AbeAnd Log
Status - Done: more D3D Mini PVC assembly To Do: quick couple Blocks: time
General links Critical Path Roadmap mediawiki formatting help Development Team Log OSE Hangout OSE Jitsi Meet Abe's Links Abe's OSE Google Drive Folder Abe's OSE Google Calendar Abe's YouTube channel
Current Logs
Sat Oct 12, 2019
reviewed WebGL tutorials. Trying to decide what to CAD next given the difficulties of what is immediately good enough while trying to align that with good future design goals so there to create forward momentum and reduce double work.
Created new gitlab project repos.
https://gitlab.com/Abe_Anderson/D3D-Simple-Extruder
https://gitlab.com/Abe_Anderson/Kinematic-Mount
I've considered many possible ideas for kinematic style mounts that could be automated, but I don't think any have been viable yet. I need to look at more mechanical examples, hand draw some ideas and just try some experimental CAD. The round head bolts seem passable, but finding other generic bolts the right size may not always be easy. The shape of the plastic parts has to be complex to accommodate multiple features. A latching mechanism needs to work by moving along multiple axes and attachment of levers is not easy either.
Thurs Oct 10, 2019
Meeting. I reviewed emails and doc changes. It sounds like a lot of good progress on projects, but not a lot of uploaded files yet.
Sat Oct 5, 2019
more email with Chris & William. I exported and uploaded STL's for the Simple 3D Printer Extruder PLA parts.
I added links diagrams to the STEAM doc and did lots of brainstorming about easy printable possibly kinematic tool mount.
Also thinking about tool changing. Hoping there is some X,Y,Z dance the machine could do with a tool to release and latch it into a mount without extra motors/servos etc. A tool mount that could do that maybe complex would it might beat having extra motors easy if it is elegant and has great MTBF. No living hinges or flimsy push-push latches. Maybe it needs metal springs. I wonder if the mount mechanisms could actuate with 2-3 axes of motion if needed.
Fri Oct 4, 2019
I responded to an email from Chris about the simple extruder. More thought and reading is needed on the quick coupling concepts...
I updated the D3D v18.10 BOM with 3/8" nuts and resolved the comments. I selected what I thought was the most universally useful for the price. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1eCYxQkOZ6GKS5zkTIKQneVsXDnhAc99Twsm2upWlFn8/edit#gid=0
Reading more about kinematic coupling and I looked up William's extruder work from today as well. I wonder how accurate 3d printed plastic couplings could be if bolted together. That appears to work for camera mounts, but I question the repeat accuracy. I also wonder about embedding 3 nut catchers in the carriage in such a way they would be compressed and not move much post assembly. Adding the requirement of complex off the shelf metal parts like balls and grooves would likely add cost. In the long run, they could be milled, but the accuracy requirements are likely higher than what will be achieved soon.
Sun Sep 29, 2019
Doing a little more research on kinematic coupling and tool changers. Immediately the need is just for a quick couple, but it would be nice if it was at least partially scalable for future tool changing needs.
I think there are ways to make a dock that effectively catches and releases tools without extra servo or stepper motors by using the force of moving the head in/out of the dock. I also think 3D printed plastic parts might be accurate enough for most printers if the design is good enough. I'm not familiar enough with the mechanics of kinematic coupling yet.
Sat Sep 28, 2019
emails about added links, simple extruder, and the printer manual docs.
Reviewed more STEAM Camp docs and made requests on the gdocs for the printer manual to fix the missing nuts.
Added more links and better organized some wiki pages since the previous ones I made were fairly bare. Adding one base starting wiki page for each project would help the new team get started on the wiki quicker and I see new templates using wiki code.
I updated PVC assembly with 10mm nuts and adjusted the heat bed relative to them to compensate for the ~0.5mm difference of 3/8" nuts assuming that is a better fit. The JB Weld method well always cause some variation. I think the heat break on the simple extruder could be shorter yet, but plenty of feedback is needed on the simple extruder assembly before assuming anything.
https://gitlab.com/Abe_Anderson/d3d-mini-pvc
I think it would still be best to migrate the simple extruder and assembly to its own repo or something similar.
Fri Sep 27, 2019
I linked a few things in the STEAM Camp doc and added links to connect pages better on the wiki.
Thurs Sep 26, 2019
I've been reviewing the STEAM Camp material and thinking about critical feedback I see in some of the interviews. So I made some notes on collaboration efficiency in my general working doc.
