Thursday, July 21, 2016

Finally Ready To Begin

Well the smooth rods and linear bearing I ordered off of AliExpress arrived.  So I finally can begin the construction of my version of the Cherry printer.

I took some time to sort out the parts last night and for a "bare-minimum" printer, there were still a lot of parts to keep track of.  I have already identified a need for a picture of all the parts for the documentation.  So much to do...

Here are some of the initial tasks I will have to tackle first...

  1. Sort and document all the parts that will be used in the build
  2. Cut the pieces for the printer base
  3. Perform, record and document the bipolar conversion hack on 4 28BYJ-48 motors.
    1. Remove Cover
    2. Cut center trace
    3. Cut or de-solder red wire.
    4. Add extension wire
    5. Replace cover
  4. Cut the motor holes in the top deck of the printer base
    1. Z-Axis Motor Holes (ends)
      1. Assemble X-Axis carriage and X-Axis smooth rods with the X-Axis end pieces.
      2. Insert Z-Axis smooth rods into Z-Axis motor holders.
      3. Place the whole X-Axis assembly onto the Z-Axis smooth rods
      4. Measure or trace the position of the Z-Axis motors and their holders.
      5. Cut the motor holes as accurately as you can
    2. Y-Axis Motor Hole (center)
      1. Center the Y-Axis Motor Holder
      2. Trace the hole position
      3. Cut the motor hole
  5. Perform, record and document the initial assembly of the RAMPS 1.4 board
    1. (Research)
    2. Mount on the Mega
    3. Mount each stepper stick module
    4. Apply heat sinks to stepper stick
  6. Start a Build Manual on Google Docs
While I intend to cite every resource that I use to get this printer going, I will try to keep the document rather self-contained and complete.  By documenting each step... as I do it, I hope to build something that others will find helpful.

Well let me get to it... :-)

Monday, July 11, 2016

Cherry Printer Update

Well after about a month of shopping online and waiting, I still have critical pieces of the printer missing for the build. :-(  The pieces I am talking about are the linear shafts and bearings. Everything else I have ready to go.

In the interim, I have taken to using SketchUp to plan the build as well as to use for illustrations for the build document.  Here are some sample shots of what I have mocked up so far...







There are certain aspects of the build that I need to keep as flexible as possible.
  • Varying Smooth Rod Lengths
  • Optional Z-Axis Frame for Better Bracing
  • Different Build Plate Sizes And Types
  • Different Bowden Extruders