It is good to see that the front panel comes off quickly. Last week I did a print of the Firefly Serenity where at the very end, something went wrong and the z-axis started trying to go back UP into the print head and I had to manually stop it and then push the build platform back down by hand since the head was still on the model and hot.
Hard to see in the video since its running at 1 sec video = 1 min real time but you can catch it going slightly up before the timelaps stops.
And you CAN see the curling from shrinkage of ABS that having the panels would have reduced or avoided.
Not a guess, but I just got my Replicator and while waiting for it to heat up for the first test build, I just felt the need to hear "The Latest Thing" (the official unofficial music of the Makerbot)
@FelixCulpa The other winner and I got reserve seating tickets to the Mythbusters Panel on Saturday. So we had great seats and didn't have to get in line several hours ahead of time like I had to do previous years.
And as a random crazy chance, I happened to be sitting near the other winner during W00tstock on Thursday night and she happened to bring it up while talking before the show.
Also, I didn't notice Norm until after the Ring Wraith (who remained quiet for a few seconds) confirmed his identity and they brought the publicists to get my number.
Thanks for the tips. I feel kind of forehead slapping stupid for not thinking of getting plain gears to modify. Extra so because I ordered a gear toy set to make another back frame option for my iPad picture frame case (makes it look like two back to back framed pictures).
I did have rattling around in my head that I may have to cut the nail prints myself and I've got no real problem there. Heck, when I was at Lowes to pick up some stuff for a different project, I grabbed a $4 piece of 8"x10" Lexan to do some "poor mans CNC" by printing the designs onto paper and taping/gluing it to the material to be cut.
I will clarify that I was only thinking of these as flat pieces of material ~1/8" think cut into the shape of a gear to just free spin on screw posts and not actually drive anything other than maybe another one of these free spinning gears. Also, thanks for reminding me of aluminum anodization. Its been many years since I've done anything this down & dirty.
I guess the Makerbot category is probably the closest match, so here I go.
For my Steampunk stuff, I'm starting to want to look into making some custom gears based on some logos I've had for a LONG while. Basically, using my wolf paw or a wolf silhouette tripled up as the lightening holes for some gears. What I'm trying to figure out is what may end up being the best way to get them made.
Material, I'm kind of open on. Plastic & aluminum would both work for me since they are going to be decorative with them being able to mesh a bonus. Currently, I've got an elbow piece on my clockwork arm that has two spots 3.125" apart that can accept gears that if I get them to mesh and spin would be a bonus.
So basically, it's how to get them made. Should I try to shop around to get them CNC cut by a machine shop? What techniques should I be looking for? Laser? Waterjet? Or do I plunge into the world of 3D printers? And if I go that route, what machine should I get? I'd probably spring for the Cupcake CNC Makerbot, but they don't seem to carry that anymore and the Replicator would be quite a plunge (not to mention a 3 month wait, so I won't have anything for San Diego)
Here's a link to drawings I've made in Inkscape of the gear designs. http://flic.kr/p/cahSjJ
