3d printer - Leapfrog creatr conversion

[ddmckee54]

I've seen worse prints that people were REALLY proud of.  As in thinking this is a high quality print when it had a terrible finish.  What material are you printing, and what's your layer thickness?

[BillTodd]

Hi,

It is Multicomp-pro PLA sliced in cura with a 0.3 layer ,(0.4 nozzle)  .  I'm new to Cura but having failed to stop Prusaslicer causing blob on insert after retract I swapped . Cura's default seem better chosen. except...

I've just had to cancel a print 2 hours in because of missing supports.

I also need to get myself a proper build plate. I have a PEI sheet stuck to a steel plate that bubble up and pings the part off after a while, A creality style plastic sheet to which PLA sticks like s*** to a blanket, but bulges in the middle if I heat just the middle plate ,  and a painted steel plate that seems OK but just doesn't have quite enough 'stick' for deeper parts.

I'm looking for a custom PEI spring plate supplier (the one I knew in the UK has folded)  310x350 is not standard . I can get 350x350 but I'd need to cut it and I don't think my  guillotine will cut a spring tempered sheet well.

[BillTodd]

Aha just found out why my PEI sheet was shyte  - I had a peel off protection layer 

no wonder it was bubbling 

[awemawson]

"I'm looking for a custom PEI spring plate supplier (the one I knew in the UK has folded)  310x350 is not standard . I can get 350x350 but I'd need to cut it and I don't think my  guillotine will cut a spring tempered sheet well."

A 4.5" angle grinder and a 1 mm cutting disc would make light work of cutting it.

[BillTodd]

Hi Andrew,  Yes I think you're right . I was worried about damaging the PEI , but looking at the steel panels I'm currently using - sliced out of an old PC box with said angel-grinder - the edges are remarkably singe free.

[BillTodd]

I may be premature but, this is as done as I can get it, until the touch sensor arrives.

[BillTodd]

A sleek Biqu microprobe arrived promising +/- 3um accuracy ....



While measuring the logic output, I found it  has a linear range of about 200um thus making it entirely reliant on the logic threshold of the I/O port -   

I cannot seem to get Marlin to use the probe as a Homing device , which is what i bought it for , as i don't really need to level the bed every print and only want to be able to change surfaces (which will vary in height) .

[BillTodd]

 I left it at the end of the last year working OK ,but, when I returned to the other day my resin printed stepper motor end-plates had distorted and jammed due to creep.

So, as a quick fix ,I redesigned it to use the stepper motor with its metal end-plates. After several failures, involving temperature resin selection and weak supports,  i finally have it vack together

Next is to design a new extruder with a different (lighter) motor with a mechanism to allow the hot-end / filament guide to be swapped out (with the long-term aim to have a tool changer)

[awemawson]

Slightly off topic, but in the latest ”Project Binky” episode they are 3D printing solder to form tracks on a PCB. Amazing !

[BillTodd]

I heard about that, I'll chase it down.

I made some frog-legs (a stand for the printer) and modified the Lilly-Pad controller.

By adding M117 Ext:{first_layer_print_min[0]},{first_layer_print_min[1]},{first_layer_print_max[0]},{first_layer_print_max[1]}  to the custom gcode in Prusa slicer , I can automatically select which heaters to use on the segmented bed

[BillTodd]

Just to finish up this year's printer mods...

I bought a cheap spring steel textured printer plate for a prusa xl , which conveniently fits without cutting. I can't use all the prints space but it'll do nicely.

I added a plastic separator between the electronics and the cabinet to tidy up the wiring.

Extended the box on the stand so it would be large enough for my sweety collection ( the boxes make ideal spool containers).

[Brass_Machine]

Coolness. I like using textured plates.

Awaiting some parts so I can get back to mine.

[BillTodd]

Amphibian Dual extruder.

This is a dual switching extruder idea I've been working on for the Frogspawn

The basic function is that the separate hot-end / pinch roller assembly pivot to an angle , disconnecting the pinch drive and slightly lifting to one-side the nozzle.

a spring latch releases one extruder assembly when the other is pushed into the latch . Selection of either extruder is by simply pushing the print-head into a sprung lever on the far right front.

I've added a bed-probe that will be dropped when homed by releasing both extruders.

The extruders can be removed from the print head with a clip that should allow an alternative extruder to be swapped in easily .

I have prototyped the print-head and switch mechanism and i'm finalising the design of the coolers

[BillTodd]

Here's a couple of pics of the prototype extruder module.

the clip on the left side ejects the extruder when released and then holds it  in place until manually removed.

I'm using clone bambu hotends .