Here is the shot of the two finished corner brackets. The furthest one has been trimmed of string, the nearest has not. They seem functional but I need more to know for sure.Note how the holes in the sides have been sealed off by stringing. This problem has since been much reduced.
Here we have the start of a Corner Bracket (that died 1 min after I took the photo due to me tugging the USB lead out). Steve DeGroof kindly modified the STL file so that it will print without support material and so I decided to give it a whirl. The RepRap is running much faster following Adrian's recent changes to speed corners up, as I have been able to raise the speed in general.Two other milestones: The communications now copes if you disconnect the serial lead and reconnect it again - though not so happy if you disconnect the USB lead! Also I've now printed with over 100m of PLA filament.
Vik :v)
Did you switch to PLA because it works better than CAPA or just to try it as an alternative?
ReplyDeleteIs PLA sufficiently stiff to require the offset drive or will it bend enough for the direct drive version of the extruder?
I used PLA because we want to use it - it's relatively light on the environment which is a consideration if your machine is going to replicate by the million.
ReplyDeleteI personally used it because the helpful people at Imagin Plastics ran me off 800m of 3mm filament and it was sitting in my workshop!
Later I began to appreciate its different qualities, notably that it can hold boiling water and hot stepper motors.
PLA *Just* makes it through a direct drive extruder, provided you cut the little ring off the end of the motor casing. It does need very, very lightly lubricating, which is done by tying an oily rag around it.
You will also need to use a chunkier 12V motor for PLA. I've got a couple of dozen doing nothing, but to use it surgery is needed on the gearbox and a new bracket needs to be squished out of CAPA. Obviously a proper motor/gearbox combo will be needed.
Vik :v)