dpmacri's Rostock Build

[dpmacri]

My kit is supposed to arrive by end of day on Friday. While I wait, there's not much to do (okay, I *do* have to work ) other than read the forums here, pour through Gene's manual and regularly check the various tracking sites for all of the extra stuff I ordered.

This is my first 3D printer, so I'm quite excited to get started! And probably going overboard on all of the stuff I've ordered to build the thing. I bought the Carbon Fiber tube arms from TrickLaser (http://tricklaser.com/Carbon-Fiber-Tube ... M-CFTX.htm) and I also ordered some of the stepper motors from eBay to take the dampers off of (http://www.ebay.com/itm/Lot-of-5-Steppe ... 19db790f12). That plus the MAX plus a bunch of tools, forceps, etc. listed in Gene's manual have already put the cost at over $1500 -- this is going to be an expensive hobby

The good news is that my wife keeps telling me how much of a learning experience this will be for my 9 year old to help out! As long as dad can maintain his patience

I'll probably be slow to post things, but I'll try to update with progress and pics as I go along.

[Eaglezsoar]

We always like to look at pictures from new builds. Have a lot of patience and let you son work with you, it will be a great learning experience for him
and a lesson in patience for Dad. Make sure you have the latest manual, a new one was posted today. Have fun and welcome to the Rostock Max
community.

[dpmacri]

My Kit arrived today and the build has begun I...well, really WE as the kids really wanted to help...got everything unpacked and all of the tape removed. Which means that I won't be painting since I read Gene's suggestions on painting *after* I had already started removing the tape. Oh well, white is a nice color for my printer

One comment, that I'm curious if others have seen. Of the three melamine boards, one of them seemed to not have had the laser cut deep enough for everything to pop out easily. I had to use quite a bit of force to get some of the screw holes to pop out.

I'll post some pictures as soon as I figure out how

[dpmacri]

Nothing too exciting so far. Here's everything unpacked

[img]http://myplace.frontier.com/~dean.macri ... C05609.JPG[/img]

And here's a shot of one of the pieces from the melamine that seemed like the laser didn't cut deep enough. Note that I was able to pull off most of the masking without the cut pieces falling out (in fact, I had to use a lot of force to remove them.

[img]http://myplace.frontier.com/~dean.macri ... C05610.JPG[/img]

Here's after I got the tape off of everything. Yes, one of the pieces is being clamped -- to glue a corner of the melamine back on. My daughter got a little ambitious and I didn't give very good (okay any) instructions about how to remove the pieces from the sheets. And she accidentally twisted the piece causing the corner to crack. I don't think it will matter, though

[img]http://myplace.frontier.com/~dean.macri ... C05612.JPG[/img]

Finally, here's a shot of the T-Slot supports. They're the same height, but the holes don't really line up. I think those are just for routing cables. Hopefully this won't be a problem for my build

[img]http://myplace.frontier.com/~dean.macri ... C05613.JPG[/img]

[Eaglezsoar]

Looks good and it's great you have your daughter participating.
It's amazing what the children can learn from these kind of projects, it's possible it
will instill an interest in science and a great bonding experience for you both.
Good luck with the build and keep sending the pictures.

[kbob]

Finally, here's a shot of the T-Slot supports. They're the same height, but the holes don't really line up. I think those are just for routing cables. Hopefully this won't be a problem for my build

[img]http://myplace.frontier.com/~dean.macri ... C05613.JPG[/img]

The small hole with the countersink ring has to line up with another piece. You're right about the larger holes. They are just for cables, and their position is not critical.

[dpmacri]

We were able to get everything put together for the base, the arms, the top and the idler mounts. Made a few mistakes along the way, the worst of which was stripping the threads for one of the set screws on one of the gears attached to the motors. I'm not exactly sure how I did it, but I think I must have had the screw cross-threaded when I started putting it in I thought it was a little tight to turn but assumed it was due to the thread locker -- apparently it wasn't Anyone think that will be a problem (i.e. are *both* set of set screws needed or will the one that contacts the flat side of the motor shaft be sufficient)?

Here's a picture of the assembled base, extrusions and top:

[img]http://myplace.frontier.com/~dean.macri ... stock3.jpg[/img]

We've moved on to assembling the bearings. I sanded the u-joint slots and felt I had them good for the bearings being able to spin freely. However, after mounting them to the melanine, only one of 6 still spin freely. The good news is I can sand some more

[Eaglezsoar]

You really do need both of the setscrews working. Contact SeemeCNC and see if they will replace or sell you a new one.

[dpmacri]

You really do need both of the setscrews working. Contact SeemeCNC and see if they will replace or sell you a new one.

Thanks, I sent a note to SeeMeCNC to see if I can order just one or if I need to order the set of 3 pulleys, 6 set screws and the wrench.

