Welcome to the SeeMeCNC Community

Placed my order over the weekend, didn't even know I was looking for a new printer until this week. Long story as to how I got here follows. Either put your feet up or skip to the next topic.

Our little company has had an Afinia H479 for some time now and always used it with ABS but current projects require food grade plastic and good looking if at all possible. Well, the Afinia is supposed to do PLA, how hard can it be?

Famous last words.

First tried some t-glase, hardly print anything before jamming. I had a two-position temperature control and swapped it out for one I made with potentiometer so I could dial in anything. Nope, t-glase wouldn't print at any setting.

The vendor let me swap it for a spool of food grade PLA, this will work for sure.

Nope, motor still carves a notch in the filament and then just spins.

I designed and made a new feed mechanism with a spring tensioner. Now it doesn't slip, but the motor stalls. *&^%$#@!

Contacted Afinia, they assured me these print PLA with no tribble at all. After much going back and forth, the printer went back to them for repair.

They found the temperature control wasn't stable and replaced the hot end. They apparently did more because this appears to have an anti-crash modification that wasn't there before. Maybe the $350 in shipping and repair charges was worth it. ??

Ok, try PLA. Same problem. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Contacted them, "working when it left here...and we only guarantee it will work with Afinia Premium PLA" (no comment about that not even existing when I bought this printer).

Bought a spool of their PLA. Wonder of wonders, it DOES print. But...it's not food grade (a support person said he's sure it is, they just don't state that which of course doesn't help me) and only comes in a few colors.

Then I noticed printing with this I have some gaps in the print at the top of some small notches. GGGRrrrrrrrr!

And now... we're now waiting for our Rostock Max to arrive.

You made a great choice. The stock Rostock MAX is great with PLA. Make sure you have some ABS as well, to print the fan shrouds (as part of the Rostock assembly).

I could always cheat and print them on the Afinia, or is that sacrilege? I don't want to find a group of RMax owners with printed pitchforks at my door.

jdurand wrote:I could always cheat and print them on the Afinia, or is that sacrilege? I don't want to find a group of RMax owners with printed pitchforks at my door.

Pitchforks are too old we would use printed light sabers.
In all honesty, I would like to welcome you to the Forum and we are here to help with any questions you may have.
I hope you enjoy your build of the Max and perhaps you can send us some pictures.
The first major upgrade I would suggest would be the step motor dampers that are purchased to quiet the noise from the steppers.
If you are interested you can buy a set of three from a user called astroboy907, send him a PM to arrange the sale.
He can be found here: http://forum.seemecnc.com/memberlist.ph ... file&u=926
They are not absolutely necessary but are a lot easier to install during the build rather than after.
Happy Building!

Keep in mind that while you can print food-grade plastics, the printed result is NOT food safe. Bacteria can hide in the nooks and crannies (and layers) of a 3D printed part.

Printing the fan shrouds are a good set of first prints for the machine.

g.

jdurand wrote:I could always cheat and print them on the Afinia, or is that sacrilege? I don't want to find a group of RMax owners with printed pitchforks at my door.

It's not cheating and it's not sacrilege. It's poetic justice. I would do it.

geneb wrote:Keep in mind that while you can print food-grade plastics, the printed result is NOT food safe. Bacteria can hide in the nooks and crannies (and layers) of a 3D printed part.

Printing the fan shrouds are a good set of first prints for the machine.

g.

Hiding bacteria is always a problem with anything. Now people are finding out that plastic cutting boards harbor just about as much bacteria as oiled wood due to all the cuts in them.

We recommend our customers sanitize with a household bleach solution as per the label on most bottles (1/2 teaspoon bleach per quart of water). Other than that, it's a good immunity builder.

I'm also in California so EVERYTHING has to get a "Proposition 65" warning stating that it may contain detectable traces of substances known to the State of California to cause birth defects and/or cancer. As our AIR contains said substances it's impossible for me to ship an item that doesn't need the warning. Not to mention what's in fingerprints!

As for testing it out, that is NOT a problem. I have lots of stuff to print, just printed almost 500 grams in the last 2 days on the Afinia.

jdurand wrote:I could always cheat and print them on the Afinia, or is that sacrilege? I don't want to find a group of RMax owners with printed pitchforks at my door.

I have done much worse, printed orion and max parts on my (gasp) replicator 2. Fortunately haven't been kicked off of the forums for it.

