Friday, July 15, 2005
Meccano prototype with new turntable
We've got quite far with the Meccano prototype. This is what it looks like now (some samples shown on block in right-hand corner):
Note we've added a 5V power supply, hence the large heatsink. The turntable now has three adjustable legs, and is made of an old sweet tin lid, rather than being a Meccano gear wheel. The toy pistol lower right has turned out to be a good source of strong springs.
We have added the changeover switch from a cars' electric window mechanism. This allowed us to make the carriage and turntable assembly fly wildly back and forth. We have discovered that when the extended turntable comes to a sudden halt, the Polymorph saddles spontaniously detach ("fall off") from the rails, and the whole blooming thing jams!
We will attempt to fix this by mounting the saddles with their supports held vertically. This may also reduce friction further.
We've just realised that our LM7805 power regulator - the one hiding behind the heatsink at the front - is rated at 1A. Our motor takes about 1.5A, so we're rapidly looking into this LM350K variable voltage regulator-inna-can-thingie I found. These beasts apparently happily supply 4.5A to hungry motors, but need a little more setting up.
Vik :v) & 4sh
Note we've added a 5V power supply, hence the large heatsink. The turntable now has three adjustable legs, and is made of an old sweet tin lid, rather than being a Meccano gear wheel. The toy pistol lower right has turned out to be a good source of strong springs.
We have added the changeover switch from a cars' electric window mechanism. This allowed us to make the carriage and turntable assembly fly wildly back and forth. We have discovered that when the extended turntable comes to a sudden halt, the Polymorph saddles spontaniously detach ("fall off") from the rails, and the whole blooming thing jams!
We will attempt to fix this by mounting the saddles with their supports held vertically. This may also reduce friction further.
We've just realised that our LM7805 power regulator - the one hiding behind the heatsink at the front - is rated at 1A. Our motor takes about 1.5A, so we're rapidly looking into this LM350K variable voltage regulator-inna-can-thingie I found. These beasts apparently happily supply 4.5A to hungry motors, but need a little more setting up.
Vik :v) & 4sh
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I sure wish you had a closer pic of the products you've produced with the system. Is that a glue gun you're using as an extruder?
Have a look in the Meccano glue gun document on the RepRap site's documentation section.
It is indeed a glue gun, with a motorized feed made from Meccano.
We've even rolled Polymorph to the same dimensions as a glue stick and put it through one. The nozzle is a bit large though.
Vik :v)
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It is indeed a glue gun, with a motorized feed made from Meccano.
We've even rolled Polymorph to the same dimensions as a glue stick and put it through one. The nozzle is a bit large though.
Vik :v)
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