3D Printer

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All Hands Active has two Makerbot Industries Cupcake series 3D Printers and a Replicator. The cupcakes are both heavily modified from their original state so aside from the chassis saying Cupcake, refer to documentation shown below. As of 01/15/13 all printers are in a working state.

3D Printer workstation

About

A small netbook (host name: FLICKY) sits with the 3D printers. Use the 'AHA' login with the usual back room password. ReplicatorG and Slic3r are installed and configured. It has an SD card slot so you can also use it to build to card and print from that.

_Unplug_ and shut down when not using it.

Feel free to use the netbook and take it along when you transport printers.

Known issues

Replicatorg loads full screen, right click on program in XFCE top bar and say always on top, this will then put the window in the right place and allow you to resize. Alternatively attach a larger monitor.

Maintenance and upgrades

Machine is maintained by: Tyler W.

  • This machine does not have the latest Config files for the bots (10/3/12)

Creating a 3D Model

Lots of software exists to create models. As long as the software can export to STL file format, you can print your model. Check out the following software

  • Trimble (previously Google) Sketchup Make - [1]
    • Skethcup STL Plugin - [2]
  • OpenSCAD - [3]
  • Blender - [4]
  • Rhyno

File Types

STL

The slicing software needs your 3D model as an STL file before it can slice it. Slicing produces a file which has GCODE to describe the toolhead movements for each layer. It is important that your STL file only include one solid water tight object. Missing faces, open verticies and improper normal calculations will cause the slicer software to produce errors. You can fix some of this issues in an automated fashion by using NetFabb Basic, Blender (recalculate normals) and MeshLab's repair mode.

How to fix an STL

You've got holes, or inverted normals? You can fix this by hand, try Blender or Meshlab. For a quick fix either try netfabb basic on client or NetFabb cloud [5]. These can fix basic problems and possibly produce a better file. You need 1 shell, non-inverted normals and no holes to get a good print.

You can also try these awesome pieces of software:

  • MeshMixer
  • MeshLab
  • NetFabb Basic
  • blender

GCODE

This is a description of the tool path that is generated by a slicer. The file includes commands which instruct the printer how to move to produce the final object

S3G

Replicatorg converts a GCODE file into this reduced and compressed file type. This is equivalent to the GCODE but the smaller and easier to parse file type can be read off an SD card with less work. Use the build to SD card function in Replicatorg to produce this file.

Jargon

  • Layer Height - The size of each layer the printer produces. This is limited at it's maximum by the size of the nozzle and at it's minimum by the amount of plastic produced and how much stretching occurs.
  • Infill - The pattern and amount of plastic put inside the model to support it.
  • Shells - The number of solid outer layers the model has
  • Raft - A piece of plastic generated to stick to the print bed. This also includes support material for the object
  • Filament - The plastic fed into the printer
  • Extruder - The portion of a printer which
  • Slic3r - Produces a GCODE file from an STL file
  • Skeinforge - Produces a GCODE file from an STL file, built into Replicatorg
  • Replicatorg - Produces a S3G file from GCODE and controls the printer
  • OpenSCAD - 3D Solid Modeling software

Creamcheese Cupcake

Current Status

  1. 11/21/2013 - Dead! Heater core has melted out of the extruder barrel.
    1. Parts have been ordered, repairs will be made over the next week / weekend


This bots history

This machine started as a Cupcake with Gen3 electronics and Gen3 Extruder.

DO NOT LEAVE THIS BOT PLUGGED IN WHEN NOT IN USE! If power supply is on, bot is on!

  • 6/10 - Bot recieved
  • 7/10 - Changed to makergear hot end
  • 1/11 - The X and Y axis were made a low rider and changed to be quiet and more accurate.
  • 5/12 - The DC extruder died during a 3D printing talk at Penguicon 2012. Switched to Stepper extruder
  • 7/12 - Replaced stepper drivers with Pololu
  • 10/12 - Accelerated
  • 11/12 - Converted to RAMPS motherboard. Use pronterface to run

Things this bot has:

What do I need to run Creamcheese? (UPDATED 01/15/13!)

  • Get Printrun, it comes with pronterface.
  • Get Slic3r 0.9.3
  • Get the Creamcheese config files from here: Tyler's repository of cool stuff! - Updated 01/15/13
  • Place the 3 directories (filament, printer, print) and their contents into the Slic3r config directory.
    • Linux: /home/user/.slic3r (hidden)
    • OSX: /Library/Application Support/Slic3r/ (Not tested)
    • Windows 7 : C:\Users\Username\AppData\Roaming\Slic3r\
    • Windows XP: C:\Documents and Settings\edutainment\Application Data\Slic3r
      • You may have to run slic3r once before these directories appear

Printing with Slic3r and Pronterface

-- Please use this checklist when using the printer. It helps us track settings and walks you through using the printer. [| Printer Checklist]