I've also been thinking about a better tool head attachment. Even for the PVC frame. It probably isn't stiff enough for heavier milling, but tool head quick attaches and even automated tool changers are important for making the D3D more of a small universal micro-factory CNC machine. One issue I can see is mounting to the U-Axis carriage currently requires mounting around it on both sides. The other open-source solutions kinematic coupling with three points and this seems ideal. Given there are already open-source designs by lulzbot, e3d, and others we should be able to adapt something without reinventing the wheel. Maybe even just pick and existing standard. The question is how best to mount it to the carriage. If it is feasible I can see reasons to add some bolt holes to the carriage if it makes it more universal it is a win.
https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,622267,622362
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinematic_coupling
Mon Sep 23, 2019
I made comments to multiple D3D files about the lack of M10 nuts required to fit over the 8mm rods for JB welding the heat bed as shown in the printer manual.
Looking at other printer BOM's...
Sun Sep 22, 2019
I responded to an email from Marcin about the Simple Extruder assembly and STEAM camps.
uploaded photo of the simple extruder assembly.
Working out more PVC assembly details with the heat bed mounting (JB Welded nuts). I recently changed most of my Freecad installs over to the app image packages and just had to reinstall the fastener WB for some reason.
Another relevant side topic I researched recently is battery packs. We have a retired nomadic friend that visits the farm in winter who is science-oriented and recently shared a video of a battery pack build and said he would like to try a build this winter. His goal is to design a small solar and battery pack system for periodic portable cooking because the cost is now low enough it might save him money over gas tanks. I'm skeptical of it, but I learned quite a bit from him before about such topics so I will document anything that comes of it. https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1iUEES6Pqmc6Fz3nmrmUMhBxXQI_egm7yCMXfZ0wrr-0/edit#slide=id.p
The printer manual appears to reference and BOM that does not include large enough nuts to go over the 8mm rods. It looks like it needs to be 4 x M10 nuts. Further investigation is needed.
Sun Sep 1, 2019
edited meeting doc again and added reevaluation of meetings to the agenda to see if we can get more attendees at a different time if needed. The meetings tend to be more broad brainstorming that veers off focus some, but individual progress reports are useful for the big picture. I think we need to create more jitsi meets as needed in case of overlapping meetings. https://meet.jit.si/OSE_Dev_Team_Meeting
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1RvglDNOgP5idzJ0ZvKq1EktuatM23rJ4pMLI5degjYo/edit#slide=id.g1861bf60d5_0_6
I'm trying to adjust the filament path angle more, but having trouble rotating or attaching the sketch to a datum plane correctly.
I added the nema 17 motor mounting bracket. I think the simple extruder should be moved and restructured under it's own gitlab project, but the gitlab site is glitching at the moment.
https://gitlab.com/Abe_Anderson/d3d-mini-pvc/tree/master/Hardware
Sat Aug 31, 2019
I made repeated small changes to the simple extruder parts to find ideal alignment of the plastic parts, bolt holes and filament path. At first I expected to leave the bolt points alone, but after fixing the symmetry in the filament path and experimenting with the angle/spring tension it was clear the bolt point on the tension arm didn't look right. It is a concern to experiment with the bolt points because of post-print shrinkage. General experimentation done on the original may effectively need to be redone since the CAD is redrawn from measurements anyway. I made notes on a possible mod to the spring design, but making it more compact looks like it has tight tolerances and will require a lot of experimentation with prints so that is something for later.
https://gitlab.com/Abe_Anderson/d3d-mini-pvc/tree/master/Hardware/Simple%20Extruder
Tues Aug 27, 2019
made adjustments to simple extruder including the plastic parts. I'm trying not to change most of the original metrics since they appear to be accurate caliper measurements, but somethings seem way off around the filament path. So I'm centering some holes symmetrically and I added measurements in spreadsheets based on the NEMA17 standard.
