Delivery No.1 - Build blog of the first V1.0 Peachy Printer in the Wild

[Builder1]

Ok. I have definitely confirmed that Cura 2.3 works with the Peachy printer !!
I will have some pics uploaded later (I will add the link here)

My most recent issue with Cura was that when I up-scaled the object 10x, the slicing time would go from 1 min to 3-4 HOURS!!!
This intense CPU load would start to roast my poor macbook pro!
Hoping to utilize more cores, I setup my Mac Pro with Cura 2.3 last night. Inorder to do this I had to go through EVERY SINGLE SETTING (there are LOTS) and set them one at a time on my other mac. In doing so I found ONE setting that was 10x to small. Changing that reduced the slice time on my macbook from 3-4 hours to 7 minutes !!!!

Cura maintains two processes, each with multiple threads. The "Cura Engine" process appears to only use ONE core with TWO threads for slicing and the "Cura" process manages the UI. On my Mac Pro which has 4 cores, Cura doesn't even use two of them :-(

So where are we at now that Cura 2.3 is setup properly?
-"Machine Center is Zero" setting sets the print origin to the center of the build area which is what the Peachy needs !
-Easily configurable Rafting (so the raft, not our print, gets embedded in the mesh)
-Top & Bottom surfaces print (No more tilting !!!)
-Customizable UI (Settings that are irrelevant to the Peachy can be Hidden from the UI !! (Bed Temp and Cooling Fan settings for example)
-File sizes are large (334MB for the planetary gear pump. This is just the nature of the Peachy since it has 10x the Z axis resolution)

This is a VAST improvement from where things were at previously !!

To Do Items
-Recalibrate the printer to the new "stew pot" build container (Height calibration, Drip calibration *should* be OK now)
-Run more glow paper print tests to ensure print viability with new container
-Finish drinking cranberry juice so I have a 3L Dripper bottle (It's soooooo sweet!! ...I might just dump it)
-Drill cap and run hoses in my new Dripper bottle
-Print Planetary gear pump and Scissor jack
-Take close up pics of galvos and post them

[Builder1]

I've been working on an epic update but have rewritten it about 3 times so far...
So, a mini update.

Drip calibration continues to mess with my mind. Nothing adds up. Calculating the drips/mm does not equal the drips/mm obtained with the "Drip Calibrator" in the Peachy software. Then when I use either number in the Peachy software using simulated drips to do glow paper tests, the software does not actually drip the correct number of drips per layer!

As part of my print tests, I've been trying to optimize the gcode files so that they are the simplest that they can be. This reduces file size, slice time and print time. Specifically, print time per layer, which is what we need to get down as much as possible to make the drip system viable. I have the planetary gear pump down to 58MB !!! (my first tests were 980MB!!!) This is all due to removing lines that are not required and having certain settings where they should be. For example, in the Peachy software there is a setting for Line Width set to 0.5mm. I was using 0.2mm in Cura. That setting alone dropped the pump file down from 120MB to 58MB.
I will outline several important settings in Cura that I find myself adjusting constantly. Those settings have the biggest impact on fill size/gcode complexity/print time.

I have not forgotten about the pictures. It's just that every time I make an adjustment, the print will look different. I have tossed lots of pics that are just simply out of date. I think I have the gcode optimized as much as I can now. New pics will be coming.

I will be doing some galvo close ups too ;-)

More to come...

[Builder1]

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to everyone !!!

Life has been busy the last month and a half!
With this new year, 2017, coming into focus, I have been envisioning what this new year will be for me.
I have quite a list of things I want to accomplish in 2017 and having a fully functioning Peachy printer is definitely on that list !!!

However, I will be approaching it a bit differently.
I have spent way too much time testing things that just are not getting me any closer to a "fully functional" printer. I will set aside the drip system for the time being, and focus on making a stepper motor based z-axis. I have 2 different types of stepper motors with appropriate driver circuits as well as a couple arduinos. This is where I will put my focus.

I will resume work on it probably in the second half of January (just a guess, could be earlier).

Until then, enjoy your holidays and have a grand start to this new year !!
Jason

[CescoAiel]

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to everyone !!!

Life has been busy the last month and a half!
With this new year, 2017, coming into focus, I have been envisioning what this new year will be for me.
I have quite a list of things I want to accomplish in 2017 and having a fully functioning Peachy printer is definitely on that list !!!

However, I will be approaching it a bit differently.
I have spent way too much time testing things that just are not getting me any closer to a "fully functional" printer. I will set aside the drip system for the time being, and focus on making a stepper motor based z-axis. I have 2 different types of stepper motors with appropriate driver circuits as well as a couple arduinos. This is where I will put my focus.

