1 Topic by Aron (edited by Aron 2013-04-10 14:43:10)

  • Aron
  • Member
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2012-11-27
  • Posts: 54

Topic: I might be an idiot

But I am having one hell of a hard time fixing my solidoodle 2 acrylic extruder parts.  The acrylic parts keep cracking and braking on me!

Now I have to order a 3rd acrylic assembly!  Are your acrylic parts cracking and braking too???

I'm a freaking mechanical engineer and I still am having trouble assembling this thing without braking the acryicl parts.  I guess I tend to tighten screws to much though...

Does anyone have stl files 2D designs or 3D designs for updated parts similar in function to the Solidoodle acrylic parts?????

I want to have a company make mine out of nylon.

-Aron

2 Reply by DePartedPrinter

  • DePartedPrinter
  • Moderator
  • Offline
  • From: Colorado
  • Registered: 2012-08-14
  • Posts: 1,478

Re: I might be an idiot

Look into the printable jigsaw replacement.

http://www.soliforum.com/topic/1265/jig … ement-mk4/

SD2 with E3D, SD Press, Form 1+
Filastruder
NYLON (taulman): http://www.soliforum.com/topic/466/nylon/

3 Reply by Aron

  • Aron
  • Member
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2012-11-27
  • Posts: 54

Re: I might be an idiot

THANK YOU very much, for responding!

SD made a horrible design choice with regards to that acrylic design.

Now I have to glue the stupid acrylic parts back together so I can make it work long enough to print this thing....

4 Reply by martin jepsen

  • martin jepsen
  • Member
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2013-04-10
  • Posts: 10

Re: I might be an idiot

SD made a horrible design choice with regards to that acrylic design.

indeed

Best Regards
Martin Jepsen Solidoodle Danmark

5 Reply by cckens

  • cckens
  • Member
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2012-09-13
  • Posts: 591

Re: I might be an idiot

Worse comes to worst, you could always ask someone to print a set for you.  Mine shattered on cleaning a clog and Tim (elmoret) sent me a replacement set that he had printed.  It could be for the best.  I know that I'll be printing a few sets when I get the clog cleared, just to have on hand if I (or someone else needed one).

We work together to achieve great things for the infernal machine, but the brotherhood (and sisterhood with the ladies here) formed on this site has just been incredible.

6 Reply by solijohn

  • solijohn
  • Member
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2012-08-07
  • Posts: 1,465

Re: I might be an idiot

cckens wrote:

Worse comes to worst, you could always ask someone to print a set for you.  Mine shattered on cleaning a clog and Tim (elmoret) sent me a replacement set that he had printed.  It could be for the best.  I know that I'll be printing a few sets when I get the clog cleared, just to have on hand if I (or someone else needed one).

We work together to achieve great things for the infernal machine, but the brotherhood (and sisterhood with the ladies here) formed on this site has just been incredible.

It is always great to see positive user communities growing. If anyone is in the NYC area, perhaps we can start a Solidoodle user group.

Former Solidoodle employee, no longer associated with the company.

7 Reply by 3DPrinter4Life

  • 3DPrinter4Life
  • Member
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2013-04-10
  • Posts: 22

Re: I might be an idiot

You are not an idiot, clearly a design that needs to be changed that hasn't been changed.... the engineering genius of solidoodle at work! If only airplanes and computers were built with this level of quality people are getting from solidoodle

8 Reply by elmoret

  • elmoret
  • Filastruder
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2012-10-11
  • Posts: 6,048

Re: I might be an idiot

3DPrinter4Life wrote:

You are not an idiot, clearly a design that needs to be changed that hasn't been changed.... the engineering genius of solidoodle at work! If only airplanes and computers were built with this level of quality people are getting from solidoodle

This is not constructive. Please stop. I've had plenty of problems with the design, but instead of spending 22 posts complaining as you have done, I posted clear problem/solution help, and feedback for future design revisions.

Filastruder - the robust, inexpensive filament extruder
E3Dv6 All Metal Hotend - the premier 3D printing hotend

9 Reply by DePartedPrinter

  • DePartedPrinter
  • Moderator
  • Offline
  • From: Colorado
  • Registered: 2012-08-14
  • Posts: 1,478

Re: I might be an idiot

elmoret wrote:
3DPrinter4Life wrote:

You are not an idiot, clearly a design that needs to be changed that hasn't been changed.... the engineering genius of solidoodle at work! If only airplanes and computers were built with this level of quality people are getting from solidoodle

This is not constructive. Please stop. I've had plenty of problems with the design, but instead of spending 22 posts complaining as you have done, I posted clear problem/solution help, and feedback for future design revisions.