I added a "spring" for more visuals. I think I can use datum plants and lines to help find the right positions for the filament holes. I increased thickness of the spring base bracket as well. It would be nice to countersink a standard hex socket M3 instead of the countersunk head style screw. It also seems the bolt in the spring could be eliminated, but that may require some prints to refine the fit due to shrinkage etc. I'm also thinking some of the CAD needs to be bigger due to measurements of the original PLA due to shrinkage. Changing the angle of the bearing bracket only made it look worse.
https://gitlab.com/Abe_Anderson/d3d-mini-pvc/tree/master/Hardware/Simple%20Extruder
Mon Aug 26, 2019
I keep finding more slight alignment issues. Looking back at the recent photos there appear to be a known issues. Most of these details will never be that perfect when cut by hand and there must be enough slop in the PLA parts they bolt up anyway, but it is nice to get the CAD close to check all the measurements. The filament path definitely looks like some updates would help feed.
https://gitlab.com/Abe_Anderson/d3d-mini-pvc/tree/master/Hardware/Simple%20Extruder
Sat Aug 24, 2019
Reworking at the simple extruder mounting bracket assembly. https://gitlab.com/Abe_Anderson/d3d-mini-pvc/tree/master/Hardware/Simple%20Extruder
The current simple mounting bracketing style is similar to the e3d bracket. In photos the original looks like a black metal angle bracket. The new printed version that looks possibly warped a little. So, something in between would be better. Also, because it mounts between the base block and the motor there may be thermal issues. This seems likely given the melted appearance of the spring bracket in photos. To prevent possible warping and given the need to push the temps up for materials other than PLA some insulating material like PTFE adhesive tape may help. PTFE tape appears to be used on the threads in the original photos already. I suppose a longer heat break could help as well, but it already looks to long in the current CAD. For flex filament I was assuming a custom Al milled design would be difficult, but for testing, I wonder if just using a longer heat break threaded up through the base block and ground on a wheel to shape would be good enough.
Tues Aug 6, 2019
created cad with spreadsheet for nema motors with some mounting details for adding to the simple extruder assembly.
I only entered data in the spreadsheet for nema 17, but it could probably be designed with more automated selection options depending on how much more hidden complexity is available in the freecad spreadsheet WB.
https://gitlab.com/Abe_Anderson/d3d-mini-pvc/tree/master/Hardware/Simple%20Extruder
Sun Jul 28, 2019
tested simple extruder assembly and adjusted simple extruder metal part dimensions.
https://gitlab.com/Abe_Anderson/d3d-mini-pvc/tree/master/Hardware/Simple%20Extruder
Fri Jul 26, 2019
I think I resolved the freecad error with the nozzle file. I may understand it partly.The error message is: Object can only be in a single GeoFeatureGroupI rebuilt the pads from the sketches, but first had to remove the body and part containers and re-add everything in the right order and place. I tried detaching the hex sketch and reattaching it, which kept giving the same error primarily because I kept clicking the wrong function. I was mistakenly clicking the negative loft button instead of additive. I explored the new additive and subtractive functions before with interesting results but frequently forget.
https://gitlab.com/Abe_Anderson/d3d-mini-pvc/blob/master/Hardware/Simple%20Extruder/nozzle.FCStd
Wed Jul 24, 2019
I went to finish the nozzle and the file is somewhat corrupted. Using the compound function may have caused the problem. That workflow did not look good so I tried to delete it to do a fusion instead and that is when problems started. The part design WB then detected issues and started suggesting migration to the new part WB. I tried auto migration and other ways. One fix suggests separate part bodies for each pad. Maybe that is a more correct workflow in some cases, but I think using different functions from other WB's including the loft changes the tip or creates a separate feature without a body by default causing confusion. I may also have attempted moving different features to the body or part containers at different times by dragging them that caused issues as well. I need to understand the suggested workflow for bodies and part containers better. I may need to delete the pads and recreate them by reattaching the sketches. Or it may be faster to try redoing it in a different order.
I also looked at and experimented with the heat bed size, the printable area and how it is defined in Marlin.
I also added some info to Analysis of PLM Software Conflict Resolution. Generally improving the collaboration software abilities seems important, but with few contributors, it remains a lower priority. However, this is somewhat a paradox since ease of use would encourage more users to engage in prototype development.
Tue Jul 23, 2019
added simple extruder files to https://gitlab.com/Abe_Anderson/d3d-mini-pvc/tree/master/Hardware/Simple%20Extruder
I'm guessing the dimensions from the photos & using spreadsheets so these can be changed easily later.
I got most of the spreadsheets & CAD done for the metal parts of the simple extruder. The sheet values are approximate on a few things, but I tweaked them to look close.
