Well its been quite a while since we last posted, but at the same time I think we've managed to accomplish a little bit. As promised, I've included the xyz stage research. There's only a few of them profiled, but it seems that they are the most searched and most well documented 3d printer attempts.
To simplify the project, we decided to focus on construction of the xyz stages at this point while fiddling with the Makerbot extruder, and then turn to the extruder construction after the xyz stage was finished.
We were to begin the CAD model of the Rapter machine, but then it struck us: What's the point of designing the xyz stages if we can't even buy the materials to make them? Hence began the adventure of checking all the hardware stores.
Turns out looking for cheap but reliable materials is about as easy as finding carmen sandiego. It should be noted that Canada (especially here in Kitchener-Waterloo) is not very hobbyist friendly, making the search for simple things like bearings, gears and timing belts a huge pain. Thankfully with some perserverance, we were able to land some materials. Here's a quick summary of the suppliers:
-aluminum frame pieces, threaded rods, some assortment of bearings/bushings: princess auto
-bolts, nuts, fasteners etc.: home depot
-aluminum plate for heated build platform: Metal supermarket
-Polycarbonate for x-y stage: SABIC in Brampton (the Toronto Area distribution center)
Local/cheap suppliers for stepper motors, timing belts, and a better selection of bearings is still in the works (McMaster Carr is somewhat pricey and some of the other sites have ridiculous shipping costs due to them being based in the U.S.). If anyone knows any good locations to get some, please let us know by leaving a comment or sending us an email at wat.rapter(at)gmail.com.
In the next post, I'll share some screenshots of the CAD model of our printer design, as well as the pictures of our frame under construction.
until next time,
Eric
-WatRapter team Co-Lead
Hi guys,
ReplyDeleteIt's Tina. I am Treasurer of IEEE and suggested we do this 3-D printer project. Anyway, this is a really good and cheap site of parts that you can order: http://www.ultimachine.com/
To save money, I suggest you list everything you need to purchase and buy it all at the same time. If you only have a few things to buy then try Creatron (it's in downtown Toronto) or even Home Hardware. Creatron is kind of expensive so maybe use it as last resort.
Good luck!
I was able to get some parts for things from Fastenal. It looks like there are two in Kitchener, and another one in Waterloo. You can search for products on their website, and a phone call to the nearest location will let you know how quickly you can get a part.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.fastenal.com
For bearings, Ebay might be the cheapest, but I bought some from a local skateboard shop.