Build: XZero Predator... With more teeth!

Respect for the one's that need no supplier's.

The best business model...

I think you could even print this from dust...

I'm getting better at the printing of things.

PETG is the wrong choice i think for most of the parts i have in mind.Fractures very easily. not as bad as PLA, but bad.

I ordered some polypropylene and nylon, we'll see how that is.

I think I'll use polypropylene for some of the cover parts, which are likely to get hit by things, like wrenches, end mills, hot shards of aluminium, etc. Also anything that gets very wet as it resists almost every fluid. Not for everything though as its very expensive and flexy / soft (clear rubbermaid containers are polypropylene).

For the rest i may end up with nylon and ABS (stable when hot, strong, easily glued and painted). ABS is the cheapest by far - $16cdn/kg vs $44cdn/kg for nylon and $100cdn/kg for the polypropylene.

Fun fun


Also got ideas while printings. You could so easily 3d print sand casting patterns. I could print and cast and have machined for linear guides a "BF20" style mill frame in canada for much less than the whole machine costs and without all the crap you throw away anyway

Something i need to ponder later this year. after the 2 xzero machines are done.

You have too look at wrapping the button's, just like wrapping airplain's in rc-video's.

Like hydrographics?

That sounds plausible actually, but how hard is that to line up straight on each button? Usually what i see is a bit, uh, free-form.

Time 3.09

line up straight on each button?
See how he does the airplane window's... With a tape. very easy. In fact you don't need any application foil at all.

Oh, that's just vinyl sticker. That wont work well here. It's just a sticker that will peel off with grease and general touching.

You also cant "wrap" something small and sharp cornered like the buttons very well. there's a limit to the pliability of the vinyl.

Only aceton or thinner is a problem i think. Greece is not toxic.

this is what they stick on bicycles. not fully wrapped, but large vinyl stickers all over the fork and wheels..It's ruined usually after a few rides.and peels up with grease and oil.

Only a few mechanical bits remaining.

Motor mounts to fit the sanyos, and couplings, and the vac table. then all the finer details like limit switch brackets and printed cable chain mounts.

fun fun

alright, time to get back to the control stuff.

I have an ATC question.

If i use a servo to drive the carousel, do I just use one of the spare step and direction axes and make my subroutine control it? Is there an example of this? (the set up part, so it can be commanded - let's call it W - but not show as an axis in the UI) I'm using a mesa 7i76

There will be a "stowed" position, and then 10 tool positions on the carousel, all with absolute positions that would be commanded as an "hidden" axis.