I will resume work on it probably in the second half of January (just a guess, could be earlier).

Until then, enjoy your holidays and have a grand start to this new year !!
Jason

You too!

Can't wait to see more of your "adventures"!

[CescoAiel]

So I guess Peachy is really dead... Not even anything anymore from 'Builder1' who actually had one...

[Builder1]

Great timing !!!
Yes, life had washed me away again but I always wash back up on shore eventually ;-)

I do have some updates...

I have a WORKING stepper motor driven Z-Axis platform!
I can't wait to actually use it too !!! (I got it 5 days ago!)

I will actually *need* to use it soon. In mid May, I will be doing an hour long talk on 3D printing and I want to have prints there to show. I'm still working on my presentation, so that's eating into my available time.
That means I have to get the Z-axis platform properly setup (code updates, arduino setup, run some wires, make a table for it to be on, buy some more resin, recalibrate the printer, build a new Build Container, find some cool 3D models and slice them for the Peachy [10x Z-axis remember] and probably a few other things). At least some of the above won't take too long.

I do have a lot on my plate at the moment. In early April I will be doing another hour long talk on a completely different topic. I'm still writing that presentation too! It's taking up most of my time in the evening right now.

I also came up with an nifty idea (well... I think so anyway).
It's a software idea to combine 3d modelling, slicing and gcode into one software package. That's really the least interesting aspect of it though. What's really interesting is how it all works as one piece and how it is used!

I know. Very cryptic. I have (barley) started prototyping a *test* version. It will definitely suck. BUT, it should be enough to demonstrate the idea while I learn to be a better coder and learn a more expressive environment to build it in. After my talks and getting my Peachy printing, I'll be dedicating some time to this project. I will also tell you more about it too. I think you will like it :-)

j

[CescoAiel]

I can't wait to hear about it! I would love to build one myself one day...

With a laser plotter, FDM Printer, adjustable soldering setup (air and iron) and electronics experience at my disposal, it should be doable, but I don't have the time to develop from scratch, so if we could get Peachy to a workable OS product (esp. if - as Rylan hinted at - we can do it with an Arduino instead of a custom board) that would be a great boon to both makers and OS people everywhere!

[Builder1]

Super Exciting Update !!!

Well... I'm excited anyway :-)
Over the last four days I have been hacking away on the Z-Axis system, testing and coding.
The Arduino code I got from Rylan was unfinished (probably an older version of the code b/c they did have it working at some point) so I've been hacking on that to get the code cleaned up and the Z-Axis working.

I'm pleased to announce that I now have the code working ROCK SOLID with the test models included in the Peachy Software !!!
I ran my last test for 215 layers. No skipped layers and No skipped platform moves !!

Just as I got it working last night a wire broke. So I need to resolder a small circuit to get it back up and running.
I will be upgrading my copy of Cura and slicing some complex models for further testing. There is a planetary gear pump (mentioned in previous posts) that I will use as a test model.

Next up will be trolling the dollar store for a print container and changing the build plate on the Z-Axis.
I have looked around the dollar stores for a viable container before but I was always thinking "drip system". The drip system required the sides to be perfectly vertical or the print would warp due to the widening of the container. That is not a problem now ! The resin level will never move, only the build plate.
It should be easy and cheap to find a container now.

I have also been looking at small aquariums. The smallest I've found so far has been 16"W X 8"D X 8"H. A bit too big. 8x8x8 would be perfect for now. I'll check a few more places.
I also found something really cool at the pet store that I did not expect. A super tiny CO2 regulator for CO2 cartridges !! This is really cool because adding CO2 on top of the resin will allow MUCH faster curing and thus MUCH faster printing !! This regulator requires cartridges with a threaded top (available at the pet store) rather than the cheap air gun style cartridges. This unit is very small and relatively inexpensive. I will definitely get one and test it out...but not till AFTER my talk.

Also on my To DO list.
-Built a lighter, cheaper, better Z-Axis system based on the one I have now.
-Work on my "super secret software" ;-)

15 days to my talk.

[CescoAiel]

Can't wait to learn more...

[Builder1]

I've continued to hack away at the arduino code for the z-axis.
I have had more problems getting it to work than I expected !! It took a lot of experimenting to know what the system really needed.

I now have code that is working Rock Solid on all of the test models built in to the Peachy software!
It does not currently work for gcode imported into the software yet.
This appears to be a matter of getting the starting sequence timed properly. The Peachy printer will not start a print job until it gets the right number of drips and the right delay timings right at the start of the print. So it's just a matter of tweaking this pieces.

More updates coming :-)
...believe me! Once I get this working, you won't be able to shut me up !!!