  • Get a model in STL format ([Thingiverse.com] or cad program)
  • Start Slic3r and make sure Creamcheese settings are loaded Creamcheese, 3MM ABS, Creamcheese
  • Under Print Settings, change fill density and shells. We recommend .10 fill density and 2-3 shells.
  • Under platter drag your STL files into slic3r or use the Add button. Move things so they will fit.
  • Press export GCode.
  • Save the result.
  • Open Pronterface.py and connect to CreamCheese with baudrate 115000.
  • Load your newly generated GCode file
  • DO NOT HIT THE HOME BUTTONS AT ANY TIME! THE PRINTER DOES NOT HAVE END STOPS. IT WILL TRY TO JAM INTO THE SIDES
  • Preheat platform to 110 and head to 220c. Enable "watch" to see it rise.
  • Once at temp for a minute or so, raise the head (either manually or with button) and extrude a little bit of plastic to prime the extruder.
  • Clear plastic, lower head to just touching platform in the center
  • Press print.
  • Bot will check platform temp, raise it if needed.
  • Bot will check nozzle temp and raise it if needed.
  • When nozzle is at temp a count down will begin in the W:? from W:5 to W:1 and then print will begin.
  • If it doesn't stick, hick pause, re-position everything and hit restart in pronterface. It's also possible to put down blue painters tape, a bit of slurry on top of it, wet it with paint thinner and print on that. See a member for example before you try it yourself. Done incorrectly can damage the heated print bed.
  • After finish, let print cool on platform. When cool the print should remove easily without deforming. If using slurry, you need to remove the painters tape first.

If the print goes too fast, the platform will jump around. Lower your max speeds in slic3r to compensate.

Changing Filament

Connect to the printer using Replicatorg and open the control panel. Heat the extruder up to 220c (for ABS) and the platform to 110c. When at temp, release the latch on the extruder (blue spring part) and pull the filament upward.

Take the new filament and using wire cutters make sure the end is flat. Feed it down the tube in the extruder and when at the bottom, fasten the latch. Using Replicatorg run the extruder forward until filament comes out. Continue to run it until the color changes to a solid color. Changing from dark to light filament requires significantly more time running the extruder forward to clean it out.

Experimenting with the 3D printer configuration

Experimental Config

Contact

Questions? Can you borrow it? Break something? Contact one of the following people!

  • Tyler W.
  • Michael Sh.
  • Josh W.

BlackBottom Cupcake

This bots history

This machine started as a Cupcake with Gen3 electronics and Gen5 Extruder. The DC extruder was upgraded by Ox to a Gen5/6+ stepstruder. The bot originally was given a 3G5D board but it never worked well. As a result we did the ugly cable hack.

At some point Ox decided to donate this bot to AHA!

It was renamed from Ox's bot to BlackBottom Cupcake (alternate name for a creamcheese cupcake) on 7/1/12

Things this bot has:

  • Gen3 Electronics + Gen4 stepper for extruder
  • Mk6 Stepstruder
  • Acrylic Platform
  • .40MM Nozzle
  • Sailfish Firmware.

What do I need to run Blackbottom?

Tyler's repository of cool stuff! - Updated 01/15/13

  • Put the *.xml files in your replicatorg machines directory
  • Place the 3 directories (filament, printer, print) and their contents into the Slic3r config directory.
    • Linux: /home/user/.slic3r (hidden)
    • OSX: /Library/Application Support/Slic3r/ (Not tested)
    • Windows 7 : C:\Users\Username\AppData\Roaming\Slic3r\

How Do I run BlackBottom Cupcake?

Using Slic3r, alter settings and produce gcode file. Use the following config to start: Blackbottom - 3MM ABS - BlackBottom

  • Open ReplicatorG and connect to CreamCheese with machine type BlackBottom - Slic3r
  • File->Open and pick your newly generated GCode file
  • Pick build to file
  • Save the resulting .s3g to an SD card with a filename no longer than 7 character.
  • Put the SD card in the bot
  • In ReplicatorG open tools->control panel.
  • Preheat the bot to 220 and the platform to 110. When it reaches temp, turn on the extruder until plastic comes out.
  • Clear nozzle and lower to center of platform only a very tiny (practically touching) bit above it. You can use the controls in the control panel to do this or manually move it.
  • Close control panel and pick build from file.
  • Choose your .s3g file from the list.
  • If print doesn't stick at start, hit cancel, clean platform and try again.
  • After finish let print cool on platform. When cool the print should remove easily without deforming.

To fix warping on corners it is advisable to first put down a layer of blue painters tape or masking tape on the non heated build platform.

Contact

Questions? Can you borrow it? Break something? Contact one of the following people!

  • Tyler W.
  • Josh W.
  • Michael Sh.

The Replicator

This Bots History

This bot was won by Backyard Brains and is for their use only. If you need to use it, contact a member of their staff or Tyler to setup a job for you.

How do I run the Replicator?

  • Grab the latest version of Replicatorg.
  • Slice using the Replicator Profile for the latest version of Skeinforge for the left or right extruder.
  • Build to SD Card
  • SD card into replicator
  • In replicator menu, level the platform
  • Preheat the head you wish to use.
  • Select file from SD Card.

If the Kapton tape is ripping, reapply two new pieces from the roll and smooth them as you put them on. It is best for the bed to be cold when you do this.

Waynestock

This Bots History

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