Due to current global issues, i have had to go into armageddon mode, As keeping the family business going in my main priority so once i have sorted remote access for all my staff. made provisions for all aspects of the business. will start blogging again and if we get locked down in the next week or so will have some time on my hands to sort some small projects with my backlog of bits i wanna do.
Been tiding up and braking 3d printers
Currently, have 3 non-working printers the joys of life. I will be doing some repairs this week as started on 2 projects as in did the design work then for my printers to let me down so have a half-written project that i cannot show yet as i didn’t manage to make the parts.
As I keep thinking i have solved my issues with the Prusa mk3 for it to fail again so i think i am going to walk away from it for day or so fresh eyes. I have compiled the latest version custom firmware so will flash it shortly and see if i can get the CR-10 back on working list. before i tackle the 2 Prusa machines.
meanwhile, i have finished off the CNC and vinal cutter dye-sublimation printer racking.
Just got to make some bits for CNC enclosure and i also want to add the limit switches this week to the CNC machine will have to see what time i get as i have some more jobs coming up.
giving my self to the end of the week to get the cave to a state of working use. think i need to sell some equipment i don’t use, make room. going to move some more stuff off my workbench as need the room. will add some more pictures showing this later.
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Quick update of lack of posing this week.
I am working on 2 or 3 projects in the background and taking on private work to help pay off some of my outlays on the cave as this is a hobby and not a sponsored site i wish it was but as i am not a celebrity of youtube yet for the time being i am doing things the old fashioned way.
As someone who has a list of equipment on my wishlist, i keep my eyes on eBay and facebook market place for deals on second-hand equipment. i have been after a dye sublimation printer for some time as had some mugs leftover from heat transfer vinyl job i did a while back. so the other day one popped up on facebook market place so i decided to go for it. so got a printer with some ink left in it, pneumatic mug heater and sublimation paper, 20 mugs white and heat sensitive and a refillable ink cartridge system with ink. So on Wednesday, i took a drive to go get it and last night i set i tall up int he cave. i will start testing over the next few days i have ordered a new wast ink bin for the printer as one installed is full. but now means i can do full-colour mugs so more private work to help fund my hobby. when my sub-business i fully and running will add links to the site.
will be testing over the next few days to make sure all works fine. new post on projects coming soon just had a week of private work going on should be clear by mid next week.
Managed to figure out the issue with my 3d printer well 1 of three the second big scale printer just needs a flash of the control box and rewiring. the third one is going to be an interesting project in its own right.
but next up is starting to prepare the CNC machine for use so waist board i have to go get from the local DIY store is 55cm x 38cm. then it’s going to be to who fix it to the aluminium bed probably with some carpet double-sided tape.
i am then going to add limit switches still working on way to do this easily have figured out the control box wiring just need to figure out where i am going to mount the ball arm micro switches. i have also designed a converter for vacuum inlet but more of that to come.
i am also going make some wall mount filament spool holders as Prusa has designed some for free download that i will make need to make 6 of them, 4 for the MMU and 1 for Prusa mk3 and one for large format printer.
Evening update as having a rest from the current private job i am doing. I wanted to play with my new toys so did a mancave mug for fun think the colours are off a little bit but still learning could also be the inks are old so might install a new set. so far impressed well worth the money.
time for some rest
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Just lighting update
As i did promise to do an update of some shots of my lighting all wired here a preview of it in action,
I am running 3 wifi controllers so all lights can be controlled via my mobile phone or Alexa or other automation systems i am yet to install.
i have installed 3 sets one for mood lighting that the equipment lights centre lights are if i need more lighting in the cave and laser bed lights are for the 50w lights
What’s happening next in the cave:
- CNC machine home and limit switches.
- CR-10 fixing it getting it printing
- Automation of lights via Alexa.
- Printing wall mounted filaments spool boxes
- Learning CAM for CNC machine.
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Spring cleaning in progress as fed up of not being able to use all my machines lack of space.
Have in a three-meter Octagon is not the easiest of places to house as much equipment as i have. also as it has windows on 4 sides. So as i have Wednesday off with my son i had been into the local DIY store to grab some screws bits for another project i have been doing. This was a few weeks ago.
