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Topic: What are the main hurdles in expanding the printing area?

Hi,

I'm new here, and a complete newbie in electronics and mechanics.
I have 30 years of experience on computers and 15 years in 3D modeling though big_smile

Now, I am waiting my first printer, the OneUp. USPS says the office received the package, so I wait it for November, I hope.
I know it's not the best printer one can buy, but I could only afford THIS printer and I feel lucky there is such a low cost product around.

Now, I am without a job and with much free time, and this printer has quite a limited printing area.
My question is: is it so difficult to expand the printing area?
I mean, if I change the arms with longer ones, what are the problems that may occur?

My first thought is that the first thing to consider is precision.
Longer arms mean more oscillation, but I can overcome this "easily", I think: I can constrict the whole static structure in a good wooden box and the printer will be rock solid.
I already have intention to do it with the OneUp as it is, as I see lot of people found problems with Z wobbling and other low sharpness constructions issues.

The second thing is, of course, the bed. I don't have the heated one and don't plan to buy it soon. I'll see.
But basically, I'll need a larger bed if I want to expand the printing area.
So, is glass ok for a non heated bed?
I was also thinking, what about trying some type of plexiglass?
Glass would probably suffer of not sticking the print at all, while plexiglass would probably suffer the opposite, what's your experience?

The third one is the belt that moves the extruder: where to find it?
How to have it the exact dimensions I need?

The fourth thing is about electronics, and that's what scares me more.
I have no experience or knowledge whatsoever in electronics, apart knowing what transistors and diodes are, and how to install hard disks and RAM and graphic boards and break old CD drives to steal the laser diode from them big_smile
I don't know how to program firmwares, I don't know how Arduino works etc.
So, if the electronic part needs rework, I'm already stuck probably, unless it's a thing of replacing a transistor, I can still use a welder.

Are there more issues?

Thank you in advance for your help smile

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Re: What are the main hurdles in expanding the printing area?

First of all welcome to the forum  . the folks here are helpful and we can talk you though problems when they pop up.
With all that experience in 3 d modeling I am sure there is plenty you can contribute.
so you got one of these!!!
http://q3dprinter.com/img/oneupmain01.jpg

Before you try to reinvent the wheel I suggest you learn to use the printer. if you need to print something bigger then you need to print in pieces. for decorative items. you can simply scale down the file to make it fit.

To increase the print envelope  increasing z would be fairly easy if you replace the drive screw and drive rods. but it would get top heavy at max z so attaching to a base and adding brases to support the top of the printer would be in order.
increasing  the bed and motion in the y axis may be doable but more work.  and to increase the x or all three axis IMHO you may as well buy a larger printer  or build from scratch.

With no heated bed you need to print with PLA material. Get  piece of glass from the hardware store and coat with either Aquanet hair spray or Elmers glue stick. I use the hair spray.

Do not worry about the electronics the only fixes needed are  replacing a driver chip and the boards are cheap enough. Most times these days it is cheaper to replace a board than try to fix it.  with your years of experience in computers I am sure someone can talk you though any firmware or board issues.

I would venture to say many of your questions have come up before so read /browse the forum and learn.  .

What 3d modeling software do you use? this could help others here.
Tin

Soliddoodle 4 stock w glass bed------Folger Tech Prusa 2020 upgraded to and titan /aero extruder mirror bed
FT5 with titan/ E3D Aero------MP mini select w glass bed
MP Utimate maker pro-W bondtech extruder
Marlin/Repetier Host/ Slic3r and Cura

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Re: What are the main hurdles in expanding the printing area?

Thank you for your answer smile
Ye that's the little baby that is sleeping in Little Rock USPS warehouse, waiting for the plane at the moment big_smile

I'm surely going to have some good love time with my printer when it comes, some month of exercise and learning to print well.
I will only begin to fiddle with my ideas of enlarging the printing area when I'll feel it small for my needs and much probably not this year.
This thread is more of a curiosity about what would require to enlarge the area, and if it's worth it or one has to redesign a new printer or buy a new one.

