3D Printer Shipping Followup

Hi __, 

Printer should arrive ________.  Please see tracking number - attached. The package is packed like this - https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1tLpmYaehK0-LlIoNx980HyQBJrH-aTxUnT3pAx37nAg/edit#slide=id.g74b4fc63a8_0_0

The inventory is shown on the page after, so check you have all the parts. The above link is part of the production manual. We have 2 manuals: Build Guide, and Production Guide. The former is for builders like yourself. The latter is for people who want to produce these kits, which you are welcome to do for fun or profit.

Some notes:

We printed this with large nozzles - 1.2 mm - so you will see that the prints are ugly. But we favor stronger parts over better looks. Cleaning up prints with a knife or razor is useful. So is reaming out with 3 mm, 6 mm, and 8 mm drill bits. The looks are just a cosmetic thing - they don't affect how the machine works. Just make sure all belt holes, screw holes, etc are clear as in the Build Guide.

The Build Instructions are here - https://wiki.opensourceecology.org/wiki/D3D_Universal_v20.07_Build_Instructions Page 3 of the main build guide shows what tools are needed. Make sure you have these prior to starting. The parts included get to a working printer. There are exciting deep-level parts of the build: you build the heat bed, and extruder - from scratch. This gives you direct experience in heater element design/build, and extruder design/build.

Special notes: the printer benefits from screwing the base into a board. By itself, the base, after all parts are added - is heavy and will twist. There are 8 screws included - so find any board or surface and screw down the printer for better results.

Quality Control: All parts have been verified. The controller and all electronics are in full working order - tested, firmware uploaded, ready to run. An SD card is in the LCD screen already. This means after you build it and do the connections - you will be able to print on your first try. If you did everything right...

Printing - once you get set up and running - print more parts for another D3D Universal and give it to a friend, or print parts for the larger D3D Pro with this printer:

https://wiki.opensourceecology.org/wiki/D3D_Pro

Note that the exact same technology (8 mm Universal Axis) - https://wiki.opensourceecology.org/wiki/Universal_CNC_Axis - applies so you can build a printer with up to an 18" bed - our D3D Pro 3 that looks like this: 

https://wiki.opensourceecology.org/wiki/D3D_v20.04.27

Any larger than that, you can print the parts, but you will have to use larger rods, such as 1" rods. This is described on the Universal Axis wiki page.

Once you inventory your parts - and have the tools on hand - you are ready to build. We have tons of other documentation - just ask and I can answer any questions that you may have.  Please feel free to post to the OSE Workshops FB group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/398759490316633/

We are looking for others to print parts, and we'll buy them from you - so once you set up your personal microfactory - keep that in mind as an option. We publish all our enterprise blueprints such as the Production Manual, so you are free to go into enterprise as well.

Thanks for supporting our project, happy building, and let me know if you have any questions. It will take persevearance to do this - but rest assured that if you go through to completion - you'll be amazed at what you have accomplished.

Thanks, Marcin