The post OKC Severe Weather Suspends Operations appeared first on Maker's Tool Works.

The post Store Will Be Down For Maintenance 20 May 2013 from Midnight – 2:00 AM Central Time appeared first on Maker's Tool Works.

1. Get connected with your community

Talk to other users and the company itself to understand just what you’re getting into. They may have some advice for you, and it’ll be easy for you to ask questions and get honest responses. Lots of companies have both company-driven and customer-driven communities, so look for these. If you purchased a kit from Maker’s Tool Works, our main community is based on a chatroom: #MakersToolWorks on Freenode IRC. We have some user groups specifically for products in testing, and we also reply to support tickets.

2. Review the specifications of your printer

How big of a print can you print? What about the maximum hotend temperature? What type of filament can I use? These are all questions that can generally be answered by reviewing the specifications of your printer, which should be publicly available somewhere. For the MendelMax 2.0, the technical specifications are located here.

3. Check to see what tools are needed

While most printers use hex-wrenches for their screws, there are other tools that may be needed too.  Does your printer require soldering to assemble (the MendelMax 2.0 is solder-free assembly)? Most of the time, the documentation will list some tools that are needed. At Maker’s Tool Works, our kits come with most of the non-household tools (we dont include scissors), so its not much of a concern. But in general, look over the beginning sections of the documentation for your printer’s assembly. The MendelMax 2.0 documentation is here.

4. Order a few kg of different color filament

When you get your printer, you’ll want to have something to print with! Drop by some of the popular online vendors for filament like printbl and ultimachine to pick up a few spools and be sure to order some different colors as well! In general, PLA tends to be a bit easier for beginners than ABS. The MendelMax 2.0 comes configured for using 3 mm diameter filament.

5. Once shipped, pick a weekend to work on the printer

When you find out that your printer has shipped, or is about to ship, be sure to set aside some time! Most kits list how long they take on average to assemble. Even if you’re purchasing an assembled kit, you’ll have to do unboxing, setting up software, and a bit of calibration. So, set aside a Saturday and Sunday to work on your printer, because this is the really exciting part: printing!

So, to all you new to 3D printing folks, get excited. If you’re already up and running, what one piece of advice would you give a new user? Leave a comment below!

The post I just ordered a 3D printer kit! Now what? appeared first on Maker's Tool Works.

I was surprised by the question originally, because many things you can print cost much less than they cost retail. Certainly there are some things that scales of economies just make work better for buying retail, specifically non-precise, low-durability pieces (plastic utensils, for instance). In general though, 3D printing isn’t that expensive. Here was my response to his question:

A few weeks ago, I broke a toilet seat hinge bracket. So rather than buy a new set, I printed my own. Cost me about $0.20 USD in plastic.
I’m an amateur radio operator. I got a new radio and wanted to mount it in my car, but I didn’t have the appropriate size faceplate. It cost about $30 new. I designed my own and printed it for about $0.40 USD.
I got some new pots and pans in the mail this morning from Amazon. I’m printing some clips that will hang them from the wall. It should cost me about $0.30 in material.
Last, I got some reflector/diffusers for photography and video, but the stand I got to mount them on was the wrong size. So I spent 20 mins designing an adapter bracket and printed it; saved me having to buy a new stand, and the adapter piece I printed doesn’t exist in retail.
So, here are a few things I’ve printed over the last while. I print stuff generally every day. A lot of it is fun, and can come in handy when I need parts that dont exist or are ridiculously expensive. I print customized art for gifts as well. -ryan_turner

[permalink]

So, how do you feel about this? I find that printing my own things saves me a lot of money in these sorts of cases. When might you chose to print something yourself over buying it, even if it loses you money?

-Ryan Turner

The post Responses to Reddit Posts: why do you print something in plastic which you can probably buy at a cheaper price outside? appeared first on Maker's Tool Works.

Announcing MendelMax Magma: The Next Generation in FFF Printing

Oklahoma City, OK – April 1, 2013 – Maker’s Tool Works is excited to announce the all new MendelMax Magma, the first 3D printer manufactured to use stone filament. Utilizing a revolutionary soon-to-be-released open-source rock extruder and hotend, temperatures in excess of 1600 celsius are possible. With this new capability, materials such as basalt, andesite, and we’re most excited to say that rhyolite are now usable as filament. Naturally, many considerations regarding the format of the solid filament were integrated into the design, especially since the filament is so hard to uncoil.

Not only is the Magma a breakthrough in FFF materials printing, but it is also in RepRap printer capabilities. With a total print volume of 4.1 cubic feet (116,099.07 cubic centimeters), the Magma is one of the most flexible open-source printers available.

Additionally, Maker’s Tool Works is excited to be enlisting US workers to operate in manufacturing filament, too. 3D printer community leader “OhmEye” is leading the materials procurement division based out of Hawaii, USA. Priced just above what it will cost to replace OhmEye’s burnt arm hair, FFF will finally be affordable for everyone to use.

