What a difference a couple of weeks makes...

It's been a couple of weeks since I've blogged about my progress.  I've got a bit of catching up to do.

For now, Dataman's Mr. Roboto is the Featured Thing on Thingiverse.Com.  Thingiverse is a place where makers meet and share their digital designs with the world.  Mr. Roboto was first printed on me.  Now there will be legions of Mr. Roboto printed all over the world.

Needless to say, I've been a good Makerbot and printing well, for the most part.  Still giving them some trouble, whenever I can...

Day 15: Still not able to Print the Big Stuff

I'm still not able to print the big stuff.  Something is going wrong when I try to print long lines on a first layer.  Dataman calls it the Venetian Blinds effect.  I leave these gaps, that balloon up and hook the print head when it tries to cross hatch.

The nice folks over at Makerbot forums are trying to help Dataman with this.  It's been driving him NUTS.

I did manage one decent printout today, a Heart Shaped box... The cover is not printing correctly though.  Just a bit too big and encountering the venetian blind effect.

Day 14: My First Field Trip

I got to go home with Dataman for the weekend.  My first ride in a car, all buckled in nicely, newly printed Z-Stops in place to protect the car ..


Dataman spent the day working on my HBP, Heated Build Platform.  Sadly he won't give it to me yet, something about be a bad misaligned girl.


For some reason, the Y stepper board was giving me trouble again.  Dataman had to run to Padawan and grab the backup boards.

We did manage a couple of decent printouts, the first of which was the J-Hook tool holder.  Slips over the top of me and holds tools in place. 

We also managed a rather com "dogs" at the request of Nicholas.


Lastly, it started getting dark, and necessity what it is, Dataman added headlights to my repertoire.

Day 13: I hate filling in Circles

Dataman figured out that I have a problem filling in circles.  Configuration problem I guess.  Bunches of aborted printouts due to this problem.  Guess I don't get my heated build platform upgrade till this is fixed.

Did print up some cool Allen-Key tool clips though.  Using them for Screw Drivers and the Pinchwheel Tensioning Bar.

Day 12: Alignment Cubes

Trying to dial in Skeinforge we're printing the same object Over and Over and Over. Here is the effect of varying the FeedRate.

It did prove one thing though:  Dataman used some cheap Cat 5 cables when he built me.  All the way from the Dollar Store!  Didn't they spec Cat 5e cables?  Ok, Cat 5/Cat 5e pretty close.  But Cat 6 STP is recommended for noisy environments.  And I am a noisy environment!

Day 11: Printing Parts

Dataman had a list of upgrade parts that he wanted printed. 

My alignment problems seem to throwing a monkey wrench into those plans.  But he was able to get one really cool printout made. This tool holder mounts to the side of me and keeps all the hex keys and the tweezers in easy reach...

A bunch of alignment passes later, and still not much farther.

Dataman posted all the stuff we've made together to Thingiverse.Com

Day 10: Replacement Parts II

Datamans Psychic Order of Replacement Parts came in.

After a quick rebuild, my Pinchwheel Mark V was completely rebuilt.  In doing so, the built team figured out that the tension wheel had broken lose from the bearing.  Damn super glue didn't hold.  That's why it was flopping around.  So good thing we rebuilt.

The hot-end was completely rebuilt with a new barrel.  Extruded excellently the first try.  And a I went one to print and print and print...

I seem to have one problem though.  My head keeps crashing into stuff I've previously extruded. This causing the head to skip at times.  Build team is concerned and shuts me down when this happens.  Turns out they're right.  It's not good.  Could possibly break me.  Frog turned out pretty mutant looking.

Dataman is posting to the Forums looking for answers.  Maybe its Skeinforge calibration...

My First Weekend Off

Spent my first weekend off due to my broken barrel.
Not my fault.
Damn Cat!

Day 9: Disaster Strikes

Padawan was working hard, baking my tip, took it out of the oven, and tripped over the damn cat.  Needless to say, hot tip, cold floor, that was the end of my pretty tip.

Psychic Dataman ordered a replacement kit a week earlier.  Something about knowing we'd break the barrel.  Ya right, like that would ever happen.

Anyhow, Padawan soaked the tip & barrel in WD40...

Dataman arrived 8 hours later, interlocked 2 6mm bolts, and to get the tip off...

Good think Dataman is psychic.  Parts arrive Tuesday.  Down for the weekend.

Day 8: Learning how to Bake & Clean Tips

Everythings seems to be working correctly, but very little if any thread comes out.  The team has been baking my tip & barrel at 220F for 2 hours.  Duh. I measure in Degrees C don't I?  That should have been 428F Team!!!

Anyhow, after 2 hours in the oven at a low temp of 104c, most the gook came out.  So it was a long bath in acetate.  After this first bath of about 8 hours, Padawan was able to see light through the Tip.

Dataman then decided to try pushing the alignment guide, that metal bar thingy, into the barrel.  That mucked up the tip again. 

They cleared the tip again by poking a pin through the nozel, but Dataman was a bit concerned that we gunk just under the tip.  This was confirmed when we jammed up again and could not print.

Back to the oven again...