I rran out of Cross Dowells for the flatbed, so I started on the Phlat printer tonight. Mark does an excellent job of narrating the build video. No matter how hard I tried to put somthing together wrong, and I tried, I was not able to. The gantry system went together well. I am attaching Photos.

Attached files

 

Looking good David, keep up the great work!

-Peter

 

Welcome to the next installment of "How the Screw Turns" starring Me, Crash5050.

Well, I just couldn't stand it, I had to take a day off to work on the Phlatprinter. Thank goodness for Leave .

After much grunting and lubrication, ........ I got the pulley on the stepper motor. Problems arose after that. I couldn't get the stepper into the gantry assembly. Lucky for me I have a brand new Roto zip and I simply put in a sanding bit and "opened" the slot a bit so the entire stepper and pulley could be inserted, no lubrication required in that step.

Tee Nuts, love 'em or hate 'em they are there, I personally hate them, all of mine wanted to spin on me, could have been the fact that I glued up the holdes. Gotta love super glue, a little dab under the Tee nut and a bit of glue removal and we were back in business. Now where is that plactic dial indicator? Nope, not in the bag, hrmmm, wait there it is, under the computer desk.....How did that happen? Oh well 2 screws and we are good to go.

According to the video I am complete with the gantry assembly, although I am a little worried, I have 2 pieces left, and not quite sure why, hrmmmm 2 number 5's, are they important? Either way, mine looks like Marks, and moves like Marks so i am calling it good. Here are some of the pictures.

Thanks for watching, see you next time.

Crash5050 Attached files

 

As the day sets on the great state of aArkansas, a phlat printer slowluy becomes one with the foam. It has been a pretty productive day, I found a few more pieces that i am sure that hould have been put in there somewhere, a 46, and 2 funky looking 83 pieces. Who know, they may not be important. Otherwise the build is going pretty well. It actually looks like a phlatprinter. Eyes closing and brain not taking directions from the fingers really well so I am just going to post the picture and let it be it for the night.

Attached files

 

Well, the phlat printer is finished. After much pestering of the creators, I was able to get it working. Mark was great and patient with me even as I contemplated the rate of which MDF would burn when doused with 30% Omega fuel.

Just a few Notes:

1. make sure that your printer cable is plugged up before you go to yanking motors out because you think they are bad. I tripped over the cable and partially dislodged it from the board, and my X asis started squealing and not turning, it is a pain to remove that motor.

2. Get the Phlat Stand if you buy the printer, I did not and I regret it, as soon as I can afford it I will get one.

3. Make double, no triple sure that your flex shaft is seated well in the collet BEFORE you turn on the roto zip, I say triple because I am on my third shaft now.

4. longer screws in pat 11 on the top of the Z gantry, I pulled those little ones out a dozen times before I broke down and put some honkers in there.

Other than that I am satisfied that the phlat printer will eventually work out well for the phoamys of the world.
Crash 5050

 

Ok, after much ado, here is the first actionable piece cut from the phlatty. Props to Evil-Tunes for the Raptor!!

There are some that will say "Meh" he cut a plane, but believe me, I was jumping up and down when that sucker fit together. Attached files

 

Crash 5050, there aren't many of us who will deny the same excitement we felt when our first viable plane came off our PP and actually went together. In fact, anybody who denies they were jumping up and down is a liar!
Congratulations!

 

I think this will be my last post in the build log. Today, the wife informed me that the cat hacked up a blue furball, and that she was tired of having smurf turds all over the house. I had two choices, move the phlatprinter to the shop, or move the phlatprinter to the shop. After some careful deliberations, I decided to choose b. and move the phlatprinter to the shop. Funny how that works.

I printed out the Phlat Stand plans that Mark posted on the forum, and went to work. Suprisingly enough, after all was said and done, ti actually sat square on the floor and did not wiggle. I was truly amazed. Not that the plans actually worked, but that I actually built somthing square. I took the casters off of my Lowes shop vac and tried to put them on the bottoms of the legs, note...do not use rubber mallet when trying to insert plastic casters.. A quick trip to walmart and 6 bucks later, I have casters on the stand.

As you can see from the following pictures, the phlatprinter is happy in it's new home. It has a fenced yard, and room to roam. My son in law tells me that he can get me some 3 foot adjustable roller tables from his work. If this happens, I will be in good shape as far as tables go. The good thing about this is that the shop does not have Internet...yet. So I can spend more time cutting foam than lurking on this forum

Ok, as the sun set on the Arkansas horizon, so doe the build log of Crash5050. I would like to express my gratitude to all on this forum that have helped me get to this point. Mark and Trish of course, Crash, I couldn't have done it without you buddy, EWO, what can I say, and almosthere for all the technical advice.

Now on to the pictures Attached files