I picked up some 10 cm x 5 cm timber and sheet of plyboard to make a cover that went over the winds so i could mount my parts boxes. i had managed to hand saw down the sheet of ply and mounted over the window.
i then added screwed new parts draw i had picked up in the Aldi for £8.99 and my Budweiser sign. looked ok but was just a place to put parts.
It worked well but was not quite what i wanted. I had just designed a template for holding Placemat and Coaster.
I then started to run a batch of placemats and coasters for our holiday rental property.
As this was running I thought i would make a start reorganising things. so the Budweiser sign has been relegated to the attic. i move 2 of my other parts boxes around and dump bins allowing for a new shelf.
I then moved the dump bins racking so they were next to each other. I had an IKEA shelf we were going to use in the house. that i have installed for the moment above the racking.
i have started to print brackets for filament storage from the 3D printing nerds channel. So i will have shelving for the 2 boxes of filament i have freeing up more space hopefully. However, my Prusa decided to jam yesterday so will have to wait till come back from wales next week to fix.
As i am working on the map and paid jobs i thought i would get everything up and running and remove bits i don’t need down to wales.
As then can do stuff when i am not in London so my K40 is going to be shipped off to wales along with the Prusa MK2s MMU and clear some space up for stock and parts.
this will be happening next month as will use a man and a van to transport bed and other bits as holiday rental property we have been developing is finally coming online should be available to rent in the next few months.
Next racking unit to sort is the CNC and vinyl cutter as its become a dumping ground and remove redundant bits ie water buckets for cooling as changed for a smaller type.
will be nice to actually get in the cave and be able just to work. Will be adding a download section to the web site so all my projects can be downloaded for free. maybe a project section to get some feedback and collaborate with some other bloggers.
Right got a 208 mile drive later after the day job hoping it will be a easy run.
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Back and rested
Right got back London late last night this week is nearly done will be installing a new bed to the 50 watt laser tomorrow as just had to pay a minimal custom charge.
Should be delivered by parcel force tomorrow so fingers crossed. Tonight operation is fix the new heat bed and add the EZout to my CR-10 as manage to drop control box and rip wires out. before leaving to go to wales.
Still having issues with prob on and off might order a replacement as wanting my CR-10 back up and running.
Next project: end stops on my CNC machine so some drilling and tapping are required to mount end stops and some more mods for the control box as it’s sitting there taking up space if it’s not being used.
just about up to date to with getting steaming solution working will take it for a test drive soon then will probably start to do some small streams on a Wednesday.
Will add another post later hopefully with CR-10 news hoping for good news but got to recompile firmware as well. not happening as son is ill will resume tomorrow
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As last week went to pot
Not setting any goals this week as its a busy weekday job and some RNR. I have got to go pick up some screws today
Then depending on time, it’s on to the Prusa Mk2s MMU as I am on a roll of fixing stuff the last couple of week. If I can/
Will also be my first time running PETG as a material. hopefully will be easy learning curve.
On other current projects:
Wist, I wait for the EZout probe to clear customs. I am going to run some more calibration prints probably tonight. as did try doing bigger print but had some issues with print sticking to the bed. probably just a
over the weekend I have built octopi set up that I am currently getting up to speed via TeamViewer for plugins and adding stream feed to the studio might give it a quick test later see things are running right. once I have finalised that will clone the card and do it for the Prusa Mk3 using the pins off the controller board.
What next up in the cave:
Getting limit switches wired into the CNC machine. then I need to learn how to use it so will probably do this via stream so hopefully will get some help with getting all going.
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Life is good today
CR-10 fixed don’t know how or why but all back in action god knows what cause of the problem. i ran a m48 probe test spat out some numbers. thought would give it one more go and did some more bed scraping but was for the greater good, i am now running a
Before I fixed the CR-10 I have been running some squash ball feet for the printer, on my Prusa mk3. As they were all done and i managed to pick up some . . squash balls on the way home. AI decided to fit them see if dampeners will help with a ringing issue I have currently on
nice and easy to fit using printers standard hard ware t-nuts and 4 dunlop double dots
been setting up my stream pad applications are all set just working what short cuts i am going to need. I have swapped over to
and one finished cube next to 1 and 2 think its the best .
now for the
As i was on a roll with squash balls so brought 4 more and printed some more feet for my Mk3 will be fitting them tonight.