MendelMax Magma: never chisel another stone part again.

Contact:
Ryan Turner
RE Magma
magma@makerstoolworks.com

###

The post Announcing MendelMax Magma: The Next Generation in FFF Printing appeared first on Maker's Tool Works.

VSlot rail is a product by OPENBUILDS that takes traditional aluminum extrusions and notches the inside edges for linear movement about the length of the extrusion. More than just a clever logo, its a clever device. The most exciting aspect, though is that they’ve been able to release it under a creative commons fairshare license while still maintaining an aggressive price. In combining two often mated technologies, price and assembly time is driven down, and versatility of both is increased.

V-Slot has a kickstarter going, where you can offer crowd-sourced capital for the venture, and in return, receive some perks to play with. This doesn’t look like your typical kickstarter with much uncertainty — they’ve posted pictures of some initial inventory, and they’re already over half way funded.

We’re very excited at MTW to have this technology coming out and see the opportunity to use it in many future products. We hope that you check out their product and consider it in your next extrusion-based build, too.

The post Check out V-Slot Rails! appeared first on Maker's Tool Works.

This is not buying an assembled product. Our goal in the class is to help you along your own experience of building a 3D printer. We know the problems that beginner builders face, and we know how to teach experienced builders the tricks and tips of the MendelMax 2 design.

Under the experts’ guidance, you will assemble, learn to calibrate, and print with a MendelMax 2.0! You will go home with a working printer. All that you need to bring with you is a Windows or Mac laptop.

The event is on March 15 – 17th 2013 in Elkhart, Indiana, USA.

Exact class times are still to be determined, but the class will most likely will be organized into two 4-hour sessions across two days.

LIMITED SPACE AVAILABLE, so order early to guarantee your spot!

A general list of topics covered

• Overview of machine, expectations of design
• Review of assembly process
• Basic frame assembly
• Assembly of the axes
• Motor, hotend, and extruder mounting
• How to wire the MendelMax 2.0
• High-level assembly of the print controller
• Flashing firmware to your printer
• Setting up the toolchain on your laptop
• Calibrating your printer

If you’ve followed 3D printing for months, but you’ve been afraid to assemble a kit on your own, this is a great opportunity. We’ll work with you to make sure that you have the best experience possible. Let us worry about getting things together, and let you focus on building your MendelMax 2!

(Sorry, sold out!)

The post Build a MendelMax 2.0 at the Midwest RepRap Festival appeared first on Maker's Tool Works.

So, if you’re using a MendelMax 2.0, one of the first things you may want to do is print a fan mount, and then the second thing to do is mount a 40 mm fan. If you’re trying to buy something local, consider mounting two 12 volt fans and running them in series.

What’s your cooling setup like?

The post 3D Printing Tip: When Printing PLA, Use a Fan! appeared first on Maker's Tool Works.

The post MendelMax 2.0 Beta Progress appeared first on Maker's Tool Works.

Its a bit like shaking a bottle of carbonated soft-drink, then trying to pour it into a thimble. Not exactly precise.

Well, how bad is the problem? For PLA, some say that it’s more important than you’d imagine.

Normally the material is crystallized and dried to moisture levels below 400 ppm by the supplier prior to shipping. However, if it is not kept in a sealed container, and depending on local conditions, PLA can pick up enough moisture in 5 minutes to defeat most of the benefits of drying Handling, drying, and reclaim considerations for PLA

Take this with a grain of salt, though, as the article considers different uses than ours. Most people use their filament up before they even notice.
Its not as much of a concern with ABS, but moisture still can be attributed to failure in certain applications.

Why do you dry hygroscopic resins? To get the moisture out, but more importantly to ensure maximum polymer performance. If you make parts for medical or other high-liability applications, understand that if you process wet resin you leave your “fingerprint” on the parts. INJECTION MOLDING: YOU MUST DRY HYGROSCOPIC RESINS

As such, it’s important to keep your 3D printing filament sealed-in-bag until you’re ready to use it, and after that keep it stored at a reasonable temperature and humidity. 3D printer filament definitely has a shelf life – once it is saturated with water, print quality suffers. There’s a reason that most filament manufacturers include desiccant silica gel in their packaging! PS: if you’re using polycarbonate, it’s even more important!

So, how many of you have actually had filament fail due to moisture? Besides with PC, I’ve never heard of RepRapper having issues (except with really, really poor quality filament). So, the moral of the story is, if you don’t plan to use your filament for a while, leave it in the bag. If you have it out, get to printing!

Bonus round

<OhmEye> Tip 1b: ziptie a packing peanut on the filament above the extruder to wipe dust off as it feeds to help protect against nozzle clogs

The post Tip #1: Store your filament sealed in bag until use appeared first on Maker's Tool Works.