Building the "Repeat" printer

Figured out how to share the whole folder…
Make sure you got the small truck spacer things. Really might work those into the model to not be a new part.

When I first got my ender 3 i saw SOOOOOO many people complaining about warped beds. One night while I was trying to get mine leveled it occurred to me that the fourth corner over constrained it, and maybe these folks twisting down one corner at a time on a hot bed wasn’t the greatest idea in the world. Of course, maybe manufacturing really is that bad, but my need was plenty flat and when i compared the number of people complaining to an estimate of how many printers had to have been made, i got suspicious.

I just don’t use the 4th screw. Made leveling a ton easier and way more consistent. Didn’t cause any problems I could see. My second printer is also mounted at 3 corners. I worry a little about sagging, but not enough to do anything about it. Seems ok. I think from here on out I’ll use spacers and hard mount them.

Three points define a plane.

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Ouch

So it turns out I can not share the whole folder…this is gunna get rough.

Can you send me a screenshot of what your fusion directory looks like for the shared file. It contains other parts and assemblies, so if it shares associated files, then I can just insert them all in there and everything gets shared. If not…I am not sure how to share all the parts easily.

I tried that before, but I used to use a piezo bed levelling sensor, and it didn’t like the unsupported corner. It would probably be OK now… but I’ve figured out ways to deal with it. I did make an adapter that had 2 3mm tapped holes 209mm apart and one 3mm stud in the center. That works OK with the PCB heated beds. The aluminum ones seem to be stiff enough.

For this printer, because the bed mount isn’t actually for levelling, I’ll use spacers to keep a silicone pad underneath, and then firmly mount it to a levelling platform. This setup might even be firm enough to try the piezo sensors again. I like those for having a zero offset from the nozzle, but tuning them is , finicky

Yep. That was the advantage to making parts invisible after I copied them off, I could always see parts that I had not yet made an STL from.

I see there are no real drawings for the wood sides. I’ll have to go back in to get measurements for where the mounting screws are for parts. It looks like you intended to mount to the extrusion with 3mm screws, so I’ve been planning on 1/8" holes through the wood for longer screws with locknuts. I’ve also been planning on using the protruding ends to hold ties for cable management. Plans for that may change depending.

The plate of Z parts needs another couple hours, but is coming along nicely. I had a bad moment where I thought I might have placed the Z idler the wrong way up (Most V1 designs so far don’t make the nut flats horizontal) but that’s the only way that really makes sense.

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Like this?

Yes! That is cool. I can just insert whatever and it shares the rest of the file. I have a few other pieces that are not on there.

I checked, changing the rail size explodes the model. So It looks like I need to work on my assembly skills in fusion.

No, I am almost there. I was working on a spool mount but got side tracked with another wire passthrough. Kinda need all that before I finalize the sides…and I need the model to work parametricaly for you before that.

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Z plate completed without incident.

Next is the trucks (including the small locating pieces)

For the back and sides, I was just going to adjust the drawings myself, but parametric makes it much easier! Assuming of course that I get back into Fusion enough to learn how to adjust those lengths, lol! I guess I really ought to.

I think this printer is coming due for a major overhaul. It’s starting to make some new noises, clacking and clicking in places. It’s also developed a bit of X wobble that I van see in the printing. The leadscrew movement idea did make things nice and precise, but it’s kind of noisy at the best of times. Really looking forward to the new one. I had thought the V2 would have replaced it, but that wasn’t how it worked out.

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In for this.
I’m definitely going to make my own, but I’ll wait for you to be the guinea pig first to make sure its all ok :laughing:

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I have the width working now. If you edit the length of the CF tube (+100mm? 300mm bed??) it adjusts. The rest needs to adjust so you can get the right shape bed plate.

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One more plate of parts. I had to reprint the corners, because there was a problem with the first ones. My printer lost power before it finished them.

One more plate for the hub and belt tuggers, and of course the tool mount, fan holder etc.

