Don’t use aluminum tubing anyway. It’s too soft, the bearings will force it out of shape, then have too much slop.
That is the current advice. When I started building, Alu was the recommendation.
Hi All - sorry about the long absence but a lot has happened.
Alison has an extruder motor that is not stepping properly - if you do the measured 100mm test it often comes up anything from 1/2 to about 6 mm short.
And one of the Z axis steppers seems to also loose steps for some reason.
Another thing I found out is that the nozzle is not perpendicular to the bed which is causing all sorts of wipe and “dig up” issues.
Then I found out that the balls in the one Z axis bearings are actually squares… (NOT on the side that the motor looses steps)
So I ordered all the parts from Bangood but who knows when they are going to get here.
In other news:
I was doing a bunch of web dev work for a client up in JHB and we came to an agreement that as payment he would order and pay for all the parts I needed for the my mill and have them delivered to me.
About the same time I decided that the LowRider would be the way to go for the first V1 based machine.
So I gave him all the part numbers and what web sites to find them and he ordered them.
I was sent all the order confirmations from Banggood BUT he only got a tracking number for one of the items so most of that stuff will probably become problematic as far as actually getting them is concerned.
The plastic parts and the mechanical parts packages were supposed to be ordered from V1.
However whenever I asked him for the order confirmations for the kits from V1 he “forgot” to get back to me… EVERY TIME!!!
The flat parts were supposed to be lazer cut out of aluminium up in JHB as well - no news on those either.
So the beginning of this week I emailed VI giving them the delivery address and asked them what the status of the orders was, IF there were orders.
The answer I got was that there was nothing ordered on that delivery address!!!
Next, the order backlog for the printed parts is running a couple of months into next year evidently…
“Wonderful!!!”
This @$$hole is trying to do me in… and the earliest I can get the parts is March or April next year…
So now I am simply downloading the entire site as we speak and when that is done I will be deleting all the scripts that I worked on. SCREW HIM!!!
He gets the scripts when all the parts that he agreed to order for me are on my lounge floor…
Which I am doubtful will happen…
So, Alison is hiding away under a dust sheet, my mill project has been postponed until Alison is sorted out and properly functional.
AND I’m out a lot of money…
But it gets worse…
My wife sued for divorce!
I did not contest it - no money!!! And what for anyhow…
So now I am now divorced too.
And to put the cherry on the top, I have to move out of my house in the very near future…
So I am putting everything g-code related on the back burner until I am settled down again.
To everyone who contributed to this thread I would like to say a big “Thank You” and I’ll catch you guys further down the line when I have my life in a little bit less of a mess.
Go well and be safe
Aubrey
Aubrey,
That is all very crummy news. You have a great mind and your perseverance will serve you well in the next months. Thank you also for sharing all of this. It is quite the read.
I hope you will be back to us soon, finding new things out about Alison and showing us what solutions you’re coming up with. I have a feeling we’ll all be here when you get back on top. Alison will print again!
Keep in touch, and keep your head up.
–Jeff