D3D Pro v23.12 Data Collection

Mon Mar 25, 2024

The set screws and nuts arrived, so I took time to assemble the frame. The frame took 34 minutes to assemble at a leisurely pace. The current version of the frame corners made it difficult to fasten down the rebar using an M6 nut and an M6x10mm set screw. The nut would just fall away if you're not careful because there was a lot of extra space between the nut and the rebar. I redesigned the corner by moving the nut closer to the rebar so that the nut cannot fall out of place. This change seems to make the corners easier to work with. Time can be saved if the screws are put into the corners before the rebar, and are then tightened down. Without doing that step the frame has to be rotated to have gravity assist in placing the nut in the correct location. The space that the nut fits into is too tight to fit tools into for the most part so it is much preferred to have the screws and nuts pre-placed.

Mon Mar 4, 2024

I purchased a cheap rotary tool with 1.5" cutoff blades to use for finishing the rebar cuts for printer 1. The cuts took approximately 8-9 minutes with the rotary tool I was using. Also, the ergonomics were not great as my wrist began to be sore after the third cut through 1/2" rebar using just the rotary tool. The cutoff wheels did generate varying levels of sparks depending on the angle of the cut, the pressure, the surface being cut, etc. The noise levels were definitely higher, but it was again reported that the sound was no greater than that of a vacuum cleaner from the next room. Overall, the rotary tool with a cutoff wheel is much preferred to hand sawing as it saves on manual labor and isn't too loud for my needs.

Notes:

• Two of the four remaining pieces are currently printing. Two plain corners take around 22 hours to print at my current settings on an Ender 3 V2.

• The hacksaw cuts provided more smooth and straight cuts, where the cutoff wheel made for a much more varied surface. To compensate I just ground such ends to as flat as I could with the cutting wheel.

• The variances in cut lengths were within ~1.5mm or 1/16" (with one outlier that was 2mm too long).

Sun Mar 3, 2024

Work today was on cutting rebar for the first printer frame. It took 9.5 - 10.5 minutes to cut through a piece of 1/2" rebar with a hack saw (fresh blade, 24 teeth/inch). Time increased slightly as time went on. Please note that the cuts were made with consideration for the amount of noise being made; I live in an apartment with neighbors above, below, and to the side of me who could have potentially heard my work. It didn't cause too much noise as reported by a person in the next room over.

The amount of time taken per cut is too high to be efficient/effective for future printer builds. There are 12 cuts per printer at approximately 10 minutes per cut for a total of 120 minutes/2 man hours of continuous cutting. Reflecting on that fact, I put in an order for a rotary tool at Menards. My hope is that the metal cutoff wheels that come with the kit will be sufficient to cut through the rods and rebar for much faster productivity.

Notes taken while performing work:

• Buy metallic sharpie for marking cuts (The standard black sharpies blend in without bright light.)
• Ensure rebar is properly secured for cutting with either clamps or a vice.
• A carbide/diamond grit blade may cut faster and with less jumping.
• Don't break your vise by over-tightening. (I broke a small cast iron vise I bought from Menards.)
• Buy a level to help ensure vertical cut straightness. (May not be necessary if your vise has a clamp for round objects.)
• Buy sandpaper/grinder for burrs. (This note will be covered by the rotary tool's grinding tips).
• Mark your cuts with 1-2mm extra space for the width of the blade/cut.
• The rebar can get hot if cut quickly. Wear gloves or be cautious of this fact to prevent burns.
• Remember to loosen tension on hack saw after use.
• Investigate source of issue in frame connector corners that causes misalignment of step screw & nut.
• Always cut in the same groove. Switching to a new groove in the metal causes dimension inaccuracies.
• Measure twice, cut small groove, measure to edge of groove, adjust and repeat until perfect.