The spreadsheets and values are surprisingly easy to edit. I wasn't really able to break them. If you move alias cells it clears them in the sheet, but not in the CAD values, so it is fairly easy to fix. It is time-consuming with all the data entry but looks worth it in the long run.
Sat Jul 20, 2019
I see the continuing work on the OSE Simple Extruder. https://photos.app.goo.gl/fWUX8ynAdqcn6Fvs6 https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/17BLyvyk1EbrMOhkCfeSwByAq86SemSLX https://wiki.opensourceecology.org/wiki/William_Neal_Log#Thursday_June_27
While there is a lot of flexibility in the PVC and clamp design one of the less exact remaining details is the mounting if the extruder and its position relative to the bed. A mod of the E3D bracket should work fine, but a better quicker modular system would be useful. I'm curious to see what open solutions lulzbot uses.
Lulzbot has cat guards, which must be open source. This seems similar to an "enclosure". Reprap forums suggested while it may be legal for many to build enclosures individually it should not be discussed due to the yet unexpired patents.
In order to run Printers indoors or outdoors, animal guards would be useful. https://ohai.lulzbot.com/project/cat_guard/accessories/
Moved the extruder mount underneath the carriage this gets it much close to the bed. The Simple extruder might be close to long enough. However, I'm uncertain about wiring and cable chain logistics.
Fri Jul 19, 2019
added more comments on soil mixer brainstorming. https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1RJg3LyG_jI_gmUwBFuwNjbAMVUmuYUo7uQVjLDV9Qiw/edit#slide=id.g5dc8542d49_11_96
adding plastic 3D printed parts section to BOM and sections in wiki/part gallery to note printing tests and recommended parameters. Tested print settings could also be individually listed in STL file pages.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1lgtDWFMfNn7fEidPdlap_8PqSDXJFyM_AKvdjq6KSWs/edit#gid=0
Thurs Jul 18, 2019
reviewed more CEB soil mixer info and returned Aidan's email.
Wed Jul 17, 2019
got email from Aiden yesterday whom I missed in the jitsi meet. Added some scribblings to the soil mixer doc. https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1RJg3LyG_jI_gmUwBFuwNjbAMVUmuYUo7uQVjLDV9Qiw/edit#slide=id.g5dc8542d49_4_0
It is a little hard to visualize in 3d so far. The height logistics of loading design over a press as well as the feeding and exiting of materials seems difficult. Rotating it 45 deg is a half solution. Maybe a more complex drawer design would be worth considering. I can imagine the drawer system will need cleaning due to cement. I think the cement access will need a cover to keep water out in case that is sprayed into the soil hopper as well.
I like the metered/dosing concept for 1 block at a time. I think that will reduce the need for raw horsepower frequently seen on big batch mixers. A good hammermill is important to since soil types vary. With test SCEB's here I think many of the poorer higher cement content ones have chips, slight crumbliness, weakness due to poor mixing. If the clay is moist it clumps and can't mix well with sand. Here the soil is mostly silt, sand, rocks, & sandstone often on top of a hard moist clay layer 18" down or so. Even if there is enough material in some areas on location digging the right amounts and thorough mixing are a challenge. In fact, in some cases I can see it needs to be dug, then dried some then milled so it powders and mixes better.
Tues Jul 9, 2019
cleaned up meeting doc for next week. Reviewing D3D BOM's trying to decide which parts & features to drop or add.
Sun Jul 7, 2019
Continued reviewing workshop info and the D3D CNC Mill CAD, which is impressive.
I see improvements all around in the workshop media. The hard part seems to be getting critical feedback from workshop participants, especially less technical people for which more feedback is needed to refine the educational media. I think the technical peoples perspective is generally it's nice to review the detailed engineering info and it is great for the average person to learn lots of STEM. But, what is most useful from the less technical persons perspective?
At first, I was thinking a lot of the info is also geared towards more visual learners and maybe other styles need to be covered as well, but I also see the OSE Design Manuals have outlined lists even though they are in slides, so there is room to consider more of both. Obviously, the hands-on shop parts are probably everyone's favorites, but since the lectures are likely precursors to specific shop work getting everyone up to speed is helpful to the swarm effect. As usual to refine all that practically requires a whole other team.
