Prusa i3v Rigidity of 8" vs 10" vs 12" and other Nooby questions

[AbuMaia]

Ah, I saw your post too late. I just placed an order for these earlier: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00M4VNAPA

Edit: Nevermind, don't get what I got. "Estimated delivery date: Thursday, February 12, 2015 - Tuesday, March 3, 2015"

[AbuMaia]

If your concerned about the threaded rod wobble just install a M5 heli-coil to eliminate any slop.

How does that work?

[printbus]

How does that work?

Helicoil info: start with a non-split coupler. Enlarge the hole in one end. Thread with a specially sized tap. Thread in coil insert that provides M5 internal threads. Thread in the M5 Z rods. Lock in place with jam nut.

[ex-egll]

Thanks for all the answers when I originally started this thread. I placed the order last night for thePrusa 12" i3v Kit (V-Slot Extrusion)
Graphical LCD & RUMBA Electronics and .40mm Hexagon Nozzle for 3mm Filament. I will also order the meatal couplers for the Z-motors discussed above.

Unfortunately I wont be able to do too much assembly until we get home to Canada in March, at least it will give me plenty of time to read the instructions and watch the videos!

[PlotThikns]

Rigidity of my Prusa 10" i3v concerns me too. It has no really robust table, just a snack table, and I wonder if carrying it, table and all, to another room would disturb the bed leveling so I would need to do that over again. If the frame twisted, then my adjustments would all come undone, wouldn't they? What do others use as tables for their 3D printers?

[beerdart]

First thing i did was mount and level the printer to a 3/4" sheet of MDF.

[usarmyaircav]

Not sure if it was on here or somewhere else but someone mounted their printer to some butcherblock, that they had left over. I am going to see finding some of that. I like that idea.

[adamfilip]

I have my printer sitting on two 12" x 24" ceramic tiles
I have never really lifted it.. but i have rotated it to get access to the rambo

[davypenn]

Hi,
This is my first post here.
I have a makerfarm prusa i3 12".
First of all Colin is top notch customer service and I my comments are only about the machine and not him or his great company.

My machine has been running for two months constantly
The size of this machine is not for a small environment. I found the useful printing space to be more like 11.5" square. I have yet to fill that space. 8 x 8 would have done me fine.
I work in ABS only as I am a mechanical designer and need real plastic. And I work in a lab

Biggest miss is the 1.75mm- .3mm hexagon hot end. That thing was non stop clogs because of heat migration. I shelved it for a Prometheus v2. haven't had a clog since.

My machine has been running for two months constantly
....The suggested power supply failed after a week.... I switched to a dell server 45 amp job. It's loud but delivers!

I only use blue tape and ABS "juice" together (i hate that term "juice")

I made a cardboard enclosure to retain heat to keep my abs from warping. Ugly but works

After a little while the y axis wood flex was unbearable so that got reinforced with aluminum square tube machined to the makerfarm specs.
The wood grain is in the wrong direction in the back where the stepper mounts. The front flexes too
They just mount over the wood. Then the wood is bolted to them. they also hold the 20x20 rigid. I needed longer 5mm bolts here

The wood table on the y axis cupped like a salad bowl. so that was straightened with 1/2 aluminum tube frame. this will be a water jet component soon.
My solution was just a fix. but it raises the plate and adds weight. plus I had to make some spring block extensions for the heat table

I machined removable spacers for the 20x20 rail on the x axis so I can adjust them to parallel (important)
Also made vertical alignment blocks for the two z steppers.

There still flex, but my prints are still acceptable (IMO)
I'll post pics if you want
D