MakerFarm 8" i3v Prusa build by Printbus

[usarmyaircav]

Thanks Printbus, I will check out ebay.

On another note, I went and got cork shelf liner tiles, got some glass from Lowes for like $2.35 cut, I scored and snapped the corners off, not pretty but ok. But the binder clips Colin sent with the kit are too small so I have to look for larger ones. The little ones don't open wide enough to cover the glass, heat bed, and the wood.

[gmay3]

Hey usarmyaircav, just wanted to mention that the clips only need grip the glass and the heatbed. These two are held in just fine without needing to grip the wood bottom.

[usarmyaircav]

Hey usarmyaircav, just wanted to mention that the clips only need grip the glass and the heatbed. These two are held in just fine without needing to grip the wood bottom.

I probably should have noticed that in the video. That would mean I would have to trim the cork, as there is no room to get the clip in there as the cork goes all the way to the edge of the heat bed. I will take a look tonight when I get home though. Thank you!!!!!

[gmay3]

No problem at all!

I also used cork underneath the heat bed, right now I just pushed the cork out of the way with the clips but if yours is thicker you might want to just cut some small notches for the clips to go in to!

[printbus]

Once you have the clips on just the glass and the heat bed, you may find like I did that the clips are actually pretty large. In the HEAT BED CLIPS post, I show how much better the next smaller size of clip fits. They barely encroach on the print area marking on the heat bed, and wouldn't conflict with the cork or any other insulation as much.

[usarmyaircav]

Once you have the clips on just the glass and the heat bed, you may find like I did that the clips are actually pretty large. In the HEAT BED CLIPS post, I show how much better the next smaller size of clip fits. They barely encroach on the print area marking on the heat bed, and wouldn't conflict with the cork or any other insulation as much.

I haven't seen that post, so I will go check it out thanks printbus and gmay3 also!

[AbuMaia]

X CARRIAGE SUBASSEMBLY I opted to wrap the belt around a 1/4-inch long aluminum spacer. The 1/4-inch length is close to the width of the belt. The stackup of hardware on the bolts is a 1/8-inch spacer, an M3 flat washer, the 1/4-inch spacer, another M3 washer, and a nut.

Did you wrap and zip tie the belt around the spacer before or after you mounted the spacers on the bolts in the X carriage?

[printbus]

Did you wrap and zip tie the belt around the spacer before or after you mounted the spacers on the bolts in the X carriage?

IIRC, I've done both. Sort of. The initial install was done with the X-carriage on the bench and the hardware stackup on the X-carriage. Once I had the X-carriage installed and all the v-rails aligned, I didn't want to take more things apart than I had to in order to adjust the belt length, and I wanted the first zip-tie as snug to the spacer as I could get it. So, to adjust the belt length I loosened the X-motor, marked where the end of the belt flap lined up, took one set of the belt hardware off the X-carriage, re-tied the belt around just the spacer with whatever change in teeth overlap I wanted, reinstalled the hardware on the X-carriage, and repositioned the X-motor.

I don't recall adjusting the belt length after I had the extruder installed. If I had, I would have probably done as best I could working the belt around the spacer with it still on the X-carriage so I wouldn't have to remove the extruder.

[AbuMaia]

I've done the same, putting spacers in. I only had nylon spacers, which was lucky as I had no 1/8" spacers. I just cut one spacer in half instead. This has had the bonus effect of really tightening up my X belt, tighter than I could have gotten it by just pulling on the motor. Perhaps now my circles will come out circular.

I wrapped the belt around the spacer by itself, zip tied it in place, then put it on the bolt on the carriage. I was initially worried about the spacer falling out, but the belt held it tightly enough this was no problem. I did remove the extruder to be able to get the bolts in, however.

[usarmyaircav]

When I built the printer, I had already purchased the "split collar" type of couplers before I learned there is another type that uses two pairs of set screws to grab the shafts. Now I wish I had purchased the set screw type instead. Sticking with what I had, I made some improvements.

Looking for advice. I bought 5mm couplers like you did printbus, and on their own they don't seem to be holding. I don't have the setup to tap them for set screws, and it looks like a tap and die set would cost more than new couplers.
So to me the options are:

1. Look for some metallic tape. Did that work ok printbus?
2. use the little rubber tubes from makerfarm until I can find couplers with set screws
3. some other choice someone suggests.

I am getting so close to getting this darn thing finished. I have the hotend mounted, (mine came with a shroud to focus the fan for the hotend), and am going to start the electronics.