1 Topic by Stoney

  • Stoney
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  • From: Gold Coast, Australa
  • Registered: 2012-08-08
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Topic: Recommended upgrades for Solidoodle 2 Pro

Long time member, not been around for the last year or so though, not had any issues so just ticking over. Just thinking out loud..

I have one of the original preorder jobbys, extruder is made out of lasercut perspex sheets ..
it gets intermittent use, usually once a week or so, I tend to make brackets and things for electronic modules mostly, I have no spare parts apart from some bed heater resistors .. I would like to have some spares for the rod brackets, extruder etc in case of failure.

Mods on mine ..
About a year ago I added a Panelolu and would like to maybe change that out for a model 2 so I can add an extra fan.
Also printed out a back cover for the electronics with a fan mount to help cool the drivers. I just run it at stock speed anyway, but they still got fairly warm.
Mine has the case, filament used to snap on occasions due to proximity of case to top so I made a slightly raised glass top, makes it easy to reload filament from the top compared to the old method of having to remove the whole case each time.
Glass plate build area, best mod ever .. I do wish the bed heater was hotter at times, struggles to hold 95C and takes 20 minutes to hit 90C.
Added a raspberry pi running octoprint to it yesterday, printing a little holder for a PS3 eye camera as I type .. (added a picture)

So just asking .. what upgrades would people suggest for this old girl, electronics, extruders, fans etc .. I could just keep going till something breaks I guess.

I think I would love a double extruder, is it worth the hassle ?, i like to think water soluble support would be nice.
What about new filaments, is nylon a thing yet ? Higher temp plastics ?
Yet to install a PC power supply, it is on the to-do list but I thought maybe a bit of a rebuild all over would be a good idea.

I left it unused for a few months with the cover off, the top Y rails picked up a bit of rust, not even sure they are changeable ?

thoughts ?

http://i.imgur.com/aPwq2wf.png

2 Reply by Stoney

  • Stoney
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Re: Recommended upgrades for Solidoodle 2 Pro

doh, forgot about Lawsy and his awesome work here .. so might just print a spare set of bits..

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:104059/#files

3 Reply by wardjr

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Re: Recommended upgrades for Solidoodle 2 Pro

Welcome back, you've missed out on a lot.  To start with, print yourself one of Lawsy's MK5's to replace that acrylic.  You will definitely need it at some point.  Spend some time looking into E3d hot ends for answers to your questions regarding printing Nylon and other high temp filaments.  They also have some simple solutions for multi-extrusion. 
There are so many more mods that have come about over the last year or so.  You'll just have to spend some time digging through the Hacs and Mods section.

Printit Industries Model 8.10 fully enclosed CoreXY, Chamber heat
3-SD3's & a Workbench all fully enclosed, RH-Slic3r Win7pro, E3D V6, Volcano & Cyclops Hot End
SSR/500W AC Heated Glass Bed, Linear bearings on SS rods. Direct Drive Y-axis, BulldogXL
Thanks to all for your contributions

wardjr's Website

4 Reply by IronMan

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  • Registered: 2012-09-14
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Re: Recommended upgrades for Solidoodle 2 Pro

Welcome back, Stoney!

And I'm glad that the bottom of at least one other member's Solidoodle looks just like mine tongue

SD2 - Stock - Enclosure - Heated Bed - Glass Plate - Auto Fire Extinguisher
Ord Bot Hadron - RAMPS 1.4 - Bulldog XL - E3D v6 - 10" x 10" PCB Heated Build w/SSR - Glass Plate
Thanks for All of Your Help!

5 Reply by n2ri

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  • Registered: 2013-02-03
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Re: Recommended upgrades for Solidoodle 2 Pro

I got the same model printer and mine is a trash bin in bottom too LOL. ditto what Ward said on mods. I had to upgrade my extruder heater last year when the firecracker fizzled, also done glass bed and printed Lawsys parts including carriages  if funds ever allow want a Rumba board with fans for it and left motor and a part cooling gcode fan better bed heater, E3d hotend/s and some type duel bowden extruder setup Cyclops would retain my build plate size. ditch my tin cabinet for a plexy with tall top for 2 filament spools and charcoal filter exhaust in it, 300w PS. then I could do the dissolving support material also Ninjaflex rubber prints I been wanting to do. not interested in other exotics/toxics for in home use. ABS is fine for most my prints just got a few needs for pliable things for bumpers, tires, gaskets etc. maybe even things that seal fuel like in carbs if the material is resistant to fuels.

Solidoodle 2 with Deluxe kit cover & glass bed with heater. and 2nd board SD2 used not 3rd and alum platform not installed yet still wood. also need cooling fan installed to board. use Repetier Host couple vers. Slic3r also have all free ware STL programs

6 Reply by n2ri

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Re: Recommended upgrades for Solidoodle 2 Pro

also may want to check out the DIY 3D scanner a member is selling on here now, and the new 3D Lix pen in Europe is taking orders now. size of a standard ink pen I want one for minor touch-ups/repairs as they are much easier to work in tight places with and have very fine tip

Solidoodle 2 with Deluxe kit cover & glass bed with heater. and 2nd board SD2 used not 3rd and alum platform not installed yet still wood. also need cooling fan installed to board. use Repetier Host couple vers. Slic3r also have all free ware STL programs

7 Reply by Stoney

  • Stoney
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Re: Recommended upgrades for Solidoodle 2 Pro

Thanks guys,
Spent a few hours on it today, pulled the playstation eye camera apart and managed to unsnap the glue holding the lens focus, so I can focus on the bed with the camera mounted on the front door. Mainly to look for a filament snap, finding this natural ABS snaps if not used regularly.

Pulled a really old AT power supply out from an old PC, now powers the printer and the Raspberry Pi.
Printed a box for the mains switch, this supply is so old .. no soft start.. 12V at 13A though.

Printed a Lawsy Mk 5 as suggested. Heres a 4 second build video lol. I mucked around with too many settings on the extruder main body frame rate and lost that video. Octoprint is awesome ! Dropped repertier host entirely now, just using the latest stable slic3r standalone and sending straight to the printer.

Starting to think that instead of upgrading this printer, since ideally it would require electronics, bed heater, extruders, hot ends, that I might as well consider using it to build something, then again .. fingers crossed, a client picked up 3 stratasys printers and I might be getting a SST768 for nix in lieu for a bit of work.

so here is todays view with a little more junk in the basement, namely the support for the switch box.
http://i.imgur.com/UijX7TE.png