I feel your pain in waiting for your Max to be delivered. According to UPS, mine "Should" be delivered today


After the day of delivery comes the Joy of Building. Or in my case, rebuilding.

jmpreuss wrote: I have done much worse, printed orion and max parts on my (gasp) replicator 2. Fortunately haven't been kicked off of the forums for it.

Yet.



g.

geneb wrote:

jmpreuss wrote: I have done much worse, printed orion and max parts on my (gasp) replicator 2. Fortunately haven't been kicked off of the forums for it.

Yet.



g.

You use a replicator 2?
I think you should change your signature from "Defeat the Cartesian Agenda!" To "Support the Cartesian Agenda and the Delta Agenda"
(Just kidding, this place is boring at times and I try to liven it up a little)

Short break for a message:

Hi DV!

I just pointed him to the RMax and he may be showing up here.

I see my RMax shipped today (which I assume means Monday). Is it here yet?

Working with a somewhat famous person I designed a device and sent him one to try out. I said these were available for general sale. He liked it so much he mentioned it in an interview Friday and put a glowing recommendation on his web page with my contact info. The new RMax may be paid for just from selling these things! Our Afinia is going to be ready for retirement by the time the RMax is assembled and working.

jdurand wrote:I see my RMax shipped today (which I assume means Monday). Is it here yet?

Working with a somewhat famous person I designed a device and sent him one to try out. I said these were available for general sale. He liked it so much he mentioned it in an interview Friday and put a glowing recommendation on his web page with my contact info. The new RMax may be paid for just from selling these things! Our Afinia is going to be ready for retirement by the time the RMax is assembled and working.

What is this device and where is it available for sale?

It's a "water structuring" device. Aside from our normal rocket science, we do new age/woo woo/tin hat projects for people. Mentioned in the current interview here
http://www.veritasradio.com
and on his web page
http://www.halfpasthuman.com
scroll down to Structured Water

Our shopping cart has crashed with an update (great timing) so everything has to be done sort of manually.

Nothing wrong with taking money from stupid people!

I've worked with one "different reality" person for well over 10 years now and am currently doing a big project for him. He actually got funding since he has people test his gadget themselves and they get positive results. NDA won't allow me to talk about that one, but involves high voltage and an ARM processor.

No, it's not the HV laser controllers I've designed, they're all in big research labs.

jdurand wrote:It's a "water structuring" device. Aside from our normal rocket science, we do new age/woo woo/tin hat projects for people. Mentioned in the current interview here
http://www.veritasradio.com
and on his web page
http://www.halfpasthuman.com
scroll down to Structured Water

Our shopping cart has crashed with an update (great timing) so everything has to be done sort of manually.

Interesting web site you have Jerry and an interesting 3D printed device. Basically a cup or pitcher with an infinitesimally small hole?
Goes way over my head!
I do wish you the best with your pursuits.

There's a lot of "stuff" inside that cup. Personally, I didn't think the hole was that small when I designed it but Clif's been testing and says the water flows out way faster than if it was just a funnel with that size hole.

Clif's wife said I'm going to cost them a LOT of money, I told him about ordering an RMax and they're thinking of getting one if they can find room for it. Didn't help when his wife looked at this forum and saw the 8" vase.

jdurand wrote:There's a lot of "stuff" inside that cup. Personally, I didn't think the hole was that small when I designed it but Clif's been testing and says the water flows out way faster than if it was just a funnel with that size hole.

Clif's wife said I'm going to cost them a LOT of money, I told him about ordering an RMax and they're thinking of getting one if they can find room for it. Didn't help when his wife looked at this forum and saw the 8" vase.

His wife should have wanted the printer after seeing the vase.

She does, that's the problem.

jdurand wrote:She does, that's the problem.

That is what I thought. I hope they like printing vases and animals
They will have to get a his and a hers.

My RMax arrived, looks safe and sound. I see I have Kysan motors, these need a special setting if I remember right.

Of course we're up to our necks in work here, will move the old 3D printer to its new home tonight when it finishes the print job, get it re-aligned and started on the next job. Then the RMax (named Crowfoot by my wife) can start assembly in our free nanosecond.

If you try and damp those Kysan motors, please let us know how successful you are!

I have Astroboy's dampers here, so will do. I tried to look up the motors on the Kysan web site and of course they don't have that exact one listed. However, all the ones in the series are higher torque than the packing list calls out, so that's probably why the noise.

We sell a theatrical product with a stepper in it, being in a metal box and for stage use it HAS to be quiet. I used an oversized motor and run it on low current and give the user the ability to vary the torque so they can turn it down to the minimum to work in their application. I also increase the torque when changing speed and drop it really low when paused.