Will be fitting the feet tomorrow as today been with my boy so just been running bits in the background have set 90 % of my stream studio up and the stream deck is coming together.
done some diy cutting of boards and 2 x 4 for a frame im hanging in the cave for new tool rack will take some pictures when its up cheap way to add space
I have printed a frame mounted pi case for the CR-10 that i have modified through breakage so now open frame as the supports popped out the frame when they were removed.
will add some images tomorrow going to set up octopi tomorrow on the CR-10 as will make printing remotely easier also going to do the same for the prusa as have a spare pi kicking around.
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added a second monitor to the mix
So its bye bye to my Budweiser sign for the man cave as i needed the wall space for a second monitor as makes life easier when i am working.
So weekend plans if time permits going to hit my 3d printers as
So when are you going live?
Just need to build my OBS studio and configure my stream deck and we are about good to go live added new camera lighting and mic to the cave. touch would i should have some broadcasts soon as well as my
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Getting everything functioning making cave ready for online streaming.
As I have re layed out the workshop over the last few weeks. I have started to get all the equipment up and running. so when the time finally comes for some live streams I can just walk in the press a button on my stream deck and boom we are live on youtube or twitch haven’t decided yet.
CR-10 Rebuild and calibration
I started with My CR-10 3D printer that has been offline for over a year. keep on making excuses why I haven’t fixed it to my self after destroying old hot end. I had installed a new OEM one and added different bracket EZABL braket after destroying my fangs just never got around to flashing and recalibrating now its easy access I had no more excuses.
have re-flashed the new firmware calibrated the TH3D EZABL sensor will be running a test print. as I realised my raspberry pi octoprint setup had no files sliced fro the cr-10 with the EZABL probe installed. so going use one of the bed levelling STL’s and Simplify3D to give it a test later.
OK did not go as well as expected not sure if i need to rebuild my octoprint install. as got to heat then stopped will look at error logs tonight as was getting late my little one had a temp of 39.7 was asking for dada and mama so had to cut my time on this short. will install a micro sd card and see if I can print that way. then can rule out it being a printer issue. see what the issue is.
it will then be ready for some long big prints as this is my 300 x 300 x 400 machine.
I have ordered some more bits for it as going to upgrade the heater in the bed with silicon bed heater. I will also be installing a magnetic bed as love the one on my Original Prusa i3 MK3. I may do a
Update some of the parts from supplier should be delivered for the bed upgrade today. but still will be waiting on the heater and the magnetic bed.
3040T Chinese CNC machine.
This has been a bit of a paperweight since I brought it last year. have had some issue with the software supplied I think I have overcome that. as the information on the internet sucks and the Chinglish instructions are not great.
hours of research and looking all over the internet. I have figured out the following as my card is a
I then installed z probe script and fitted the probe to the machine – on tool and puck on the material. I pressed the button and it bloody worked. now that I have that working I am going disable the limit switches that are not there and use soft limits in Mach 3. might install limit switches as a project at some point as there are few good designs for my style of machine most of them are for air-cooled spindle types.
Now to make a quick G-code script to test it out will do this tonight if i get some time as my boy is not himself waiting for the call from nursery to come to get him.
if that goes well I will be adding a camera and some lights so can film it in stream assets for filming.
What else is going on this week in the man cave?
As long as that all above goes well I have some small commissions to run some dog tags for a band that got to be done this week.
need to find a place to put the original Prusa i3 mk2s MMU till I have time to make it work again with Haribo mod think i am going to flat pack it. also going out to play some airsoft first time in 2 years at the end of the month so need to dig my gear out and test it all won’t cover that and bore you all.
thanks to all that do read my ramblings hoping to go live soon.
I wouldn’t expect it to be as epic as some of
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