Also getting part counts into https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1lgtDWFMfNn7fEidPdlap_8PqSDXJFyM_AKvdjq6KSWs/edit#gid=0
Fri Jul 5, 2019
I listened to some videos from the workshop and glanced over the 2" U-Axis doc, but still, don't have a clear picture of many concepts. I'm surprised at the size of the CNC Mill if I'm understanding correctly it may have about a 2' working area/volume? I figured for a precise mill for small metal parts that several inches would be sufficient.
A question: Given that much of the OSE workflow tends to bias towards visual learning styles how might the guided learning style in workshops be done to enable those of other learning styles to better understand existing visual documentation tools and apps?
Individuals can choose different tasks that suit their style, but we need people to learn freecad from whatever approach suits them. There were other requests for more vocabulary definitions and a glossary was a suggested solution that would be ideal. There are also existing wiki's and docs for apps like freecad, for which more links could be provided and reviewed in the lectures.
Updated my working doc (top right) with a pros/cons list of using another spreadsheet to speed swarm work of part spec collection prior to CAD drawings. I think it might be faster in ways, but I'm uncertain about the overall flow and hangups. Current methods in design sprints and workshops are to lookup the links in the BOM and find specs for parts you pick. There is some double work looking up interfacing parts specs even in a workshop where individuals can directly communicate it requires more time and interruptions. This should leave more time for needed for discussion of clearances/tolerances and understanding interactions between parts.
Thurs Jul 4, 2019
away from my Linux workstation still without a good laptop, but I've reviewed some of the active steam camp materials. Interesting to see the development and discussion as usual. I'm trying to understand the details for the 2" Universal Axis. It looks like they need a number of changes to be ready for printing.
I added a spreadsheet to File:2axismotorpiece.fcstd because I think Williams FreeCAD Workflow seems ideal for sharing consistent data values across many similar parts quickly.
Maybe a gdoc sheet would be good too. It could be sectioned with values shared across parts and changed in real-time. It should be easy to copy/paste those cells to freecad sheets then there is less data entry for each person and values remain consistent. It should also reduce typos. When values are uncertain it is also easy to copy lists of needed dimensions to keep dev's on the right track and remind people what data is still missing.
Mon Jul 1, 2019
I finished cutting up the PVC sch 40 pipe a while back for the D3D PVC Mini. I'm traveling for a few days but hope to figure out how to collaborate more during the workshop.
For the D3D PVC Mini I need to do more precise CAD of the simple extruder for which some CAD is not yet done. I think I can approximate a placeholder good enough.
I also need to further research the sources from existing BOM's. Jon reported issues for D3D Ohio parts and I'd like to avoid those.
I'm not far from ordering parts, but some of the little details are going to be important to verify first.
I'm glad to hear the STEAM Camp chose to do the Torch Table project. I think the priority order is Torch Table, CNC Router, Metal Printer. Because the Table has been in waiting for a while and well accelerate other projects significantly. The CNC Router is next because it can take lower precision parts and make them higher precision via subtractive work. The metal printer is relatively unknown and creates small low precision parts initially. Empirical testing is needed to find the hangups for the metal printer, but the use cases are more long term.
Tues Jun 18, 2019
Busier than expected with farm guests lately, but I am continuing on the D3D PVC Mini. I've cut sch 40 3/4" PVC to ~10.66" for testing. I already observe at such short lengths it is quite rigid. At 2ft it has noticeable flex under force, but infills could reduce that significantly. Vibration is harder to judge, but when supported well at both ends peices don't visibly vibrate much.
Fri Jun 7, 2019
added a bed holder to the assembly. It still needs a different design because of the offsets with the frame. To keep the bed holder length short it would be better to move the Z axis inside, but it also doesn't look like that will fit with the clamp.
https://gitlab.com/Abe_Anderson/d3d-mini-pvc/tree/master/Hardware
Tues Jun 4, 2019
Busy with farm guests so likely to miss the meeting.
Next steps trying to get good enough measurements of the simple extruder to create an assembly to help determine which way is best to orient the extruder on the X-axis.
Sat Jun 1, 2019
attempted FEM in FreeCAD on rods some trouble at first, but finally succeeded on the tube as well. I'm uncertain how easy it would be to add complexity and multiple part assemblies and materials. It seems to only work well in simplicity, but part of that is technical experience as well. At first I was concerned with following tutorials closer and in the same order, but I think the errors were fixed by resets of freecad and finer mesh when needed. Attempting a realistic large scale 4ft gantry of the Universal axis may not be worth the time. I'm uncertain yet if it can model the compression and stiffness concepts.
https://gitlab.com/Abe_Anderson/d3d-mini-pvc/tree/master/Hardware/FEM
Tues May 28, 2019
Added more notes.