I suggested a solution yesterday to this problem...somebody get out their ban stick

SD2 with E3D, SD Press, Form 1+
Filastruder
NYLON (taulman): http://www.soliforum.com/topic/466/nylon/

10 Reply by markm

  • markm
  • Member
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2013-03-07
  • Posts: 47

Re: I might be an idiot

I think he's just sore that he had to end his KickStarter campaign and wants to badmouth any competition he may have.  I can't say for certain he's the guy from Japica, but his writing style and some other comments he's made sure indicate it, especially this comment yesterday: "The engineers at solidoodle can't even design a printer with the right ACME screw!" since that screw/design was one of the big selling points of that KS campaign.
If he has anything constructive to add to the forum, then I'd like to hear it.  Otherwise, I agree with everyone else that maybe it'd be best for him and the forum if he found elsewhere to vent.

11 Reply by jon_bondy

  • jon_bondy
  • Member
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2012-09-27
  • Posts: 405

Re: I might be an idiot

And it is frustrating to note that months after a better extruder design was available on this forum, Solidoodle is still shipping that horrible design.  If you really cared about your customers, you would be embracing the improvements that have been created here, rather than ignoring them.  The very first thing that ANY SD customer should do is print replacement parts for the extruder.  And that is a sad comment.  If you want a positive attitude from your customers, you should start treating us better.

solidoodlesupport wrote:

It is always great to see positive user communities growing. If anyone is in the NYC area, perhaps we can start a Solidoodle user group.

12 Reply by IanJohnson

  • IanJohnson
  • Moderator
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2012-08-07
  • Posts: 2,815

Re: I might be an idiot

They are testing a printable extruder, and need to be certain it is bulletproof so it doesn't become a problem for support.  That tends to make them very conservative.  The MK4 is pretty good, but not all the way there.  I still have to use tweezers guide the filament into the top of the PEEK.   Since they have to move slower and with more certainty, anything they come out with is likely to be a step behind what users have come up with.

13 Reply by Aron

  • Aron
  • Member
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2012-11-27
  • Posts: 54

Re: I might be an idiot

Wow, I seem to have started an interesting thread.  It's funny that you are all connected enough to be able to identify a person by them complaining due to getting no where on his kickstarter project!

I'm focused on helping entrepreneurs get their ideas commercialized, especially medical device start-ups ideas.  Normally, people screw up because their minds are too techy or too businessy.  Forget marketing and you lose, forget functionality and you also lose.  I'm fairly sure that guy didn't do both, because that is what  normally happens.  As an engineer, I think like a tech guy, but I also force myself to think outside of that mindset.

I spoke to someone from solidoodle on the phone on Friday.  I explained that I understand why they went with the arcylic design, but it sucks too much.  Start-ups need to make decisions that don't always make sense from a thencical standpoint.  I'm confident that this acrylic design was chosen to make the extruder look super pretty.  And, lets be honest: didn't everyone think the clear extruder was awesome in the videos, before they bought one??  But if I broke the damn thing, that means a hell of a lot of other people will too.

Solidoodle said they are working on a new extruder design, and it won't have the list of engineering issues I complained about.  Thank you everyone for helping publish a replacement printable extruder!  I taped my broken acyclic pieces back together with duct tape well enough to be able to print the mk4 replacement.  And thus I'm back in business  ( I think I( am anyway, I haven't assembled it yet).

14 Reply by jcotton

  • jcotton
  • jcotton
  • Member
  • Offline
  • From: Pensacola, Fl
  • Registered: 2013-01-31
  • Posts: 13

Re: I might be an idiot

Just shattered my acrylic assembly. Trying to figure out this puzzle so I can print jigsaw replacement.

15 Reply by DePartedPrinter

  • DePartedPrinter
  • Moderator
  • Offline
  • From: Colorado
  • Registered: 2012-08-14
  • Posts: 1,478

Re: I might be an idiot

jcotton wrote:

Just shattered my acrylic assembly. Trying to figure out this puzzle so I can print jigsaw replacement.


http://www.soliforum.com/topic/235/extr … bly-guide/

SD2 with E3D, SD Press, Form 1+
Filastruder
NYLON (taulman): http://www.soliforum.com/topic/466/nylon/

16 Reply by Briggs

  • Briggs
  • Member
  • Offline
  • From: Minnesota
  • Registered: 2013-03-20
  • Posts: 226

Re: I might be an idiot

When it comes to the negative comments, I'm with Elmoret on this one. The solidoodle has areas of opportunity, no doubt. That said, facts are one thing, name calling is another.

There's not one consumer product out there I can't make better in some way. What's great about open source hardware is that we don't have to wait for the company to make the change, like in the past. Do it yourself! Share it with the community. Some may like it. Some may not. You may get praise. You may not. Just do your best. How possibly could one little company selling an eager little printer keep up with the engineering and design prowess of thousands of users world wide? I made up some pretty nice new idler brackets for my sd3, and stated simply why I did it (the factory ones broke, were sloppy, and weak - all true statements), and felt no need to bust solidoodle over the head about it. Then smitty50500 makes mine way better by adding bearings. Who knows what the next guy (or gal!) is going to come with?

