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

[thej]

Printer Complete !!
Well, almost. I still have to setup my container, the mesh base with handle and the drip system....but the printer itself is complete.

I had some fun with the mirrors. There are 2 protective layers over the mirror surface and they must be removed. The first blue layer is quite easy to remove by scraping the corner with one of the plastic printer legs. However, the second transparent layer has proven impossible to even find! I checked both mirrors repetitively and even the blue layer to see if they were stuck together... no dice! the build video says to use the plastic printer leg as it won't scratch the mirror. Never say never! I found a way! I made a few scratches from the corner I was trying to catch the protective layers. I'm not sure if the scratches are on the mirror or the clear layer. I will have to experiment with one of the spare mirrors. In fact, it might be a good idea to sacrifice a mirror just to be familiar with how to get the protective layers off and to know what kind of force will and won't scratch the mirror. As it is, the mirrors are so super shiny, I can't imagine there is another layer left there.

I found myself dissembling and reassembling several pieces in attempts to get things right. It all worked out good, just a lot of fiddling.

One item that I was constantly having problems with was the aluminum dampener in the armature. It just would not stay straight. I eventually just crazy glued them in place. I straightened them as perfectly as I could first. I think it turned out quite well! They are now secured and look very straight.

Adding the coils was easy but they refused to go on in the proper orientation first try. I pushed them in from the opposite side then took them out and put them in properly. That worked perfectly. I think there was a tiny piece of plastic in the way that needed to be cleared out first.

I have a very tiny pair of needle nose pliers and they came in handy in putting the jumper cables on to the coils. If it gets a but tough getting the jumpers on, hold the coil secure then grab the jumper with the pliers and pull it on. Works like a charm!

Once that's all done, you can plug the usb cable into your computer and into the printer board, then unplug it and plug it back in to get an armature test. A red light and a faint sound will pulse and the armatures will rotate back and forth through 3 positions forever until you unplug it. This lets you see that the coils are plugged in properly and that the armatures are able to move (no obstructions).

Awesome !!
Next up, Container Time !!!

Jason