Working on CAD assembly. moving X axis alignment. Further grouping and labeling all parts and axis' as similar to exiting OSE D3D machines as possible.
Mon May 27, 2019
Reviewing simple extruder and researching many other CNC/3D printer related ideas. Notes and documentation in Working Doc above.
Sun May, 26, 2019
Lots of printer research, YT videos, reprap.org, and OSE are all helpful. I can see 24V is a tempting mod given most of the electronics are designed to run at even higher voltages, but starting with a small printer I doubt there are many power or performance issues. I have not found any better info about PVC with cement in small pipes so I am skeptical but hopeful. Even #2 (1/4") rebar won't fit in 3/4" sch 40 PVC. I'm getting 20ft of sch 40 PVC because it comes in 10ft sticks and the extra I can use for testing. Hoping to see some operational data on D3D Ohio v18.02 soon too. I've been thinking about the mounting of all components & wiring. It would be nice if a single box for the components can be made slim, distribute mass & add bracing to the structure as well. It is hard to add angle braces without blocking access to the bed.
I'm also reviewing the simple extruder, which is indeed simple. https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1PRpAmQNzDs5laibZo86weuMaEYJLBIvFwt3KOx8DPn8/edit#slide=id.g51b7c7f1c2_0_4 I'm uncertain of mounting options. It doesn't look like I can just use existing parts. My first thought was the hot end should be mounted towards the Z axis so the bed rails can be as short as possible, but there is the clamp to clear. I'm curious about bed size, mass, & Z motion. Is it reasonable to imagine an 8" print area with only 1 Z?
I added groups/folders to the CAD assembly for easier axis motion. https://gitlab.com/Abe_Anderson/d3d-mini-pvc
fascinating thread on composite frames PVC is mentioned. https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,578597,579248
Fri May 24, 2019
searched for more info on cement in PVC and I found some interesting links, but nothing similar. Listening/watching many 3d printer build videos, reviewing BOM's and looking at part options and prices.
started mod of extruder motor mount. https://gitlab.com/Abe_Anderson/d3d-mini-pvc/blob/master/Hardware/extruder%20motor%20mount.FCStd
Thurs May 23, 2019
Reviewing lots of 3d printer info lately and it seems RAMPS has a lot of potential upgrades or issues to fix depending on how you look at it. It looks like RAMPS is still used mostly because it is somewhat robust or at least cheap to burn out. I suspect I'm going to want Trinamic drivers just because of the noise factor since I've set up the printer space next to my desk. TMC2130's are apparently all around more efficient too. It looks like it is better to run them at 24V though, which would require even more customizing. I don't see many variations in the RAMPS with quality components & heat sinks etc. there is the cheap and the expensive.
Adapting a quick attach looks complex without more experience and a working 3d printer to test PLA parts with. Adapting the titan bracket looks easy to start, but it is different. It is thinner than the previous mk8 style bracket and may not offer enough clamping force or strength if it gets warm? So, I'll try merging the old and new together in CAD.
Tues May 21, 2019
thinking about the alignment part and axis length. I don't think it needs much space to work. Also considering extruder attachment methods.
meeting prep.
Looking at the old Mk8 Style extruder motor holder for potential modifications.
Mon May 20, 2019
changed x axis and added to assembly. needs more alignment.
Sun May 19, 2019
found the angular misalignment of the carriages and constrained them further. I started to add the extruder, but the 3.5MB size is a bit much and I don't see any easy way to reduce it. I think the X axis needs customizing to length first anyway.
https://gitlab.com/Abe_Anderson/d3d-mini-pvc
Thurs May 16, 2019
https://gitlab.com/Abe_Anderson/d3d-mini-pvc numerous updates and simplifications of axis' parts. Much smaller files in some cases, but with enough features to position parts in assemblies accurately. Testing of newer freecad versions.
Testing A2P WB and it works much better than A2 WB just because there are no long hangups, but I do think I've run into some other issues. It is much faster and simialr enough it is easy to use though.
https://gitlab.com/Abe_Anderson/d3d-mini-pvc/blob/master/Hardware/assembly%20plus.FCStd
X axis appears to be unlevel from the side I think some of the clamps may be at slightly different levels due to constraint picking.
