Y axis linear upgrade.

Ive started a design to upgrade the Y stage. Check it out.

www.thingiverse.com/thing:136297

Uses 3/8 linear bearings and rods and significantly improves print quality and speed. No more ridges on the edge of prints.

 

Why SAE instead of Metric? Is there some benefit over M8 or M10 precision rod?

This is a top of list upgrade but would prefer to keep metric if possible.

 

there are a number of reasons, probably foremost is the fact i have access to a cr#p pile of SAE bearings.
I wanted something heavier than 8MM and i can get SAE rod locally cheap.


I have to tell you, the printing quality is absolutely amazing. I used to have ridges in the z axis every 4 layers or so. Now perfectly clean. You need magnification to see any defects.

edit: Ive uploaded some pics of the print quality at 350 micron slice

 

can you show a bevore picture?
the after looks great!

(to anyone wondering where to look, the picture is on thingiverse:
www.thingiverse.com/thing:136297 )

 

A few more questions.

• The bearings you link to are >$15/ea.
• I presume you need four of them?
• Is there that significant of an improvement over LM10UU style (I may convert your design to metric)?
• Can you give the rod lengths? If I have my way, I can get this mod printed and assembled before I get my Robo.
• While you're at it, if you've already measured the X and Z rods (those are M8, right?) I could get those ordered, too.

Thanks for doing the hard work here!

 

Hmm, Pretty much what I was planning on doing, But I'm going with 8mm.

 

Yea the price of these bearings are a little racey (pun fully intended) In my case they were free so I ran with it. I will likely end up changing it up for something else and sell as a ready to go upgrade kit. I Just used what i had on hand when inspiration hit me.

I still need todo a full writeup on how to assemble/make. I'll have a drill guide for the case and BOM with lengths. Im going to also change a couple of parts on the robo such as the Y axis stop to deal with a slight change in geometry and a whole new bottom plate to regain lost clearance and clean up the wiring. So we'll call this one "under development". 3/8" rod is

No measurements on Z or X. Could have done that, but i've reassembled the printer at this point. length of y rods are exactly the length of the bed. (sorry morning, first coffee and no tape measure in site)


M10 version should be no problem to do, just need to get my hands on some LM10UU bearings (i do accept donated samples its going to take a little more than just scaling as some of the measurements are critical and fudge factored..

next to tackle is the annoying z Axis limit switch. Having no fine adjustment is a real PITA.

 

yep I'll get one up there, I don't have one of a test cube but i'll find something to compare print quality. I printed and posted that at some ungodly hour last night, so i'll follow up with a before pic.

V

 

I went with 3/8 simply because it was available. Maybe i should do the bearing block in customizer? you can select your bearing and print.

 

Since I'm an end of September recipient, I've got plenty of time to wait for refinements. I'd buy a kit at the right price in a heartbeat. However, I'm guessing I could source and print all the parts I need for <$50 so the kit will either need to be cost competitive or provide a compelling advantage over what I can do myself.

No worries on the measurements. I can always get them when I get my printer. I, mostly, just expected that you would have grabbed them while it was apart.

 

The kit will also come with a nice anodized water jet cut base plate to replace the blocky thick plastic one shipped with the printer. I just haven't gotten that far yet. It will be a "precision upgrade kit" with a bunch of upgrades.

 

That may be compelling.

The ABS model doesn't have a plastic plate. Will you be creating mounting points for the heat bed?

 

the plastic plate im referring to is the base plate that all the motors attach to. im thinking 1/4 aluminum maybe even 1/8 would do the job better and free up some clearance. that way i can pre drill all holes and make setup a snap.

 

Depending on cost, you have me interested. I know it doesn't actually make a difference to the prints but count me as preferring metric components wherever possible as Reprap as a whole seems to have settled on Metric and the rest of the printer is metric.

 

I'll have to look into metric shafting. SAE shafting is available locally for fairly cheap so another reason I went SAE

 

McMaster-Carr has M10 400mm precision shafts for $13. 1,000mm is $30.

I don't know how that compares on cost.

 

cost for same in SAE, $4.00, $60.00 for 10'

besides McMaster-Carr considers all Canadians as "potential terrorists" and refuses to ship here.. I'll never ever spec a Carr part for that reason.

 

I thought Canadians were all over the metric system?

If metric is hard to source, I have no problems obtaining and cutting my own rod.

 

We are (and 99% of the world), But the USA isn't so that makes it harder to find metric stuff here when it's made in the USA. I couldn't find 8mm rod here, and it's a pain to find metric threaded rod too. (Managed to find one place that sells it)

 

For rods, what about Grainger or MSC Direct?