Is the issue that the pulley will come loose or be out of balance or something else? I've also thought of just putting some super glue in the hole if the pulley coming loose is the issue. Of course, that will probably be a problem when I get my dampers

[Eaglezsoar]

The pulley will eventually come loose and you will spend hours trying to find out what's causing your printer to suddenly not print right.
I am the type that when something is built that is designed for two screws, that is how many it should have. Do it right the first time
will save hours later. Would you drive your car with one of its lug nuts missing? One is a safety factor, one is not - point being the parts are
designed by engineers who do not waste time drilling and tapping holes that are not necessary. While we are on the subject, your motors should
have flats on the shafts doubly ensuring that the screws will hold the pulley tightly. You can find dozens of threads on this Forum where users talk
about the importance of flats on the shafts. There are also dozens of threads on how to put a flat on a shaft if it doesn't have one. The easiest way is
to use a gentle touch with an angle grinder. I know I talk to much but the subject of the pulleys is important and you should not half ass this area of assembly.

[dpmacri]

The pulley will eventually come loose and you will spend hours trying to find out what's causing your printer to suddenly not print right.
I am the type that when something is built that is designed for two screws, that is how many it should have. Do it right the first time
will save hours later. Would you drive your car with one of its lug nuts missing? One is a safety factor, one is not - point being the parts are
designed by engineers who do not waste time drilling and tapping holes that are not necessary. While we are on the subject, your motors should
have flats on the shafts doubly ensuring that the screws will hold the pulley tightly. You can find dozens of threads on this Forum where users talk
about the importance of flats on the shafts. There are also dozens of threads on how to put a flat on a shaft if it doesn't have one. The easiest way is
to use a gentle touch with an angle grinder. I know I talk to much but the subject of the pulleys is important and you should not half ass this area of assembly.

I totally appreciate the feedback! I'm new to 3D printing and have lots to learn

Regarding the flat on the shaft, my motors have ONE flat spot. Should I have a flat spot under *both* set screws? The screw holes are 90 degrees apart.

[Eaglezsoar]

You need only one flat per shaft, not two. You should be fine the way you are if as you say, you have the flat.

[dpmacri]

Today I experienced the awesomeness that is the guys at SeeMeCNC! I had e-mail John to ask about ordering a replacement pulley like the one I damaged and he said they were just sending me one, Free of Charge! I'm sure the damage is my fault, but they weren't willing to accept any payment. Just asked that I help someone else in the future, perhaps here on the forums. I'm not sure I have much to offer yet, but when I do, I'll be glad to help!

Regarding my build, I won't get a chance to work on it again until Friday But I'll post more pictures after more progress is made.

[Eaglezsoar]

Today I experienced the awesomeness that is the guys at SeeMeCNC! I had e-mail John to ask about ordering a replacement pulley like the one I damaged and he said they were just sending me one, Free of Charge! I'm sure the damage is my fault, but they weren't willing to accept any payment. Just asked that I help someone else in the future, perhaps here on the forums. I'm not sure I have much to offer yet, but when I do, I'll be glad to help!

Regarding my build, I won't get a chance to work on it again until Friday But I'll post more pictures after more progress is made.

Awesome is a good word. Those guys are great!
We'll be looking forward to your new pictures. I have probably seen dozens of new builds posted on this forum but each new one is still exciting
to see. I also seem to learn something from each one. Thanks for posting the build.

[dpmacri]

Finally got a chance to do some more building today! My son and I got the cheapskates installed. Fortunately for me, as I was scratching my head trying to figure out why we only had one 1.75" #6 screw left for the axel supports, he put it through one of the supports and realized that 1.75" was too short. So typo in the instruction manual (Gene B, if you're reading this, it's on page 66 -- the screw for the axels should be 2").

Cheapskates installed

Once we got those on and were pretty comfortable that they were moving smoothly, my son had to go to bed

So I installed the belts:

Belt's installed

And then I installed the arms and the effector platform. Yes, I cheated from having to do all that sanding by using the Trick Laser arms I ordered I was actually planning on using the SeeMeCNC arms initially and then upgrading at a later date. I had even sanded the U-joints on the Cheapskates to have the universal joints spin freely. But when it was time to do the effector platform and I realized how much sanding I'd have to do (plus it was already late ), I just decided to go straight to the Trick Laser arms. Man, they're nice! Installation was a breeze (I had bought the pre-assembled arms).

Here's where I'm at today:

Arms and effector platform installed

One more note on the assembly manual (I'll write these up for Gene separately when I'm finished in case he's not reading here): the manual on pages 79 and 80 refer to the sheet metal screws for assembling the platform as being 1/2". I'm 99% certain they're 1/4" -- at least that's what came in my kit and what I used

Hopefully we'll get the extruder (and more!) assembled tomorrow!

[dpmacri]

Well, after some on-and-off building over the long weekend, I got everything put together and wired up. Here's a picture of the finished product:

Dean' Rostock MAX - Finished!

