Ok. it is about time to order some parts. My Wanhao Duplicator i3 has been churning out parts for the last week. I have 30 of the 44 parts printed from the 23.5mm set so far. My plan is a 30x30" bed. (one planned project is a carved design in a piano benchtop which measures 14x30" so I need the 30") Since having another 3D printer would just be awesome, I NEED that too. But I’m thinking of having two extruders to do multi-color prints. As for the Z axis, only once did I want to print something that was more than the 180mm height, (~7 inches) but it was decorative so I just scaled the entire model by 95% and it fit. My current software chain is 123D Design -> STL -> Cura -> g-code-> Octoprint (on a Raspberry Pi 2 with camera) -> Di3 over USB. (and I have used Inkscape to produce gears) I rarely use Octoprint’s Cura slicing plugin because I like to be able to tweak different settings and there are too many combinations to save a profile for every combination.
So, of course, I have questions.
As for the Z axis size, is the problem with a larger Z related more to the larger mass of the longer rails, or is it due to the extended length requiring more force (leverage problem) to push through when cutting? Basically, if I always do CNC on a raised surface and drop the work surface (maybe recess the table top for 3D printing?) for taller 3d prints the Z would only be extended when little force is required. Could I get away with a 12" Z? Based on the calculator, the bundle all-thread limits it to 9", but a longer one can’t be too expensive to procure.
If I run two extruders, is there anything extra I would need to order in the way of electronics? I assume for each extruder, I would need to order a “3D Printing Extruder”, a “Stepper Driver DRV8825”, a fan, and possibly some wire to extend everything. Is there a place to plug in the second stepper driver in the RAMPs board? Does the firmware handle it? Is there a universal mount to handle dual extruders? Can the 30A PS in the bundle handle both heads and maybe a heated bed?
The bundle says it has enough belt for 48" total X+Y. So, I need an extra order (6.5 feet) of GT2 Belt to reach 30x30". Is the wiring kit enough to reach?
Can 123D Design be used to design for CNC? I will probably swap out Cura with Slic3r. I have read people have used Octoprint with MPCNC but more so with 3D printing than for CNC. I really like the automatic time-lapse I get for every print.