Author: Roo

Last time I almost finished the build, but got hung up waiting for some glue to dry. There isn’t much more to put together.

The last few steps went very smoothly, I didn’t have much to do and I only had a couple of notes that I’ll add to the bottom of this post.

The part count was pretty good. I was missing 2 – M3 16mm bolts, non critical as the fan took 4 and I just used 2. I had some extra parts: 1 – M3 20mm bolts, 3 – M3 hex nuts, 1 – M3 locking hex nut and 2 spare zip ties (having ‘wasted’ about 5 during the build).

In terms of tools here is my list: phillips screwdriver, tongue-and-groove pliers, utility knife, krazy glue, epoxy, metric allen key set (2.5 mm, 1.5mm), imperial allen key set (1/16″), loctite threadlocker blue 242, 2 pairs of needle nose pliers, wire cutters, tape measure.

Having access to a computer near the build is also very valuable for reading the directions / looking stuff up.

Read on for details about the last few steps.

Continue reading “Printrbot Simple – part 4 – build complete”

This is the second day of the my build. I originally anticipated finishing the build but hit a few snags right near the end so I stopped before completing it. I didn’t want to rush so as to avoid mistakes, and I was having a blast putting the kit together.

The laser-cut 1/4″ plywood has a wonderful burnt wood smell. The precision of the parts is awesome, things fit perfectly together. I can see why some folks really get into rapid prototyping with laser cut parts, but buying/building a laser cutter is further down my list.

I took a lot fewer notes this round. Again, I reference the steps from the instructions for the Printrbot Simple with Large Motors.

Continue reading “Printrbot Simple – part 3 – more building”

Printrbot has been continuing to refine their printers as they go along. Since the original Simple beta, they’ve gone through a few revisions. The original didn’t have end stops, this now comes as part of the kit. A fan was added to help temperature control. They’ve added tension adjustment on the strings they use to attach the platforms to the motors. On October 23rd they change the design to use large motors – and even though my order was a day prior, I still received the large motor kit.

These improvements they’ve managed to fold into the same cost, keeping the price the same for the improved product. For previous customers, they offer reasonably priced upgrade options (and instructions) to update their printers. For some parts, they provide the files needed to print your own.

I promise I’ll get off the fan boy soapbox soon, but I need to also mention that they’ve released the designs under a Creative Commons non-commercial license. This is a company that not only delivers great value, but has embraced the community. I’m quite happy to jump in and participate when things are like this, and I’m sure a lot of others are too – this creates a great feedback loop to the company that benefits them via support and (potential) improvements from the community.

On to day one of my Printrbot Simple build – I followed their build instructions and will reference steps (hopefully they don’t renumber / edit the document too heavily). [Edit – it does appear they’ve added some steps, as my numbering appears to be currently ‘off by 2’ later in the instructions – that or my notes were sloppy]

The remainder of this post is terse details with my comments on each step. Not much to see here unless you’re building your own Printrbot Simple. This was the first of three nights I took to do the build (a bit at a time) – for me it was like reading a good book, I didn’t want it to end so I stretched it out a bit.

Continue reading “Printrbot Simple – part 2 – the build”