A shortened version on the Iris box to make printing a little faster.

These are my new thick sheet parts for RepRap Mendel. I was inspired by the mounting plate for the TechZone boards (http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2174). I used a modified version of this for my mother board and extruder. And then made a board for my steppers. I have also included my modified froglet that is simpler for cutting out with saws.

Be sure to check out pictures and more information about my Mendel @ reprapbreeding.blogspot.com/

Depreciated: This item has been replaced by version 2, a 100% printable spool holder, located at thingiverse.com/thing:8317 Please refer to that file, which is a much better design.

I liked BrokenToaster's idea of a bearing-driven filament spool holder, but that version was too big to fit on a Makerbot print bed. I separated the arms from the hub, making a tight-fitting dovetail joint to connect the pieces without any hardware. It now fits on a Makerbot print bed!!!


EDIT: At Wajazn's suggestion, I added a version that integrates a printable bearing from thingiverse.com/thing:4312 . Disclaimer, I have NOT tried to print it, but it should work.

UPDATE: (1/22/2011) I added a solid version of the integrated bearing hub that has no spokes to avoid the problem people were having with one of the hollows printing solid. I just skeined it in 0035 and it looks good.

Was told I couldn't print a ball bearing. So I printed one in a single print to prove a point.

Holds four Sharpies. The markers press fit into the holder for a snug fit.

An optimized key component for RepRap Mendel - the frame corner bracket. This version is less prone to warping, easier to print, uses minimal material while providing excellent mechanical properties. This final version comes after several weeks of testing various different designs, although there are two key designs for comparison:

[A] 'Low warp, shelled Frame-Vertex' by MarcusWolschon
thingiverse.com/thing:2413 (frame-vertex 6off.stl)
+ Elegant design, uses compliance to minimize warping. Very minimal use of materials (~14cc).
- Poor mechanical properties. Not sufficiently stiff or strong. Would require infilling with epoxy or resin which is expensive. Difficult to print due to very thin walls.

[B] 'Mendel frame vertex thin shelled' by camiel
thingiverse.com/thing:4173 (001010 frame vertex vc2.stl)
+ Structurally very stable. Fairly minimal use of materials (~19cc).
- Excessive warping. Cannot be printed in ABS without a heated bed. Some thin walls tricky to print.

The volume of the first 2mm of a print, is a good indicator for warp. (See image for comparison of design footprints). Design [A] uses complex geometry to reduce warp, but has a moderate footprint due to the solid base (3.0cc). Design [B] is worse than the original Mendel bracket with the greatest footprint (4.3cc). By eliminating a solid base and using shelled geometry, this design has a reduced footprint (2.5cc) and substantially less warping.

This part is a combination of “z-driven-pulley_2off” and “z-driven-pulley_rim_4off.”  It is a z driven pulley with rims. 

Instead of printing 6 parts (2 pulleys & 4 rims) just print two z driven rimed pulleys.

The “2C” version of this part has a gear-toothed “C” (as in MBC) engraved in the top and bottom faces of the part.
 

This is an adjustable mount for an IKEA spotlight, specifically this one:

ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/30119314

However, really this is just a simpler, light-duty version of Wade's projector mount. You can use it for anything you might like to mount that needs aiming.

Based on the laser cut Bus Pirate case. Seeing as I didn't have a laser cutter but did have a Makerbot I decided to print one instead.

This is a vacuum pick-and-place head design for automated electronic assembly. It features a stepper-driven rotary head with Luer-Lock port for interchangeable needles, and a feature for attachment of an "eyeball" style Webcam for optical placement (you can modify to support your own favorite camera). Vacuum is provided to the head via flex (fishpump) tubing.

A printed spur gear driven extruder for Mendel or Darwin.

This is a modified version of Wade's gear that has the advantage that you only need to file a small indentation on the motor shaft rather than two precision flats.

I have changed the design to put the bearings in the spool itself. This way you can be more flexible in what you use to support the axle.

Its finally here, heatbed is tested and ready to make your prints flat as pancake. It is a long story of testing and developing to make it really working and long lasting, you can check some background info in previous version here thingiverse.com/thing:2172 .

Active heated area is 20x20cm big and overall size is 214x214mm, its compatible with Mendel and all kinds of other RepStraps, just check if you can fit it on your bed. Its double-sided, so its more rigid and will not damage the heating element if you set wrong Z offset (thanks Joaz for this idea).

Its powered by 12V, prototype draws 9.9A when cold which goes down to 7.5A when hot. With isolation on the bottom of this heater, it reaches 100°C in about ~4,5 minutes, measured on the side of the heat field. These ratings may be slightly different on each PCB. It can be easily converted to use 24V or 48V.

I know guys from RepRapsSource and convinced them to fabricate these beds, so you can buy professionally fabricated version at reprapsource.com/en/show/6403 and trust me, I have had troubles etching first prototype which was only 1/4th of size so its worth to buy it, its made in Germany..

If you want to etch it by yourself, you need 35um copper layer and be sure to have all traces perfectly same, if some place is thinner it will generate more heat and burn the board. Also, you have to cover it before heating otherwise copper will corrode really quick.