I have quite some projects that "fit" in that 10x10x12 area, I'm thinking to what to do with OneUp since months and begun modeling a lot already, but I could do much more with 20x20x30 cm.
I would also start to offer a commercial service with my ideas, but these dimensions are simply too limited for following growth.

I use 3DS Max and I'll be glad to help with modeling, I'll see what's around and if anyone needs help you can also pm me smile

4 (edited by ggunners 2014-10-22 16:14:05)

Re: What are the main hurdles in expanding the printing area?

There are known issues with the 1^ and 2^ and there are many fixes for the issues already available. I have the 2^ and have done several of the upgrades. You can get adequate prints with the 1^, but it would help to read the support forum so you know what you need to watch for during the build and after.

SD2 Expert stock, ABS fume fan,
XYZ DaVinci 1.0 stock ABS, Simplify3D
QUBD Two-Up PLA, new 3D printed X gantry, Y idler, flex z coupler, extruder mount, E3D Lite

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Re: What are the main hurdles in expanding the printing area?

ggunners wrote:

There are known issues with the 1^ and 2^ and there are many fixes for the issues already available. I have the 2^ and have done several of the upgrades. You can get adequate prints with the 1^, but it would help to read the support forum so you know what you need to watch for during the build and after.

Thank you for the info!
I think I'll go for a Z axis expansion after 3 or 4 months or so, but no more than that.
I hope that by then I'll have money to buy a larger printer big_smile big_smile big_smile

6 (edited by ruggb 2014-10-26 00:17:32)

Re: What are the main hurdles in expanding the printing area?

I have a 2-up - hopefully ur 1 up comes with all the pieces unbroken and cut right.
I had to get a new extruder printed ($45.00) because of the aforementioned problems - I ordered it in sept last year for march delivery - it came in on 9-8-14 and I immediately submitted a ticket. It is 10-25 and I still don't have the parts. After the 6th ticket they informed me on 10-19 that the parts were on the way. They r in Little Rock, AR and I am in Cary, NC and I get packages from CA in 3-4 days. Glad I am not holding my breath.

I managed to get it built and have been playing with it. I assy using very small screws with pilot holes and made a coupling for the screw as I did not want to glue it together.
I also had to route about 1/16 in in 4 places to allow the Y axis motor to fit in the frame.
I implemented a pulley system to keep the gantry from sagging. It all appears to work pretty well as my first print (a test cube) looks pretty decent - set ur temp for 205 for PLA.

I expanded the Y axis with a little woodworking getting 230mm with the same bed - 175mm to 230mm - and added endstops.
My biggest problem with this is getting the f/w reloaded as I had to change the limits in f/w bc it won't exceed the limits in Repetier-Host.

Personally, I think an x-y axis expansion will yield more bang for ur buck than Z.

Bottom line is play with it - figure it out - make it work - then think about expanding.
Then u can make a better decision on what and how u want to proceed based on what u learned.

I am looking at a 3-up - which is a seriously modified 2-up - only parts from the 2-up r used + a lot of other parts.

There is also one that used EMT to build a frame but that requires a lot of printed piece.
But EMT is a lot cheaper than the extrusions used on the 3-up.

There is one that uses 2 1/2" square plastic.

check out the QUBD forum for the 3-up and the EMT unit - it is called a Uconduit.
just google uconduit printer or 3-up printer

U will be able to reuse some parts but ur rods will be too short so u will need to buy additional parts. The frame for the 3-up is about $200 but it screws together.
The EMT may be $10. but requires the printed parts which will probably cost more the the frame of the 3-up if u have them printed. If u print them urself it will be more reasonable.

There is just tons of info out there and lots of help - though often they have a problem reading the question - or give me answers to someone else's question.

good luck - and don't ask QUBD for help unless ur want to really get frustrated.

BTW - those mods cost me very little $$$ except for the extruder that was necessitated by QUBD unresponsiveness. I don't recommend dealing with them at all.

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Re: What are the main hurdles in expanding the printing area?

Thank you for your help smile