Tobbens Folgertech Kit Assembly Log

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Introduction

This document is created to try to document a 3D printer build as detailed as possible, to facilitate the development of D3D Workshops. The starting point is an unboxed Folgertech Prusa i3 (see Tobbens_Folgertech_Kit_Unboxing_Log) and the instructions located at Prusa_i3_Modular_Build_Video containing script, Module Assembly Oder 3 module videos module 1, module 2, module 3, as well as time lapses of overall assembly, frame build and extruder slide build. The Folgertech build manual is also used.

Table and kit.JPG

Reliability Of Recorded Numbers

Tobben has assembled many RepRaps before, and also read the Module Assembly Order document prior to this logged assembly. Reading took ~10 minutes. Quantifying the relative advantage of previous RepRap experience is very hard, but recorded times should be at least be doubled for novices.

Build steps are performed calmly with no hurry.

No tools are prepared or planned beforehand, so time consumption for getting tools is included.

Nothing on the work-table is touched unless time is recorded. I've tried to avoid solving problems in my head or thinking about specific build steps when the stop watch is not running, so that also the thought work required is captured in the recorded times. Recording thought work with a stop watch is of course impossible to do perfectly.

Stop watch is stopped only while writing this log, taking pictures, eating and going to the toilet.

Log

Time order Module Activity Time consumed Time consumed, accumulative Instruction Resources Used Comment Image
1 Bottom Frame 1 Removing tape from 2020s 5 min 46 s 5 min 46 s None Fiddly
Remove tape from 2020s.JPG
2 Bottom Frame 2 Identifying which beams to use 4 min 55 s 10 min 41 s Folgertech's Build Manual Unable to find this info on OSE wiki
3 Bottom Frame 3 Watching Module 1 Video 1 min 30 s 12 min 11 s module 1 video Good video
4 Bottom Frame 4 Very roughly sorting Hardware Bag contents 2 min 20 s 14 min 31 s
Rough sorting kit hardware.JPG
5 Bottom Frame 5 Assembly of 8 first L-brackets 16 min 1 s 30 min 32 s module 1 video Assembly manual: Fill all L-bracket holes with mount screws before inserting into 2020s. Don't use L-shaped hex-key since mounting relies on 2020s lying down flat.
L brackets in place rotated.JPG
6 Bottom Frame 6 Confusion regarding the T-nut and screw sizes. 16 min 54 s 47 min 26 s module 1 video, Folgertech's Build Manual M4 and M5 T-nuts look very similar.
M4 M5 Tnuts.JPG
7 Bottom Frame 7 Assembly of left Y-rod bushings and corner brackets in middle of front beam 9 min 1 s 56 min 27 s module 1 video Say in assembly manual: Corner bracket hole sizes are big enough to be able to put T-nut through. Kit comment: M4 screw heads should have been bigger. T-nut and washer fiddling took lots of time.
Corner bracket with washer.JPG
8 Vertical Frame 1 Assembly and Mounting on Base Frame 33 min 33 s 1 h 30 min 0 s module 1 video Because of poor corner bracket quality, M4x8 screws are _almost_ too short, and power supply mounting gets very fiddly.
Right leg of frame.JPG
9 X-axis 1 Faulty Assembly of X-carriage Linear Bearings 9 min 41 s 1 h 39 min 41 s module 2 video Linear bearings mounted with smooth rod running through. This did not alone prevent the faulty mounting. Kit comment: This error possible because of bad print quality.
Faulty X assembly 1.JPG
10 X-axis 2 Faulty Assembly of X-carriage Linear Bearings 2 10 min 25 s 1 h 50 min 6 s Space for Linear Bearing is too short. Cut out more space by hand with knife. This is weak design since bearing fixation along X-axis is unimportant, so making a tight fit serves no purpose. Process made harder by smooth rods being very far from straight. Video showing bad gliding
Faulty X assembly 3.JPG
11 X-axis 3 Assembly of X-carriage Linear Bearings 4 min 59 s 1 h 55 min 5 s More manual cutting needed to get Linear Bearings into their tracks.
Faulty X assembly 2.JPG
12 X-axis 4 Mount Linear Bearings Into X-idlers 3 min 2 s 1h 58 min 7 s module 2 video Use paper to wipe off linear bearings, the stuff they're soaked in is not healthy to get on fingers.
X Linear Carreage.JPG
13 X-axis 5 Mounting X idler bearings 2 min 47 s 2 h 0 min 54 s module 2 video Took a guess at which screw to use.
X Idler Bearings.JPG
14 X-axis 6 Mounting X Belt pulley and X-motor 8 min 43 s 2 h 9 min 37 s module 2 video A fair amount of guesswork to find the correct screw length.
IMG 1102.JPG
15 X-axis 7 Fitting together idlers, carriage and linear rods 1 m 48 s 2 h 11 m 25 s module 2 video
Beltless X Axis.JPG
16 X-axis 8 Thread X-belt 4 min 29 s 2 h 15 min 54 s module 2 video Slight print error in X-carriage made fastening belt harder. Pushed in place with flat screwdriver.