This version of the extrusion catcher has a little tab to attach the catcher to the bolt in the bottom left corner of the build platform. Here's a video of it in action: youtube.com/watch?v=8P1vekuYYgo

I added embossed hearts on the sides to make it an actual companion cube. ;)

This wasn't designed by me. I just converted it to STLs for people to use
blog.reprap.org/2010/02/mini-me.html

Also, I dont know if it has been tested at all yet.

I got all the Reprappable part(I think) converted, and the sheet parts are there too. I didn't convert the bolts and i have no idea how many you will need. :) Have fun

--Added full model in stl form.

This very simple object aims to help solve the problem so many Makerbots are plagued by each and every day. This problem is that prints are not automated. Most Makerbots start the print by going up a little then heating up, doing a test extrusion, then the operator has to get rid of the extrusion before continuing the print.

This simple add-on allows your prints to go unattended after you press build. Using this object and some custom start gcode, it will move from the center to over the bucket, do a test extrusion, wipe the nozzle on the side of the platform and start the print. Here is a video of it in action: flickr.com/photos/49325300@N07/4886162173/

I have been using this for a couple weeks now and it works really well.

This is my version of z-stage crank.
Felt natural to design this when I got my bot up and running but if someone feels lazy, here you go.

MakerBot Defender
CodeName - MD-B12

My Makerbot CNC aka "DemonDust" is the Queen ant, and a Queen ant produces the soldiers on the "front line". The Makerbot Defender is designed and built to protect as a soldier, just as in nature a soldier ant protects a well structured colony all working as one unstoppable force.

UPDATED PARTS - 5/10/2010
-Makerbot_Robot_B_LeftElbow_v2
-Makerbot_Robot_B_LeftShoulderBolt_v2
-Makerbot_Robot_B_RightArmJointConnector_v3
-Makerbot_Robot_B_LeftHandJointConnector_v2

These upgraded parts solve loose joint issues and strengthens moving parts

Features :

This version is made from ABS plastic built on a heated platform.

Version #1 tank treads are hard to move, but moveable. Upgrades are being designed and will soon follow

The mounted cannon is for defense purposes only. Launching non-lethal smoke prejectiles to create smoke cover to confuse and slow invaders

Infrared camera is mount on the shoulder helping to watch over the Queen for temperture accuracy

Every soldier in nature is equipped with a strong pair of claws. These arms can move over 180 degrees front to back with claws that can be opened and held in any position. Upgrades are being designed for the next
version of arms/claws


Upgrades :

One of the best pre-designed ideas for the MakerBot Defender,it is upgradeable. The mounted cannon and Infrared camera just slide right out of the main body panel. Making it possible to design anything and replace existing features.


Scale:

Rough measurements
7"(wide) x 8.5"(deep) x 7"(tall)

Here are some miscellaneous toolholders that can be scaled to fit practically any tool.

I was in the market for something like this myself, and was looking around searching for toolholders. The problem however is that there ar alot more different sized tools than there are toolholders that match, so then you end up with something that just looks awful and doesnt fit 100% to anything.

So regarding this project the goal was to make many different shaped toolholders that could easily be customized to fit any tool.

And again a big thanks to the makerbot crew for the plastic that made this:)


(Just an FYI - Everyone of my toolholders are printed on my full size makerbottable makerbot thingiverse.com/thing:3285)

I was going to buy a Black and Decker snakelight so I could light up my dimly lit work area. But since I had an LED flashlight, I decided to just make a stand for it. It's four pieces, and you need to supply a 1/4-20 bolt and nut.

On Saturday afternoons, like any good grad student, I visit my parents place to do my laundry. While it's spinning around, my dad and I usually get up to some neat projects, and this is what we worked on this week.

I've had an idea for a while that one might be able to build an inexpensive laser cutter using a 1 Watt IR laser diode, as opposed to the larger 20-100 Watt CO2 tubes traditionally in something like an Epilog laser cutter, using a bit of a trick. Traditionally laser cutters have a lot of power, and (to my knowledge) are generally fixed focus, meaning that the focal point -- the hottest portion of the cutting beam -- stays at a fixed depth relative to the material that you're cutting. This is an experiment in dynamically varying the depth of the focal point through the material at runtime, such that you create a boring, "reciprocating laser cutter" or reciprocating laser mill.

This is an offshoot of my Open SLS 3D printer project, and was constructed using the same laser as that project, as well as and a bunch of old broken CD/DVD drives. The mini CNC portion itself has a very short travel distance -- about 3 to 4 cm per axis, but that's more than enough to be useful for experiments, and it's small, easy size more than makes up for it.

Most of my mendel printing is done in the evenings and the lighting isn't that flash in that room. These are LED modules that you clip on to the M8 threaded rods and aim it in the direction of your print bed, so you can see what's going on.

A calling card with working planetary gears. Astound your friends, frustrate your nemisii.

(Update: I've moved the gears slightly to the right, reducing the number of cut parts to assemble.)

While talking to Zach I got inspired to model lego bricks in order to create custom bricks - the ones you always wanted but thought you never could get. Well now you can!

Of course it does not snap in place as nicely as original lego bricks but it should be good enough to create the custom lego piece you always wanted.

This is part 3 of "Pimp my MakerBot" (see thingiverse.com/thing:973 and thingiverse.com/thing:958 for part 1 & 2 :)

I was tired of dragging on the Z belt multiple times to upper or lower the z stage of my MakerBot.

With this crank mounted on one of the 4 M6 threaded rods, I can now easily adjust the height of my MakerBot.