Production update: anyone got ideas?

This is what Shapeways currently offers me for printed parts.

This is what Ponoko offers.

I’ve now spent just over two weeks trying to assemble and debug this 3D printer and I’m no closer to printing than I was on day 3.

Yesterday I replaced the extruder bobbin because it came loose (again) from the motor shaft. This bobbin has a set screw and shouldn’t be going anywhere. Note that you have to be really careful when putting in the set screw because it’s very easy to overtighten by accident and crack the bobbin like a walnut.

Then, because the z-axis leadscrew on one side SLIPPED OFF last night I had to fix that and re-level the x-axis gantry to the bed.

I managed to burn myself for the first time. Remember kids: 230c is no joke.

This morning I fired up the printer again and printed a 0.5mm thin wall test to remind myself what the current state of the machine is. Lo and behold, the blobbing on +Z is gone. I didn’t change any settings! The only thing more frustrating than a mystery is a mystery that gets deeper. Especially when it’s a mystery that could unravel into a whole set of frustrations.

Anyways! Gift horse dentistry, right? I’m going to try to print another motor mount and we’ll see how it goes. In the meantime I can catch up on bill paying, customer follow up, fixing the windows build, and buying plane tickets. Did I mention I’ll be at FabLearn 2012, october 17 & 18 this year at Stanford? Really looking forward to seeing you there, listening to your feedback and going out for sake later. I imagine most of the demos there will be for full sized 3D printers, which will put me in a unique position to be teaching ABOUT the technologies behind 3D printers… which is kind of the point, right? If you have ideas about how I could improve on this:

Then please comment below. I’m thinking of a series of notes attached to the board that explain what each piece does – all without getting in the way of the Drawbot doing it’s thing. Ideas welcome!