X Belt Thread.JPG
17 Z-axis 1 Preparing Z-motors 6 min 50 s 2 h 22 min 44 s module 3 video M3x11 screws...
Prepared Z Motors.JPG
18 Z-axis 2 Preparing filament guide 2 min 3 s 2 h 24 min 47 s module 3 video 1 min extra from tool change hex key -> previously unused screw driver -> hex key
Below Right Z Motor.JPG
19 Z-axis 3 Preparing Z-motors' T-nuts 3 min 14 s 2 h 28 min 1 s module 3 video
20 Y-axis 1 Manually Enlargening Linear Bearing Holders 13 min 20 s 2 h 41 min 20 s Once again, print error/extremely tight fit by design had to be adjusted with a knife to make linear bearings fit.
Once again.JPG
21 Y-axis 2 Threading zip-ties and figuring out how to place printed bearing holders 4 min 39 s 2 h 45 min 59 s Folgertech Build Manual
22 Y-axis 3 Drilling out printed bearing holders' 3mm holes 4 min 59 s 2 h 50 min 58 s Bad prints eat time budgets for lunch. This time, a squeezed out first layer was our enemy, preventing M3 screws from gliding freely.
Bad prints eat.JPG
23 Y-axis 4 Fastening Y Linear Bearings 9 min 47 s 3 h 0 min 52 s Folgertech Build Manual page 8 First use of 5 mm spanner. Took extra time because of that.
First use of 5 mm.JPG
24 Y-axis 5 Soldering and taping heat bed wires 29 min 50 s 3 h 30 min 42 s Folgertech Build Manual pages 9, 10 and 11 Taping wires alone took ~10 min. Preparing soldering equipment took ~15 min.
Taping wires alone.JPG
25 Y-axis 6 Mounting Heat Bed onto Y-Carriage 5 min 40 s 3 h 36 min 30 s Folgertech Build Manual page 11 Instructions said M3x8 screws. 8mm was impossibly short, used 10 mm ones.
Instructions said M3x8.JPG
26 Y-axis and Frame 1 Mount Y-motor mount 2 min 54 s 3 h 39 min 24 s Folgertech Build Manual page 4
Mount Y Motor Mount.JPG
27 Y-axis and Frame 2 Mounting Y-Carriage 10 min 40 s 3 h 50 min 4 s Mounted left smooth rod only first. Slided in right smooth rod and secured end bushings while Y-carriage fixated the span.
Mounted left smooth.JPG
28 Y-axis and Frame 3 Mounting Y-motor 5 min 29 s 3 h 55 min 33 s Tilt Frame sideways while mounting
Tilt Frame sideways.JPG
29 Y-axis and Frame 4 Assembling Y-idler 20 min 51 s 4 h 16 min 24 s Folgertech Build Manual page 20 I had attached belt holder in the wrong pair of holes in the Y-carriage, so some manual aiming required. Used standard M3 nut instead of nyloc, since nyloc was fiddly.
I had attached.JPG
30 Y-axis and Frame 5 Threading Y-belt 4 min 37 s 4 h 21 min 1 s Mount belt tensioner before tensioning the belt
Mount belt tensioner.JPG
31 X-axis, Z-axis and Frame 1 Shortening X-axis and Pushing it in place 7 min 30 s 4 h 28 min 31 s Most time was spent shortening the X-axis. A lot of force needed.
Most time was spent shortening.JPG
32 X-axis, Z-axis and Frame 2 Tightening X-belt and right Z-rod bushing screw 3 min 30 s 4 h 32 min 1 s Position belt tensioner here to avoid interfering with microswitch later.
Tightening X belt.JPG
33 X-axis, Z-axis and Frame 3 Mount left Z-motor 5 min 44 s 4 h 37 min 45 s More easily done when printer is tilted. Insert threaded rod last. Secure it 1 cm below motor shaft.
More easily done.JPG
33 X-axis, Z-axis and Frame 4 Mount Right Z-motor 6 min 34 s 4 h 44 min 19 s Hold X-axis up close to motor when tightening to assure proper alignment
Hold X axis up close.JPG
34 X-axis and Extruder 1 Mount Extruder 9 min 26 s 4 h 53 min 45 s Folgertech Build Manual pages 18 and 19 Most time was spent screwing M3 screws 30 mm by hand because of poor print qualiy (too small M3 holes).
Most time was spent screwing.JPG
35 Endstop sensors and Frame 1 Mounting endstops 23 min 3 s 5 h 16 min 48 s Folgertech Build Manual pages 32 and 33 Microswitch PCB and endstop holder combined differently on all three axes. Very easy to get orientations wrong.
Microswitch PCB and endstop.JPG
36 Electronics 1 Re-Mounting Power Supply timeconsumed 5 h 20 min 30 s Rotate Z-endstop away to more easily access bottom screw.
Rotate Z endstop.JPG
37 Electronics 2 Attach mains voltage 14 min 44 s 5 h 31 min 32 s Folgertech Build Manual page 35 Maybe easier to do before re-mounting power supply. All ends are tinned and bent like a hook around screw.
Maybe easier to do before.JPG
38 Electronics 3 Attaching RAMPS Power Wires 19 min 29 s 5 h 51 min 1 s Folgertech Build Manual pages 35 and 36 All ends were tinned, which took a long time. Hooked ends to power supply.
All ends were tinned.JPG
39 Electronics 4 Attaching Acrylic Mount Plate 3 min 10 s 5 h 54 min 11 s
Attaching Acrylic Mount Plate.JPG
40 Electronics 5 Mounting RAMPS 8 min 9 s 6 h 2 min 20 s Found no screws of correct length, used my own.
Mounting RAMPS.JPG
timeorder module activity timeconsumed timeconsumed_acc instructionsused comment image