Makerbot repair

[Alexander]

I am creating a thread to share my journey repairing this Makerbot Replicator x2. I purchased it on Facebook marketplace. I received it particularly disassembled with a clogged extruder. My vision is to assemble it and hopefully use it as a replacement for my Wanaho I3 duplicator.

 

[Alexander]

The extruders were completely disassembled in a container. Luckily I found all the pieces and put it together. I found the thermal tubes were blocked with melted plastic. I got that cleared and I am ready to try printing.

 

[Alexander]

This was the state of the extruder when I bought the thing. It seems like I got it back together ok but I am not sure. I notice the right extruder is 3d printed and the left one is the original cast aluminum part from MakerBot. I am test printing an item right now and notice a few things that need fixing. Right off the bat the printer wont read a file from an SD card. I tried formatting it FAT16 which is what the printer wants. Then I saved it using the three different file types under the export print file tab but nothing worked. As a last ditch effort I plugged the printer into a USB port and it instantly started printing. Once it started printing the extruder banged into the frame of the printer during a preparatory move. Not sure why that is but it did continue running. The last issue I noticed is the build plate never warmed up. This caused the ABS to curl up slightly during the print, but even with these small issues I did manage to print my project. I have attached a few images of the finished product for you to check out.

 

[Tom O]

Are you using the Makerbot software?

 

[Alexander]

I created this 3d model in fusion-360 and then I used the makerbot desktop software as a slicer.

 

[Tom O]

Ok just wondering because you have to use the x2 software not the new one.

 

[Alexander]

I attempted to print this large RC car rim. The printer seems to have missed some steps or the belt on the x axis may have slipped. I have never actually seen this particular print failure before. I am going to try lowering the temperature a bit to prevent the stringing and I guess ill try again. Printing with ABS is overall more difficult to set up than PLA. Small temperature changes have a significant effect on layer adhesion and stringing. This is a bad print but I will try again.

 

[kevin.decelles]

If it was just one layer, I’ve had it do that if a small ball of spooge forms and it runs into it..... the “crash” can cause the stutter

I’ve also seen that happen and then you reprint and it happens in the same spot..... sometimes it’s the slicer. You can sometimes isolate the layer it is occurring in and print 3 back and 3 forward to confirm it is the slider rather than waiting x hours for it to happen

Concur on the abs temp, an enclosure is almost mandatory, walking past it can cause enough of a differential. Same with printing on an outside wall of your home /garage


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Alexander]

I think the machine probably crashed into a blob that fell from the extruder. I will try again with a lower temperature this weekend. I am starting to get somewhere with this printer. Part of the learning was figuring out that the filament and nozzles defaulted to a different size than what I have

 

[Alexander]

I did a little 3d printing this week. The MakerBot is working good now that I got the settings right. I did mill the bushings out of aluminum so the wheels would roll smoothly and the axle is a 3d print with a stainless steel rod going through the middle. This guy gets credit for the design. https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3575951