I'm using a Mac for the host side, so I had to veer a little from the documentation on setup (some things aren't labeled the same as the Windows version in the Repetier Host SW). I spent almost an hour trying to get the latest firmware to upload -- although it was entirely my fault. It WAS uploading, except in the Repetier HOST software, when I "connected" to the printer, I had somehow chosen the "Virtual Printer" -- so I wasn't actually talking to my printer

Once I figured that out, I issued a G28 and the print head drove all the way to the bottom -- I panic'd! Wasn't sure what to do! So I manually hit each of the limit switches by hand as the thing was jittering in one of the corners. Of course, you have to hit each of them "twice" because of the bounce mechanism. In hindsight, I should have thrown the power switch

Anyway, after that, I inverted all of the axis in the firmware and re-uploaded. Then I was able to get G28 to work and move the carriage around -- fun! I turn on the heat for the print head and the heated bed and they both appeared to be responding. So I shut them down. Interesting how much the heat continues to rise on the print head after the power to it was turned off!

Finally, I checked the PEEK fan -- but it doesn't work I know the connection down to the RAMBO is fully connected, and a red LED turns on on the RAMBO when I turn the fan on. But it's not spinning I'll do some more debugging later today. I can surely proceed without it, but I'd really like to know why it's not working

I can't wait to calibrate and start printing...something

[lordbinky]

It doesn't take much to stall those little DC fan motors so make sure you don't have it screwed in/attached too firmly, it can slightly bend the shell of the fan prevent movement, and you need to double check your polarity on their connection.

[Eaglezsoar]

Finally, I checked the PEEK fan -- but it doesn't work I know the connection down to the RAMBO is fully connected, and a red LED turns on on the RAMBO when I turn the fan on. But it's not spinning I'll do some more debugging later today. I can surely proceed without it, but I'd really like to know why it's not working

NO, you cannot proceed without the PEEK fan. It is one of the most important fans on the machine. It keeps the PEEK from melting, the filament from jamming, etc.
DO NOT PROCEED without that fan operational.

[dpmacri]

Thanks, LordBinky. I actually verified that the fan works as installed by hooking up a 12V DC adapter to it (and seeing it spin). So I looked at the RAMBO schematic and realized that the LED that illuminates when I click the "Fan On" button in Repetier HOST (again, this is the Mac version) is actually LED3. Which is for Fan 0.

So my question is this: should I be moving the Fan wires to Fan 0 on the RAMBO? The diagram from the manual shows to have it on FAN1.

[dpmacri]

Thanks, Eaglezsoar. I'm thinking that perhaps the problem is with the Repetier HOST SW. Or at least when using the Manual stuff to send g-code. The Mac UI has a button to turn on the fan and that appears to be powering the wrong pins for the way things are wired.

Any Mac users out there that know if what I'm seeing is a Mac specific issue?

[Eaglezsoar]

Thanks, LordBinky. I actually verified that the fan works as installed by hooking up a 12V DC adapter to it (and seeing it spin). So I looked at the RAMBO schematic and realized that the LED that illuminates when I click the "Fan On" button in Repetier HOST (again, this is the Mac version) is actually LED3. Which is for Fan 0.

So my question is this: should I be moving the Fan wires to Fan 0 on the RAMBO? The diagram from the manual shows to have it on FAN1.

I don't know much about the Mac version of Host but if Fan 0 becomes active when you push the Fan On button, then I would change the fan to fan 0.
The only complication would be if you do dual extruders in the future. Then you may have to do some remapping of the Pins in the Firmware but at this
point connect to Fan 0 and make darn sure it works before trying to print. That fan should always be on when the Hot End is on.

[dpmacri]

Thanks, Eaglezsoar. I'm going to make sure I get the fan working before I try to print anything (or even attempt bring the hot-end up to temperature ).

I'll move the wires to Fan 0 and see if that works. I do want to have dual extruders at some point, but will obviously need to the basics working first. I'm curious if you (or anyone else reading knows) why the manual has the fan hooked up to Fan 1 anyway. Seems logical to have the Heat & Fan for a given extruder paired in the first place

[dpmacri]

I moved the fan connection to Fan 0 and I can now control it from Repetier Host -- Yay

Now I can move on to calibrating this thing...if I didn't actually have to do work

[dpmacri]

Boy, I feel like an idiot for having rammed by print-head into the bed when I first issued the G28. It was late and I was pretty tired, but really wanted to get things going. I just went back to the manual now to see what to do next and realized that Gene had an explicit warning about having one hand on the power switch before issuing the G28 command!

Anyway, lesson learned. I don't think anything is really damaged (I looked over the belts and didn't see anything obviously wrong), but am still frustrated that I didn't pay attention to the manual. Anyway, just venting my own frustration at myself. Thanks for listening

[Eaglezsoar]

I don't know about the manual and the fan, but it is more logical to have them both on the same number. If it works go with it.
You are experiencing the growing pains that we all go through, it's called learning through making mistakes. I'm glad that your
head crash didn't damage anything. Probably 90% of us have crashed in the same way.