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Hey Doc,

I have one. Made it up myself. Bought different bits from the U.S. and Europe to make it. You can get full kits from someone like Makerbot for around $2k. The thing with these 'branded' ones is that you need to return to the manufacturer for parts etc and its copyrighted and its a shitload more expensive too. Mine isn't cos its a mixture of parts, not one brand. 

Here's a pic

 

But I have a problem with it.

The frame work skeleton of the machine is all good

All the drives are working x,y and z

The electronics are all connected and working.

Its the heating block for melting the plastic Ive had problems with.

Presently my block is a piece of aluminium with two large resistors. The block gets to about 200 C, according to the thermocouple (type of thermostat) I'm using on the block

Now the aluminium block is forced onto a brass stem. My problem is the heat exchange from the block to the stem. Ive used heat transfer paste between the block and stem, but that hasn't worked.

I have found somebody with a lathe, so my plan now is to get him to make me a solid brass heating block and stem in one. My idea is that this will cancel out the heat transfer problem.

Lets see lol  

If you're interested I'll keep you posted

 

 

Merl1n

P.S. Len you can get a starch based plastic material to make objects with but my heater has a fixed setting and it is my understanding (and I maybe wrong) that for the biodegradeable plastic needs more heat to print with. Whether the biodegradable is 'smoker safe', again, Im not sure.

post-24238-0-64450800-1392535353_thumb.jpg

Edited by merl1n
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Hey Doc,

I have one. Made it up myself. Bought different bits from the U.S. and Europe to make it. You can get full kits from someone like Makerbot for around $2k. The thing with these 'branded' ones is that you need to return to the manufacturer for parts etc and its copyrighted and its a shitload more expensive too. Mine isn't cos its a mixture of parts, not one brand. 

Here's a pic

 

But I have a problem with it.

The frame work skeleton of the machine is all good

All the drives are working x,y and z

The electronics are all connected and working.

Its the heating block for melting the plastic Ive had problems with.

Presently my block is a piece of aluminium with two large resistors. The block gets to about 200 C, according to the thermocouple (type of thermostat) I'm using on the block

Now the aluminium block is forced onto a brass stem. My problem is the heat exchange from the block to the stem. Ive used heat transfer paste between the block and stem, but that hasn't worked.

I have found somebody with a lathe, so my plan now is to get him to make me a solid brass heating block and stem in one. My idea is that this will cancel out the heat transfer problem.

Lets see lol  

If you're interested I'll keep you posted

 

 

Merl1n

P.S. Len you can get a starch based plastic material to make objects with but my heater has a fixed setting and it is my understanding (and I maybe wrong) that for the biodegradeable plastic needs more heat to print with. Whether the biodegradable is 'smoker safe', again, Im not sure.

Superb bit 'o kit Merl!n, big props on sourcing parts and building it yerself!! 

I also hope you get the heating element sorted and would love to is it in action! 

Which controller software are you using (for the x,y,z axis's)? 

:thumbsup:

 

c-yNg-b

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