User:Connor.delaney6/ENES-100/project 3

Past Pages
This project is a continuation of the previous project cycle. Those pages can be found here:

Project 1
Music Project Team Page 1

Connor's Wikiversity Page 1

Rachel's Wikiversity Page 1

Olivia's Wikiversity Page 1

Project 2
Music Project Team Page 2

Connor's Wikiversity Page 2

Rachel's Wikiversity Page 2

Olivia's Wikiversity Page 2

Current Pages
Music Project Team Page 3

Olivia's Wikiversity Page 3

Rachel's Wikiversity Page 3

Sarah's Wikiversity Page 3

Adel's Wikiversity Page 3

Week0 Preferences
This project will be a continuation of the Music project again. Over the first weekend, while finalizing the Music Team Page for Project 2, I kept working on the template design for the washer systems in SketchUp. Also, I have assembled the measurements and tools to make the plexiglass board to new teammates who have joined the project team. The rest of this page will be my continued work with the template printing from the MakerBot, and then hopefully the construction of the board including the washer systems.

Week1 Narrative
To start Week One I converted my final SketchUp drawing of the washer system template, which I finished at the end of Project 2, into an STL file, and them placed it into Makerware software, so then I could print it with the MkaerBot. After previewing the print in Makerware, the print looked clean and so the printing process was started. Unfortunately, after the first layer was extruded, I stopped canceled the print because after holding an already cut washer halve to the space for the washer halves to go, the space I designed was not big enough.

 File:First layer of first template print.JPG|This is the first layer that was printed by the MakerBot. The print was stopped after three of the four washer systems were laid out because it was apparent that the washer half slots were too small. File:First layer of washer template with washer half.JPG|When a cut washer half was placed on the slot which it is supposed to fit and have wiggling room, it did not fit into the cut hole. This told me that the size of each washer hole would have to be expanded, so it was time to get back into SketchUp. File:Bigger Washer Hole.png|After working in SketchUp I was able to expand one half of a washer system. I lengthened both ends 3mm and the top of the arch 2mm. This should be enough room to allow the washer halve to sit in the space. The design needs to now be implemented to the other seven washer half holes on the template. 

The next step for the template design is to continue to expand the rest of the washer half holes on the template, and then try and print the washer template again. During the remainder of this week however, I took a step away from the template design, and did some work on the plexiglass board. My teammate Adel, cut the base piece of plaxiglass, and drew lines on the thicker piece of plexiglass, which I took home to cut with my table saw. The process is described further below.

 File:Plexiglass on top of table saw.JPG|Slab of 1/4" thick plexiglass with lines draw on marking where to cut to make 1 1/32" wide plexiglass runners, all which are 13 3/8". The slab is sitting on top of the table saw which will be used to cut the runners. Adel did all the markings. File:Lines drawn on plexiglass.JPG|Closer view of the lines Adel marked on plexiglass slab for me to cut. There are five total runners marked that will be cut. File:Cut runner.JPG|This is one of the plexiglass runners that was cut from the marked slab. The width = 1 1/32", the length = 13 3/8" and the thickness once again is 1/4". File:Another view of cut runner.JPG|Here is another view of a cut runner piece that was done using the table saw it is sitting on in the picture. File:All five runners stacked.JPG|All five runners that we cut form the slab of plexiglass stacked while resting on the table saw. File:Close up view of laid out board.JPG|Close up view of runners resting on top of 1/8" plexiglass board in an example of what the board will look like with the runners glued down. File:Retreated view of what board will look like.JPG|Retreated view of what the board will look like when the runners are glued down. The space in between the plexiglass runners is 1 3/8" wide, which is wear the washer template to be printed will be placed when gluing down the washer halves. 

This work concluded Week One. The next week will focus on the next steps of this part of the project, which include sanding and then gluing down the plexiglass runners to the plexiglass base board, and then polishing the washer template design in SketchUp so the template can be printed. Once plexiglass board is constructed and the template is printed, the rest of the board construction can be completes, and that will push this project way forward!

Week2 Narrative
The first part of this week as to finalize my drawing in SketchUp and to then convert the the drawing to an STL file so it can be exportd into Makerware software, and then transferred to the MakerBot and be printed. Once uploaded into Makerware I made sure to look at the print preview, and make sure the print would come out clean.

 File:My drawing in Makerware.png|This is my drawing of the washer template uploaded into Makerware software as an STL file. I had to rotate the initially placed object longways on the building plate because otherwise the ends of the model would stick off the side of the building plate. File:Make buton in Makerware.png|Once I clicked "Make" in Makerware this menu came up, and this is where I checked the "Print preview" box. Also the speed and extruding settings can be adjusted on this menu. File:Print Preview Makerware.png|This is the print preview for my washer template in Makerware. The print time it gave was about 85 minutes, and by looking at the print preview I concluded that it would be a clean print, so I transferred the file to an SD card and then sent the print to the MakerBot. 

The first time I printed my design the printing went wrong early and I stopped the print after only about 10 minutes. The most likely cause of the failed print was that the build plate of the MakerBot was not level, so I re-leveled the build plate very delicately, and then tried my print again. This time, after watching the first 5 layers or so, the print was clean. I left and went home after confirming the print would go through clean, and the next day in class got to see my two washer templates (same prints) were successfully printed.

 File:First attemp of new print on MakerBot.JPG|This is the result of the first attempted re-print of the washer template on the MakerBot. The print was a mess on the right end, and so I had to stop it after about 3 layers. The most likely problem was the build plate in the MakerBot was not leveled properly. File:Two washer templates printed from MakerBot.JPG|These are the two washer templates I successfully printed with the MakerBot. Unfortunately the dimensions of the holes to hold the washer halves in place are too large, and do not fit the requirement of being snug with the washer in it. File:Me holding template.JPG|This is me holding one of the washer templates I printed. It is a steady structure, and even in the thin outer parts it is held together strongly. File:Another view of me holding template.JPG|Here is a better view of me holding the washer template. File:One more view!.JPG|Thickness of the template is shown better at this angle. 

After examining the printed washer templates, and placing cut washer-halves into the cut holes, it appears that the measurements for the spaces designed to fit the washer halves into place are too big. This means the next step and procedure for next week is to redesign the washer template in SketchUp, using the dimensions that will be found by re-measuring the washer halves, and the printed template. Then a new template will be printed again using the same process.