Tues May 14, 2019
reviewing File:Xy bracket.fcstd and File:D3Dfinalassemblyv1902.fcstd recent changes to consider part use overlap or versioning.
Sat May 11, 2019
more re-assembly of D3D with new XY bracket.
Note for the changes to File:Xy bracket.fcstd I reworked the part off measurements and in doing so thought I'd see if just drawing half of it and mirroring would be faster. In hindsight I doubt this helped much. Checking & copying measurements or sketches from other parts takes about as much time and there may be reasons to break the symmetry. Also, the mirror function being in the part WB makes the workflow seem a little confusing. The newness of the body & part structures and how it shows in the tree are primarily what made it seem odd.
I'm still thinking about slots versus holes and I'm curious if it can be used to offset the bed (with another part) up to reach the nozzle from the overhead X axis.
Something weird is going on. Every time I try to adjust the length of the rods in the axis' the length between the top and bottom Z clamps measures slightly shorter as if the frame is adjusting smaller as well for some reason!!? Oh, missing constraints allowing movement of clamp.
resolved axis length. https://gitlab.com/Abe_Anderson/d3d-mini-pvc
If the XY Bracket gets slots the X axis ends can be made flush with the back of the brackets. It is only 0.2" off one way from that now. With slots lining up the position correctly is the only major potential point of error in the assembly I can see now.
Fri May 10, 2019
Writing return email to Marcin. Looking at X-Y axis alignment on D3D Mini PVC. The X-Y angle bracket isn't quite symmetric, but the holes line up with the larger U-Axis parts, but not the holes in the short idler. I'm wondering if a slotted XY bracket would help make mounting various designs easier. Keeping to the universal parts is still a challenge given various sizes of frames and axis length possibilities.
The bed height to the extruder nozzle needs to be solved as well. Bolting some existing parts together should work as in similar designs, but I don't see what is easiest yet. For some aspects it looks like changing rod length and/or mount points would still be easier.
I'm trying to understand the XY bracket misalignment more thoroughly to decide what is the more future proof universally compatible part to change. Making slots seems more future proof except that it creates the possibility of slip and error in physical assembly. I see the v19.0x use the half-carriage, but that doesn't make sense for this design and simplicity would be nice all around. I see the XY bracket sketches aren't constrained and look off, but they appear to constrain and align well in assembly. The asymmetry is only the first issue to fix. The length for this printer is different from the original use, which is why I'm considering slots. If more holes are added it will work for only the current build designs, but slots will give flexibility for future size variations.
Sat May 4, 2019
reworking D3D Mini PVC full assembly https://gitlab.com/Abe_Anderson/d3d-mini-pvc
Fri May 3, 2019
catching up on FreeCAD status. https://forum.freecadweb.org/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=35546 FreeCAD 0.18 is technically officially released to source code at least. 0.18 includes mostly backend updates like python 3 support and other good long term under the hood fixes. So effectively skipping 0.17 may be fairly easy.
I see the issue I noticed before with a FreeCAD version not fully loading is 0.18.1, which is the current official stable version. FreeCAD Daily 0.18 loads ok. 0.17 is running from an app image I think. I see many new interesting workbenches I haven't tried before in the add-on manager.
Reworking the D3D Mini PVC with more separate parts like the carriages on the axis' also makes the assembly more complex. I see that the freecad assembly forum thread suggests for most simple assembly needs the part and body containers relative and absolute positioning is good enough.
Tues Apr 30, 2019
improving CAD for the full assembly of https://gitlab.com/Abe_Anderson/d3d-mini-pvc
Fri Apr 26, 2019
Almost done with the 3D Printer shelf I think, but I'm more busy with spring planting etc.
I found some interesting 3D printed garden seeding tools and companion planting patterns. I've been hoping to find simple tools and ways to automate more complex seeding patterns. There are many plastic seed tools I've seen that might be 3d printable, but accuracy is probably important for small seed tools. Maybe adjustable tools could be designed as well. If the print quality is low precisely drilling holes ends up being needed anyway.
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:23466 http://organic.kysu.edu/CompanionSpacing.shtml
Besides having shelf done for a printing workspace I need to RTM, develop and go through checklists for what 3D Printer parts I need to order f
