IMG_0662.JPG IMG_0665.JPG IMG_0673.JPG IMG_0675.JPG
     
    jscottb likes this.
  2. Kilrah

    Kilrah Well-Known Member

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    Whats the point of it? o_O
    Never needed to level a 3D printer, and there would be even fewer reasons to do so with a robust gantry-style one like the R2...
    I've actually lifted and moved mine around several times while it was printing...
     
    WheresWaldo likes this.
  3. mark tomlinson

    mark tomlinson ༼ つ ◕_ ◕ ༽つ
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    Well, it is cool :)
    Gravity level is not an item for a 3D printer, but durned if that is not a secure stand...
     
  4. Kilrah

    Kilrah Well-Known Member

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    Well not for FDM ones, for SLA it would be another story :)

    Well yeah indeed :) Personally for an R2 I'd rather spend the amount on some filament or worthy upgrades :D
     
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  5. Warp Norman

    Warp Norman Member

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    Cool Project. Looks sharp. McMaster Carr has cad files for 80-20 and accessories. Might be cool to 3d print most of those parts.
     
  6. Warp Norman

    Warp Norman Member

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    Well it's nice to have storage space under it. :)
     
  7. adikted2astro

    adikted2astro Active Member

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    Well, then you must be one of the lucky few who never have to level your printer or the table it is on. I had to..................all the time. Before this leveling table, I had to re-level everything, every single day; the table it was on and the print bed. Otherwise, my first layers came out horrible. Now, I don't have to. I can print all day long and I still have a perfectly level print bed. Problem solved.

    I'm not saying people have to like or understand what I did and why I did it. I was having problems, now I don't. I just figured it was something cool to share, but apparently it wasn't.
     
    bill Snyder likes this.
  8. mark tomlinson

    mark tomlinson ༼ つ ◕_ ◕ ༽つ
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    See I never have had to level the printer. The BED, a lot :) The term bed leveling is actually incorrect. What we mostly do is tramming and it matters not how 'level' the printer itself is. Still, a nice way to mount the printer.

    Even with my printer at a 30 degree angle to the floor, my bed is 'level'* and it prints fine





    *it is correctly trammed... level is a bad word
     
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  9. WheresWaldo

    WheresWaldo Volunteer ( ͠° ͟ʖ ͡°)
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    Coincidence that passes as truth. Tramming is correct as @mark tomlinson mentions. It really does not matter if the printer is "level" just that the bed and extruder are trammed properly. The relationship of the gantry to the rest of the printer doesn't change no matter the angle. Then you need the bed to match the plane of the gantry. Once that is done a 3D FDM printer could even print upside down, with proper bed and intra-layer adhesion..

    Still I can see uses for this, it does give you some space under the printer, it also is fun to build stuff.
     
    Geof, Kilrah and mark tomlinson like this.
  10. supercazzola

    supercazzola Active Member

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    Or in microgravity traveling 17500 mph aboard a space station


    Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro
     

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