Calilfornia Reprappers sound off

This is Ken in Sunnyvale. I'm about to get a Mendel, just trying to decide on which full kit to get. I've got it narrowed down to the TechZone or the MakerGear version. Does anybody have any advice, pros and cons between the two that might help me make a decision?

Thanks,
Ken

Hey Ken,

Any luck on your build? What kit have you decided on?

Thanks,
SnapDaddy

In Palo Alto.

Was at the Menlo Park TechShop last night for a South Bay Metal Workers meeting (see our Yahoo group: SBMetal Meets 2nd Tues. of each month, 7 PM, MP TechShop). We didn't have a quorum, but this group was meeting next door, so we merged meetings :-) Interesting session. Thanks, JR, et al.

I joined here over a year ago, but haven't been active. Other projects (embedded systems, wearable sensors, metalworking, woodworking, etc.) But given the impetus of last night, I want to get back to some experiments with extruders. (Pointers to the latest wisdom on this topic would be appreciated :-) Saw some Maker Gear nozzles that looked interesting. Have a metal lathe, vertical mill, etc., so can do some fabrication.

Have some stepper motors and linear bearings extracted from medical lab gear. Made my own microstepping controllers. (Design and PCB layout available; 0.75a, 46v) Thus will probably build my own version of the RepRap hardware.

Mike

In Santa Clara. Been following reprap for a few years and finally dove in with a Prusa kit. Currently waiting for parts to arrive to begin assembly.

In San Jose. Started building Prusa Mendel. The Sanguinololu electronics is done but not tested. Started on the frame with a clonedel but sense problems with not so precise drilling. Are there any local meet ups?

Hello, again. Just wanted to mention that I'm working on a "RepStrap" (I guess you would call it that) -- a manually machined (lathe and mill) 3D printer, borrowing RepRap community ideas liberally ><

Have just completed a variation on Wade's geared head, machined from aluminum. Showed it to some folks at Maker Faire (e.g., the MakerBot team) who want me to publish the implementation. Sigh.... paperwork. (Would rather be making chips :-) Will try to do that.

Had some plastic spur gears in the right ratio (roughly 3.5:1) to go between the stepper motor and drive shaft, but at 16DP, the shaft separation is just slightly :-) too small for the stepper to clear the geared head. So I need bigger gears.

What to do? Buy a pair from an online gear supplier in plastic for about $10? Heck no, not when I can machine my own out of brass or Delrin :-) Then, I'll need to make the appropriate cutter (or buy for $$$). Or..... make a form relieving tool to make my own gear cutters to make my own gears..... Of course, the latter choice. So I'm now machining a bunch of parts in stainless steel and tool steel..... Funny, how one project leads to another

Will be happy to show these items at the next meeting.

Mike

Hi Mike,

Are you organizing another meeting? When is it? Still at the TechShop?

Thanks!

lonepine31 Wrote:
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> Hi Mike,
>
> Are you organizing another meeting? When is it?
> Still at the TechShop?
>
> Thanks!

I was referring to the next South Bay Metalworkers meeting -- on the new schedule of first Tues. of each month, it will be tomorrow night at 7:30 PM, Menlo Park TechShop. You're certainly welcome to attend. Bring something for show-and-tell.

Mike

Hi,

Luke in Monterey bay. I am completely new to this and am a 3d artist not a mechanical, mathematical, electrical...genius like you guys. I am not sure where to go with this as far as building, buying, or just paying to have my parts printed. Hopefully there are people near me I can hook up with. I would drive to the bay area for a meeting if there is one anytime soon.

Thanks
Luke

Luke,

I do 3D printing with a BfB Rapman. I'm out in Carmel Valley.

Forrest

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Hell, there are no rules here - we're trying to accomplish something.

Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.

Thomas A. Edison

I just picked up a RepRap Mendel Mondo from TechZone.

Based out in Half Moon Bay.

-t

i'm building a prusa, live in north oakland, go to ucb, and i really want to meet others in this community. hit me up anytime

I'm (attempting to) build a Mondo, and am about to buy a Prusa.

I live in Walnut Creek.

Any advice for where to purchase the 8mm rods and NEMA motors?

Thanks!
Gareth

I'm in Scott's Valley. I built a Reprap prusa. It prints ABS and PLA. I have access to Objet and machine shop.

I am in the North Bay area and have an E-Maker Huxley kit. I could really use help getting it built. If there was somewhere I could go to meet up with other RepRappers and get this thing made and running it would be a huge help to me
If there are meetups and dates/times/directions etc. I would love to go.

Thank you much!

Hi all, I just picked up an ultimaker. Live in north Oakland looking for local contact.

Thanks
Brian

Just printed my first pieces on my Pursa Mendel Iteration 1
I work in Sunnyvale, and live in the SantaCruz mountains.

That is great news. The more working printers the better. I live and work in Scotts Valley. I have a Prusa that has been printing for months. We should get together and form a local users group.
Bill Seiler
bseiler@netzero.net

Hello All,

New the the board, but not so new to 3d printing. Been playing around for a while on a really cruddy makerbot at TechShop. I've decided to build a Reprap (Prusa Air 2). Have all the parts now, and hopefully will be up and running this weekend.

Please join other Reprappers every Wednesday at Noisebridge. Also there is a google group: groups.google.com/group/bay-area-reprap.

I got my first Prusa working for about two months now with mostly amazing results in PLA (could not get ABS to work yet.)

Thanks,
Gareth

Hello from Hayward!

I have had my Prusa running for about a month now as I conducted various experiments on what can and can't be done with it and now am doing a total rework to add features that I want and more importantly the build envelope that I need. It is printing it's replacement as I write this. I would love to get together with like minded Reprappers here in the bay area but seem to have been hitting a wall with finding out where and when there are any meets. I looked up Noisebridge and according to their website the Replicator's meetings do not seem to be going on there right now. Correct or not?

Mike

Hi Guys, I currently collecting the parts I need to build a RepRapPro Mendel (three color head). I do Prototype IO Controllers for consumer products, Control pads, basically embedded systems. So I am looking for a cheap prototype System for cases, and my toys. I am having trouble though fining someone how I can pay to print my Plastic parts, the last quote I got was around $800.00 US Dollars. That’s more than a Kit of all parts. In Any Event I am In Livermore, CA.

Santa Rosa. I don't have a printer yet, but might build one soon. It would be nice to find someone close who could print me some parts.

I am building a Prusa I3 , Im kind of in way over my head but having a really good time with the Journey of building this thing. It is improving my skills substantially on many different fronts.

I am Muirén Ní Sídach, She, Her Teknomage, Storyteller, Musician, Maker, Fashionista, Advocate for Ecocentric Socially Responsible Technology.
My personal and professional discipline involves learning something outside my comfort zone and creating something every day.
My current mission is in the capacity of a Cooperative Enterprise and Product Architect, founding Ráıthold Cooperatıve Unıon dba An Solas Sí ArtScıence, a Live-Learn-Make Cooperative, an Intentional Community for Communications, Performing Arts, Content Development, Intellectual Property Management. It is an innovation in cooperative business architecture organized through establishing foundational grassroots, evolving through disciplined action research, design, and development into formal incorporation and operation.
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