Building the C-Bot 3D printer: Part 12 : Assembly Day 6
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Today I righted some wrongs of the past, and got nearly all the hardware assembled:
Corrections:
- Mason updated the ACME block holders and I reprinted both of them for install: Now the z-steppers and lead-screws line up perfectly vertical. Nice! Unfortunately I ran out of the pretty ‘soulful blue‘ filament I’ve been using, so I had to print them in a different color blue. A nice blue as well, but I was hoping to keep this all the same color.
- Mason gave me the shim I was missing, so I was able to finish installing the X-gantry/hotend bracket.
New stuff:
- Got the E3d Volcano mounted to the x-hotend gantry.
- Mounted the Bowden extruder to the frame & connected the PTFE tube to the extruder.
- Installed the heated build platform.
- Printed and installed end-caps for the Z-gantry.
Notes on the HBP install:
- I’d just eyeballed the location of the paired cantilevered 20×40 extrusions (the ones along the Y axis, which I will now refer to as the ‘Y-extrusions’) that hold the HBP and attach perpendicular to the 20×60 z-gantry: Of course this wasn’t close to how the HPB wanted to be mounted.
- The process I used to get it mounted is as follows:
- I measured the distance from the mounting holes on my HBP: It’s 12″ square, and the mounting holes happen to be exactly 30cm apart.
- Starting on the left Y-extrusion, I measured 1cm back from the front to bolt in the first mounting bracket to: I based this on eyeballing how far forward my hot end could move.
- From there, I measured back 30cm, and installed the other bracket. I then repeated this process on the right Y-extrusion.
- Laying the printer on it’s front, I loosened the bolts holding both Y-extrusions to the z-gantry allowing me to slide them left and right:
- First, I got them spaced 30cm apart (based on the holes on their previously installed mounting brackets). Then I centered them by measuring how far away they were from either side of the gantry, and slowing shifting them until they remained 30cm apart, but an equal distance from either side.
- Righting the printer, I then loosened them up again, and made sure the two end brackets were 30cm apart from hole to hole. Tighten everything up.
- From there it was easy to install the mounting springs, bolts, and thumbscrews.
- Finally, I found a level spot in my house (which is surprisingly hard actually, considering it’s on a hill and built in 1938), and used a bubble-level to “level” the rear z-gantry by twisting the lead-screws.
Gotchas:
- I ended up cutting up one of M3x25mm bolts to help attach the swinging arm to my Bowdwen extruder: As it turns out, I needed that to install my HBP: I only had 4 left. So I’m short one, but luckily Mason has a spare he can get me.
- When installing Mason’s new ACME block holders, they were about 3mm deeper than before to compensate for the previously-mention misalignment issue. The problem is, the bolts I custom cut to attach them were now too short: More bolt cutting ensued based on the new design.
The only thing left hardware-wise is running the belts: I’m still waiting for my pullys to show up, but I hope to have them this week. So the next stop will be electronics!
Time spent: About two hours.
Day 12 progress
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