Please tell me if I'm becoming tiresome, but here's a new update on the unboxing/assembly of the Folger FT-5 R2.

We like to see progress with pictures.

Don't forget to keep track how many hours you actually spend on the building and calibrating, it is not a competition, but can be useful and interesting number after you build 2nd and 3rd 3D printers. Just don't calculate with your hourly salary though...

Please tell me if I'm becoming tiresome, but here's a new update on the unboxing/assembly of the Folger FT-5 R2.

We like to see progress with pictures.

As you can see from the pic below, the outer frame is now complete. The new addition to the project was the lower set of the top two rails. Before adding them, though, I ran through the entire assembly and checked everything for being square and tight. That involved a fair amount of 'tuning', a bit more than expected. (Being a farm boy I'm skeptical of anything made of aluminum. You should be able to hit a boulder with any equipment and be able to fix it with acetylene, a welder, and a hammer.)

The lower set of the top two rails are supposed to set 170mm below the top set. Problem was, my calipers don't open that far, and the calipers that came with the Folger kit don't open that far, either. Folger had a stroke of genius by making the filament spool holder 170mm so you can use it as a template. Not so genius is that the thing is only vaguely rectangular. You can see it in the pic, resting on the instruction manual. A bit fiddly, and the design might generate more post-production waste for Folger than actually necessary.

I really like the angles made of aluminum composite for holding the rails together. The precision is awesome-- this thing is turning out far more solid than its light weight suggests. But do not drop any rails or fittings! You'll need to do some work with a file to fix the dimensions.

(based on my experience with 3dp-11, Not ft-5 r2. )

Here's a quick update on progress building the Folger FT-5 R2. The outer frame is now complete, and I would be much farther along if there had been a tutorial and explanation about how the fiddly 't-nuts' interact with the aluminum extrusions that are the basic structural elements of the machine.

On the left of the pic, you'll see the end of an extruded aluminum beam. To the right are screws and the 't-nuts'. They actually aren't fiddly at all. There's a bit of genius in how their geometry works together, the t-nuts rotate into position and hold themselves inside the grooves right where you want them as you tighten the screws. This solves a major frustrational element.

They work as long as the screws they supply are long enough to secure the part you need to the extrusion.

Looking back on previous posts it took about two weeks to build each of my kits.  IIRC FT said the I3 could be built in one day.
IIrc it was built in a weekend then took another two weeks to work out the bugs.

The ft 5 more like two weeks to build and the bugs not too bad.

There is another type that do not work on the same principles, however... the other type has to be slid in from the end before any assembly happens - they do not drop in & twist like these do. Those are a bigger pain in the backside, because if you don't put in enough or have one that does not thread correctly, then you have to take things apart enough to remedy the problem.

On the left of the pic, you'll see the end of an extruded aluminum beam. To the right are screws and the 't-nuts'. They actually aren't fiddly at all. There's a bit of genius in how their geometry works together, the t-nuts rotate into position and hold themselves inside the grooves right where you want them as you tighten the screws. This solves a major frustrational element.

Shipping 47 lbs. interstate, though, was an astonishing deal. Not so astonishing is the crushing abuse that happens when you expect all that weight and loose parts to be protected by one layer of cardboard. Rumor has it that damage during shipment has resulted in deliveries from Folger with parts missing. Next step will be inventorying the box contents, as there have been reports of discrepancies between bills of material -- but Folger is said to respond quickly and well to these problems. I will report back as things progress. Meanwhile, feast your eyes: