MakeNub Builder
Description
A CNC, a 3D Printer, a whatever-the-heck-you-want-it-to-be-machine. A full 12” x 12” x 12” of build/cut volume. This is over 3x the build volume of Ultimaker, over 5x of RepRap, and over 30x the build volume of a Thing-O-Matic!! Not to mention way stronger!
So I’ve been working on this for about a month straight now. I’ve designed it from the ground it. I wanted CNC capabilities and a large build area without the gigantic costs associated with CNC machines. CNC machines have to be much more rigid than 3D printers because of the forces involved. As such, 1” TSLOT is used as the main structural component. Preliminary calculations show that you should be able to use anywhere from a 4-14 lb toolhead before getting 0.001” flex on the TSLOT.
Any Tool up to 4.25” in diameter can be placed in the machine while still retaining the full 12”x12”x12” build area. A Router, Dremel, 3D Print Head, Pen. You name it.
I have designed this around using belts for the X and Y movement and threaded rod with 2 steppers for the Z. I feel pretty good about using belts but I made it easy to swap out the belts with #25 chain pretty easy. Just a couple part changes and some sprockets instead of the printed pulleys would be required. Along with about $50 extra :)
Preliminary cost estimates puts the full machine with electronics, power supply, stepper motors, TSLOT, Nuts and Bolts and Everything but the RP parts at $759. Throw in the couple pounds of RP this will probably take along with shipping costs and we’re probably looking at $800 - $850.
All TSLOT is custom cut to length by my local TSLOT distributor. And they claim 0.01” cutting tolerance which is what the machine is designed for.
All Acrylic Sheets are made to be ordered from Ponoko. I’ve included the svg files for those parts.
All RP parts are meant to be printed on a RepRap or bigger. Sorry MakerBot users. Maybe in the future. I have a MakerBot as well but I much prefer my RepRap! And I’ve designed everything around 0.01” tolerances so if your machine ain’t calibrated, it’s time to calibrate!
Designed to use standard RAMPS electronics and 4 pololu stepper drivers.
I’ve also included a cost breakdown spreadsheet along with all the links to the Vitamins.
There are 98 RP parts to this monster. You heard me, 98! Some are pretty huge, and some will require loads of support material. We’re talking mega printing time.
In the pictures show here’s what the different colored parts represent:
Yellow - RP (3D Printed - PLA)
Green - TSLOT
Red - Aluminum
Black - Nuts and Bolts and the likes
Blue - Acrylic
- MakeNub is the name of the website I'm starting to work on. Basically github for OSHW only better. Development process tracking, publishing, and selling are the main 3 points. If anybody is interested in helping with that project or lives close to Ogden, UT and wants to start a hackerspace, please get in touch!!
- MakeNub Builder.zip contains all of the files
- Build Files.zip contains all stl’s, svg’s, etc
Please comment!!
Instructions
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Nice looking machine! BTW, you might want to design some RP parts to tie the top bars to the side bars. This type of design suffers from a lack of rigidity between the frame triangles. Ones on the bottom wouldn't hurt either, but you'll have to watch out for the bed.
If you are going to machine with it you should plan in some places to attach sheets of cloth to either end of the bed to give you a cover for your linear bearings down there. Long brushes attached to the bottom of the bed will do a pretty good job sealing the sides if you plan in a place for them to rub on.
One other bit of advice; your Z axis bearings are going to have problems; they are going to wag back and forth as the table moves. You need to change one side so it has some length engaging the Z slide; ideally the same length as the spacing between the Z-rails on the side. The Z-screw here will help some, but not enough to prevent binding and slop. Your X axis looks to be in better shape, but you should probably spread those bearings out as far as you can manage too. Saint Venat's principle on constraints and linear bearing dimensions is well discussed here, page 10-26
Good luck and don't hesitate to ping me for advice; I'm a mechanical engineer and (hobby) machinist.
I am over in Clearfield and been a Mechanical Designer longer then I care to think about. I just resently looked at a MakerBot a friend purchased and desided I needed a bigger one. I'll help you out if I can.
Do you have the ability to make all the RP parts now? Sense your saving up to build one of these machines, what do you want to make all the printed parts for me?
@ADHuss
Since I've haven't built it yet, I build you the parts for free and we'll go from there. If everything works out, I like the idea that other 3D printer users have done and that is: once you finish your machine, you build the parts for someone else.
I don't know. We'll figure something out :) I'm camping this weekend though, so I'll start when I get back. It'll probably take a couple days to print cause there's a lot of parts!
Very nice. I drew a similar design in sketchup almost two years ago but did the frame out of square and angle aluminum but made it a cube for ease of cutting.
I would think that by using a cube shape instead of the trapezoid shape that you could use ready made corners/connectors from the TSLOT manufacturer easier and cheaper than the RP parts were you can.
What software did you use to draw your prototype with?
Haha. That
âs awesome! My thoughts were very similar to yours apparently about âease of cutting.â So all of the TSLOT is actually cut square. No miter joints. The RP takes care of that. :) And almost half of the pieces are simply 2 ft pieces.
I originally planned on using TSLOT brackets but even the sim
ple corner brackets cost about $3.50 a piece. Plus another $1 for 2 bolts and TSLOT nuts. And this has close to 50 corner brackets! So I switched to RP, beefed up the corner bracket design, and found some cheaper nuts and bolts that fit the bill perfectly. So by using RP, itâll shave off somewhere
in the neighborhood of $200 just in corner brackets! Haha.
Not to mention over 300 nuts and bolts. That Iâm now getting for like $50 or something. So thereâs another $250! Haha
I use Solid Edge. Love it!
License
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That's almost exactly the the design I came up with for my 3d printer. The biggest difference is that instead of aluminum T-Slots, I use my printed rail system.