Solidoodle Workbench

[ClintKC1972]

I'm an engineer by heart. I design, machine, and assemble tools for a living. I know good tools when I see them, and the Solidoodle Workbench is pretty much what I expected, for $1300... a work in progress. 3D printing has not nearly reached its end in history, but the Solidoodle company perhaps has (after their appalling service and PR during this generation of printers).

However, I'm a thinker. I love solving problems... and yes, I love helping people.

So I've started a fully-accurate 3D model of the Solidoodle Workbench... not to reverse-engineer it, in any way (because the design could be much better, by all means)... but to help me create accessories and upgraded parts for the machine. I'm doing this for myself, of course, but am happy to share it with all Workbench owners. I'll not share my 3D files, but I will share my accessory and upgraded parts ideas on this forum, to anyone who is interested.

It's still a work in progress, but here are some preliminary images:





I'm using TurboCAD v16 to create this model, instead of Solidworks 2014... as I'm very proficient with TC16, and have no need for parametric parts since this is simply a 3D model of an existing machine (not a design of my own, where parametrics are always nice). At any rate, I hope to complete this 3D model soon, so I can start designing the Lexan enclosure that this machine desperately needs for heat control... minor build surface relocation prints... CNC machined Y-axis carriages... et cetera.