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techno_hippieGuy's Smooth Rod Upgrade 495mm Smooth Rods - REMIX

Discussion in 'Mods and Upgrades' started by Tony Janus, Jan 2, 2015.

  1. Tony Janus

    Tony Janus Member

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    [​IMG]

    I really liked tonycstech's smooth rod upgrade, and have been using it for a few months. I noticed he updated with a 330mm print area, but he requried 470mm smooth rods to use it. I ordered 495mm rods and didn't want to deal with cutting them, so I remixed his to be compatible. I also added mounts for a raspberry pi camera for octopi users (one of which may be compatible with GoPros, I have 2 but haven't tested it yet. Should work though) and a second belt holder on the other side of the bed so both sides are held together tightly.

    http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:618648

    Thanks Tony! From Tony, haha =P
     
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  2. Mike Kelly

    Mike Kelly Volunteer

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    Looks nice man. That's a huge build area.
     
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  3. Tony Janus

    Tony Janus Member

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    Mike, what are your thoughts on this: making some kind of spring-loaded support mechanism. I'm imagining a basic block with 1 LM8UU, 2 of them, each placed either halfway or 2/3rds of the way between the center mount and the end of the rod (basically splitting the rod into 1/4ths) that would rest of a post using an "endstop" below the reach of the bed mount, keeping the bed from flexing downward. Between these blocks would be a long spring ensuring the block returns to it's post when the bed moves back in that direction. The spring would have to be able to compress a lot while keeping force required low. I don't think the block would need to compress all the way against the main central mount, but I'll have to figure that out once I model it and can see it.

    I'm not sure if this would work using the current Robo design, but I'm planning on removing all the printer parts and remounting in a custom case build from extruded aluminium and plexiglass or acrylic, at which point I can adjust as needed.
     
  4. Mike Kelly

    Mike Kelly Volunteer

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    Yeah I'm kinda confused by the spring concept. If you're planning on rebuilding I suggest looking at the Mendel90 design.
     
  5. Tony Janus

    Tony Janus Member

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    That looks like a very interesting design. The rigidity of the structure would allow for much faster prints. I wonder if constructing it from wood would work as well, like using 4x4's and 2x4's? I think it would be the cheapest option, something I could do soon. Though I think it'd end up larger, which isn't a big concern for me.

    I'm having issues with my extruder right now. The feed is strange, it's as though the hobb skips repeatedly. I've tried cleaning it, cleaning the nozzle, taking everything apart and putting it back together. I get semi-functional parts right now, but I'll be able to print something for this out once I get that dual extruder all done. I'm looking at about another 10-15 hours maybe before I can test it out.
     
  6. Mike Kelly

    Mike Kelly Volunteer

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  7. Tony Janus

    Tony Janus Member

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    I found two 16 1/2" x 16 1/2" x 1/8" acrylic sheets. I figure based on the image those two sheets would be mounted together in parallel, and then mounted on a larger one, maybe 24" x 24" x 1/4" base on some sort of maybe thicker rubber vibration dampening feet or pads, raising the mounting platform maybe 1/2" or so, allowing just enough room for cables. I found this:

    http://www.amazon.com/Cast-Acrylic-Sheet-Clear-0-236/dp/B009AEAG2E/ref=cm_wl_huc_item

    It seems to be my cheapest option from amazon that is prime eligible. That sound about right? You know of any cheaper sources? Realistically, shipping time isn't a big deal on this. But I don't really know many suppliers, and the ones I do know tend to be pricier than amazon.
     
  8. Mike Kelly

    Mike Kelly Volunteer

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    That 2x2 or 2x4 is a good price for sure. You don't necessarily need clear if there are cheaper options.
     
  9. Tony Janus

    Tony Janus Member

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    Think I'm gonna go with the 2x2 for now. The supports I'm envisioning can be fully 3d printed.
     

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