Custom 3D Printer.

I guess I've always enjoyed a challenge.  Since I work on the outskirts of the engineering field, I thought it'd be pretty awesome to build my own Three-Dimensional Printer.  The very worst case, I'll fail completely.  The very best case, I might be able to print stuff for other people to supplement future projects.

3D Printing is technically called "Additive Manufacturing", as you add material, in very thin layers, to build up a part.

The basic design I chose was from this guys website;
http://www.buildlog.net/blog/2012/01/the-quantum-ord-bot/
I didn't like how small it was, so I made a lot of changes to make it bigger, stronger, faster, and have the ability to print using two different plastics at the same time using two print heads.

Above: The printer getting roughed in.

Above: The printer got some parts painted and some motors installed.

Above: A little better size comparison, as it starts to get wired. It can print, in this configuration 8" x 8" x 14" tall.  Eventually it is planned to be able to print 14" x 14" x 14".

Above:  The two printer heads, side by side.  The tips work just like hot glue guns, except we melt plastic at 450 degrees F instead of glue at 180 degrees F.

Above:  More wiring getting dialed in.

Above:  Even more wiring getting dialed in, this is the brain of the contraption.  I was overwhelmed by the amount of wiring required, as it took several days to get it wired.

Above:  Some initial prints I made for someone at work, with a size comparison of some car keys.  The printer isn't exactly dialed in at this point, but it's working pretty well.  I also indicated how long it too parts to print.  They are made of ABS plastic and are extremely strong.

Above:  Closeup. I ended up printing over 45 pieces for this person at work.  I'm not exactly sure what he's making with them all, but he definitely has a plan.  I was also able to convert the work into money as he paid for me service.

Above:  I needed to replace the metal rings on some overhead lamps that we have in the kitchen, as the metal rings fit way too loose.  So I printed some replacement ones.  They fit fantastically after about three minor revisions. That's the beauty of the printer.  I can make as many alterations as I want, and reduce a tremendous amount of time and money versus outsourcing something like this.

Above:  I'm printing a vase.  The girls will get to paint them later.

Above:  I printed some parts for work, as well as another vase.  The parts for work will potentially save the company $2,000 to $2,500 versus having them machined or formed, and we'll know the parts work the first time.  The printers time was about 6 hours for the three aircraft parts, and the cost of the plastic was about $5.oo or $6.oo.

Above:  A Close up of the structural airframe part.

Above:  A Close up of the vases.  They are about 8" tall each.

Above:  I printed some stretchy bracelets for the girls.

Above:  They liked them for a little bit. 


All in all, the project has been a success.

Hope chest update...

Ok, this really isn't an update.  More of a realization/apology.

I was attempting to build my children some gorgeous hope chests.  Their intended function was to store personal affects as they grow up, etc...  Securely too.
http://hoygarage.blogspot.com/2011/07/hope-chests.html

Unfortunately, around august of 2011, I got injured by my table saw.  A small 3" long x 1" x 1" chunk of VERY hardwood shattered on the table saw and got me dead in the lower lip, leaving me with 8 or so stitches and a hole in my lip.  I was very lucky.

For some reason, ever since then, that project was conspicuoulsy shelved.  Not by a direct thought process... it just kind of happened.  I do plan to get re aquainted with it someday, I promise.

Until then, I am currently build a 3D ABS/PLA printer.  basically, it will print fine quality plastic parts for engineering check fits and design assesments for some automotive products I plan to develop.

Projects, I love them.

Home Theater - 01

Introduction:

I’m a guy.  And as a guy, I like electronic toys.  For the last 20 years of my life, I’ve always desired to have a multi-channel home theater setup.  I wanted something that not only sounded great, but it also had to be near invisible/stealth. 

After waiting years for our older TV to die and some meticulous planning, I got the chance to start putting nose to grindstone and make things happen.

(Side note:  The home we bought actually came with a home theater setup.  Sort of.  It came with a movie screen mounted to some molding that could be stored away when not in use.  I chose not to purchase their movie projector when we were offered it during the home sale.  The room is away from the rest of the house and it’s awkwardly shaped… it just wouldn’t work.)

 

The Plan:

The plan is simple.  I want to mount the TV to the fireplace.  I want to build some kind of column like contraption and mount some speakers in them.  I want to lower the mantel to the legal limit by fire code, and install some more speakers in it.  I want to create some window high cabinetry that is our equipment storage, subwoofer(s), and miscellaneous storage.  All in all, it’d have 9 discreet audio channels and 1 subwoofer channel.  A true home theater.  And most importantly, it’d all be stealth.

The project will have essentially 4 main milestones:

-  Build, assemble, and install the back board for the fireplace.

-  Build the left and right towers for the speakers/storage, and install them onto the back board.

-  Build the mantel for the speakers, and install it onto the back board.

-  Build the entertainment cabinets.

 

Here is the configuration of the fireplace.  The fireplace is centered on the far wall, surrounded by windows.  There are windows along the right wall, and a solid wall on the left.

The mantel is so high, that it would put the TV at break neck heights.  No good, so I ensured what the minimum fire/build code for the mantel height could be as part of my design.

Home Theater - 02

April 6^th, 2012.  Day one.  I’ve spent the entire day building this.  Some parts are only for support at this stage and will go away, but you get the idea.

 

Here, I am sanding and filling all the joints that exist.  I planned well in advance that all the seams would be hidden.  In this case, the barely visible seam will be hidden by the mantel itself, once it’s installed.

The two square holes in the back board will be my media and power cable ports.

 

At this stage I have applied a coat of Killz Primer and fit the TV mounting provisions.  These provisions did not stay long however, as they did not provide the necessary TV tilt function that is required to watch 3D TV.  Not something we do a lot of, but you just never know.  This was one item on the list that was not planned for.

 

Nothing like a few coats of paint to glossy it up.  I went with an untinted gloss white.

Unplanned:  I thought it’d be a good idea to prime with KILLZ and paint with a foam brush to get the high gloss latex as smooth and streak free as possible.  Well, it didn’t go on smooth or streak free.  I need to try something else.