User:Javiereduturcios/myWork

Link to team page.

Write problem/project Goal
Use the Kinect to capture a 3D image and print it using the Maker Bot

My First Task
Find information about 3d printing

Summary of actual work over first weekend
Look infromation of the 3d printing and start getting a 3d model to start printing. First we need the machine running so that it prints a 3d model.

Week1 Narrative
During this week I prepare for the presentation. Look over how the makerbox works. Also I research videos on 3d printing. Look for steps the basic steps in 3d printing for the makerbot.

My Second Task
My second task is going to come on friday afternoon to work with the guy that knows how the maerbot works. This will help me have more knowledge on the makerbot and its functions. I am going to download blendr into my computer. Blender is the software that I will use to create STL file so that i can print something. I am going to look for tutorials on how to make a 3D printiable image.

Summary of actual work over second weekend
The work that i did over the week was to come to chat with the guy that is actually working on Makerbot. He thoroughly answerd all the questions that I had. Also i download blender into my computwer to make a 3D image. When i open the software i realize that there is a link on how to use blender. So I did not look for any tuorials. I try to get familiar with the program because I am going to start using it.

Week2 Narrative
During this week i wanted to change the wire of the Maker bot so started by pulling the wire. The wire was standiing very strong so it would not come out easily. I decide to disasemble the printing head. Started with a wrench to take out he nuts out of the volts. I took them all out. There is a black plastic that is between other trasparent plastic. I took the black plastic away. I thought that by doing that i would be able to pull out he wire easily and that was not the case. The wire stand as strong as in the beginning. I was going to start take the transparante plastic off but the motor is in between. I started to take the motor off. Before, I went into room 159 and I saw patrick. Patrict told me that one just need to heat up the wire. So I put it into 180°C. I was able to pull out the cable extremely easy when the wire was heated at tha temperature. Then i started to assemble the printing head altogether again. I realize that it was not necesary to dissasemble the printing head at all.

During this week, I got the machine turned on with a switch that is in the back. The switch the is in the upper right corner is to turn on the lights. After so much printing one will eventually run out of wire or change the color of it. I was successfully able to change the wire after several hours being trail and error. To start changing the wire one should start by turning on the machine. Plug the USB cord to the nearest computer. Open my computer and click on gDrive. Open the ENGSOFT folder. then open the folder that reads "Software to Install". Click on replicatorg-0025 file. Finally open Replicator G program. Opening Replicator G one must make sure that the serial port is in COM 1 or COM 6. To check that one must click on "machine" then "serial port" and finally click on COM 6 or COM 1. Open the control panel in Replicator G. In the Target Temperature text box input 180°C. When the temperature is reach. Two blocks that state "DALE RH 10W" will heat 180°C. Now one just pulls the wire and it can easily me removed. At the beginning this was not possible because the wire was solid in the needle and is very hard to remove it.



My Third task
My task over the weekend will be to come on friday afternoon and learn to print something because I my fellow classmates are almost done with scanning and basically printing is my responsabilty.

Summary of actual work over third weekend
My actual work over the weekend I did really come on friday to learn who to print in 3D. Patrcik is the man working in the Makerbot outside of college. He was able to successfully print a donunt.

Week3 Narrative
During this third week I was able to print a "Start Making" key chain. The first thing to be able to print is to get an STL file. There are many different STL files in www.thingiverse.com. the first time I open that open that web page I saw a key chain with "Start Making" printed on it. I wanted one of those. I went into thingiverse.com In the search toolbar I typed "start making" and the first option was the one I wanted to print. http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:17943. In the bottom left corner of the page there are two options on the type of file one wants to download. One needs to choose "key chain start...stl" otherwise it will not be able to print. When the file is completely download one wants to hit on "view downloads" and move the file to the Desktop. This will make the file easier to find when opening. With Replicator G, the program to print in 3D click on file then open go to desktop and click on the key chain STL file. You will be able to rotate the image 360 degrees. Click on the control panel and on target temperature type 180 and on Platform target temperature 110. This will take a couple of minutes. There is an icon that reads "Generate Gcode" in the lower right side. When the computer finish gerating the g code a new tab besides model will appear. One should replace "T220 S" with "T180 S" Otherwise it will not print. Now one is ready to print. Click of the "build bottom" A message will appear and hit "yes" It will take at least 12minutes to print the "Start Making Key Chain" I face three problems trying to get "Start Making Key Chain" printed. The first one was the STL file did not open. When the file was completely download. I hit open but it did not. To to get the file open one needs to go into replicator G and click on file then open and finally look for the file. My second problem was I did not generated the G code properly. I did not go into the new tab that shows besides the "model tab" This was not allowing the file to print. Fianlly my last problem was that the screw was not tighten correctly. It is extremely important to get the screw tighten otherwise it would not print.

My Fourth task
During this weekend I will start to get familiar with blender. Blender is a program in which one can design their own STL files. I want to be able to print whatever I what and not be restricted to the STL files that are in thinginverse.com

Summary of actual work over fourth weekend
I spend some time experimenting with blender. It was able to successfully create geometrical shapes.

Week4 Narrative
I did not like that fact that i was limited with STL files that were on thingiverse.com. I also wanted to create my own STL files. I research into google.com to create 3d models. Blender appear I decide to download blender. First Go to http://www.blender.org/ and in the top in the second tab downloads will appear. Download the one that fits into your computer (Computers in the lab will need Blender 2.62 Installer (32 MB) Requires Windows XP/Vista/7 64bit). After downloading open it and a cube will appear. Select the cube with the left click on your mouse and press delete on the keyboard. To build something go to "add" the upper left hand corner. Then go into mesh and select the desire shape. Then Click on "File" then "export" save it as an STL file. For convenience save it in the desktop and named the file. Open it in ReplicatorG. Generate the Gcode and start heating the needle and platform. If the object appears to be small in scalle try to make it make. Then go into move and press" Put on platform. When the needle and the platform are completely heated. Start printing by clicking on build. I also added stuff in this tutorial:

Make 4 tutorials
 * How To: Find Or Create A Printable STL File
 * Set Up & Run The MakerBot
 * How to Download 3D programs to build STL files
 * How to print STL files with letters or Numbers in it
 * How to Change the Wire of the Makerbot
 * Tutorial on Blender


 * I also realize that when changes the wire of the makerbot and immediately starts printing the object will have the color of the previous wire that was in it. For example is one changes the wire from white to black the printed object in the raft will have white. These is because there is a small amount in the needle that is solid and cannot be remove when the wire is heated and removed. To remove the remaining wire one has to go into control panel and input 250 in the motor velocity bar. Then select it to move it forward. This will start extruding the white wire and make the transition with the other color of wire. When the black wire starts extruding hit stop in the motor velocity. This will allow you when printing stuff that the raft is the same color as the printed object.
 * Also, I wanted to print a name so bad that I looked letters in www.thingiverse.com I choose this one: http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:753 when I started printing the first letter took me 30mins. The following letters will take the same time to print. But when i wanted to print the next letter the makerbot the makerbot printed for 15mins then it stop. This is because the makerbot cannot be on for so much time. So when one is printing something that it will take to long you should think about it again. What I did to make the second letter is to turn off the makerbot for about 15mins and print again.

Complete Project Page
Follow the "project done" format.