The IR probe doesn’t like that blue filament, a little bit of stringing on the sensor and it stopped triggering. Now I have a bit of a hole in my PEI.


Prusa slicer thinks 4.5 hours… I bet closer to 6.


That’s the core and the belt tension blocks done.

My CF rail has been “out for delivery” for 5 days. Not gaining confidence in the post office.

My Hemera hotend is due Thursday.

My V1 stuff apparently left San Francisco today.

My PSU and BLTouch arrived this afternoon.

I need to download a new model, the one I have is most definitely not parametric. Well, I had planned on doing my own work for the case, but no rush. I know Ryan is still tweaking those, so I’ll wait for a finished version.

So far quite happy with my Jolly Rancher Blue parts.

I’m tempted to build with extrusion, but then I look at the T nuts, corner braces and assorted hardware… makes it super hard to justify. None of that stuff is remotely reasonable to price unless I’m willing to wait for it to (maybe) ship by slow boat from China, and I might get it before New Year. (Chinese new year, that is.)

Meantime… Wood seems plenty acceptable. I was thinking about using the 1/4" Melamine coated MDF and maybe painting it that Makita blue to go with the Jolly Rancher Blue printed parts…

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Ebay is another good source for extrusion.

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I was thinking about making one out of expanded PVC. I think I can get it pretty cheap, “locally” I know I can but it is a bit of a drive and they only have white…I get things dirty.

Wanted to mill something new. I have done very little plastic.

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I don’t think expanded pvc is very stiff.

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I was worried about that. I guess I should take the trip to the plastic shop
If it is weak I will get some HDPE that stuff is about the same price.

Well it doesn’t jave to have any more wire fasteners but those two front steppers still seem sloppy to me.

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Looks like customs was reasonable with my V1 package this time, but my CF rail has been “out for delivery” for 6 days now. I’m a little concerned that it’s been lost somewhere. Sheesh. Maybe I’ll go ask at the post office if it’s being held there tomorrow.

I’ll probably have the rest of it here this seek. I ended up short a couple of POM wheels, should have added them to the V1 order. I opened up a pack that I got from Amazon, and they’re the wrong ones, much larger. I ordered them a while ago, so probably too late to return them. I’ll end up using them for something, I guess.

It’s not the extrusion prices that irk me so much as the cost of all tf the ancillaries to put it together. The T nuts and the corner braces add up to hideously expensive really fast… Unless I want to wait a couple of months for it to maybe arrive from China. I can easily double the cost of my build with that stuff.

Spray paint is an option. Just saying.

I was looking at the HDPE as well, but the 300mm build platform is a little limiting for choices, since I can’t use 12" wide panels. I think I’ll end up with the Melamine over MDF panels after all.


Nice surprise in the mail today, my Hemera kit showed up. This pic is the closet where I expect the printer to live. I have a pile of old PCs for it to stand on. Maybe I’ll make a shelf for it or something.

So I have the build platform here, power supply, most of the printed parts, BLTouch, Hemera, various odds and ends, and 5 MGN12H rails. Still to come is the CF rod, and V1 package including the SKR Pro, LCD, motors, belt, and pulleys.

Now it’s time to start working on the box, which means learning to use Fusion 360.

I have a few concepts in mind for a box on frame, with various possible frame materials. I’d like something dimensionally stable, so that probably means primed and painted for wood or MDF. Also in the running is HDPE and aluminum square tube or angle. Of these, I don’t think I can paint the HDPE. Extrusion is probably not in the running. I’ve pretty much gone through my budget on this one already. I might buy a little more, but going to try to use what I already have mostly.

I’ll need a new case for the TFT35, still, so that will be on the printer soon. I did consider that as the printer’s first project though. I’ll also need the Hemera mount, but Ryan is still tweaking that, so it’ll wait.

Considering colours to go with the transparent blue. Black is always good, goes with everything. White is kind of boring, but safe. I have that rattle can of pseudo Makita blue. Tempting. A high contrast colour like yellow would … probably hurt my eyes… needs more thought.

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