Be sure to look over my stud mount extruder too Aron, you may like it. It's working great for me. More importantly, you may come up with even more awesome mods.

17 Reply by ThatGuy

  • ThatGuy
  • Member
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2013-04-14
  • Posts: 60

Re: I might be an idiot

Has anyone got the original jigsaw cad files? I'd be interested in making this out of aluminium instead as it will look better than printed parts, also it may act as a heatsink wink I'm afraid to pull apart my jigsaw to measure in case it breaks into a million pieces. I have got a Mk4 ready to go, but am still in the "if it aint broke don't risk breaking it" stage in my relationship with LeDoodle.

18 Reply by adrian

  • adrian
  • Member
  • Offline
  • From: Canberra, Australia
  • Registered: 2013-01-15
  • Posts: 1,623

Re: I might be an idiot

Done.

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:48767

19 Reply by ThatGuy

  • ThatGuy
  • Member
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2013-04-14
  • Posts: 60

Re: I might be an idiot

Replacement parts look good, but now I might be an idiot . .. . . what do I open those files with?
Can you add a IGES, or STEP file so that it can be opened in Solidworks, Autodesk, etc?

20 Reply by adrian

  • adrian
  • Member
  • Offline
  • From: Canberra, Australia
  • Registered: 2013-01-15
  • Posts: 1,623

Re: I might be an idiot

EPS should import into all of them
AI is an adobe illustrator file.

They are just vector images of the cuts - thats all you need to laser cut or CNC them.

21 Reply by ThatGuy

  • ThatGuy
  • Member
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2013-04-14
  • Posts: 60

Re: I might be an idiot

I don't have access to a laser or cnc cutter. I was going to attempt to make them by hand.

22 Reply by adrian (edited by adrian 2013-06-15 11:16:21)

  • adrian
  • Member
  • Offline
  • From: Canberra, Australia
  • Registered: 2013-01-15
  • Posts: 1,623

Re: I might be an idiot

ThatGuy wrote:

I don't have access to a laser or cnc cutter. I was going to attempt to make them by hand.

then just print them out on a post script printer, glue them to whatever you want to cut, and go from there.

Like I said - they are just Vector Images... you have both the Adobe Illustrator file or the EPS file.

Open them with InkScape, GIMP, Photoshop, etc etc.. Even http://epsviewer.org/ .

Print at 1:1... glue to whatever... cut out around the lines.

Cutting stuff is a 2D operation - you very rarely 'cut things' using Sketchup or Solidworks... you Model a 3D object in those. If you just want to cut something out - by hand or computer controlled - all you need is the lines. Hence they are most often distributed as SVG or EPS... because you just need the lines to follow.. wether you are cutting by hand or a machine...

23 Reply by ThatGuy

  • ThatGuy
  • Member
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2013-04-14
  • Posts: 60

Re: I might be an idiot

I understand completely what you were saying. I used to work in product development designing appliances, and making and testing prototypes. The cut paste method was used quite a bit wink
The issue was opening the files. All of our stuff was done in CAD. Fab shops I've used in Australia have preferred .STEP files.
I've used EPS (from your link), and saved as JPEG. I'll check if printing at 100% gives the right scale before making.
Thanks for your help smile

24 Reply by adrian

  • adrian
  • Member
  • Offline
  • From: Canberra, Australia
  • Registered: 2013-01-15
  • Posts: 1,623

Re: I might be an idiot

ThatGuy wrote:

I understand completely what you were saying. I used to work in product development designing appliances, and making and testing prototypes. The cut paste method was used quite a bit wink
[snip]
Thanks for your help smile

Cool. And yes, its funny how much even production stuff is based off print it out and glue it on wink

If the scale is wrong, download Inkscape (free) and go from there - you can adjust the EPS import scale etc.

25 Reply by ThatGuy

  • ThatGuy
  • Member
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2013-04-14
  • Posts: 60

Re: I might be an idiot

adrian wrote:
ThatGuy wrote:

I understand completely what you were saying. I used to work in product development designing appliances, and making and testing prototypes. The cut paste method was used quite a bit wink
[snip]
Thanks for your help smile

Cool. And yes, its funny how much even production stuff is based off print it out and glue it on wink

If the scale is wrong, download Inkscape (free) and go from there - you can adjust the EPS import scale etc.


Yeah, imported into Solidworks to overlay Nema 17motor 2D sketch to check for scale. It's all over the shop. Downloading inkscape now, however I feel this is a slow arduous process, a reference square (10mm x 10mm) in the corner would definately help here.
I'll be drawing it up in 2D/3D Cad so that 100mm always equals 100mm for anyone that wants it. I'll put it onto Thingiverse under username "LeHof" for anyone that needs it.