Quiet, but not slacking
Its been a few weeks since my last post. Sorry about being so sporadic. Summer has been winding down, which means not as much time as I’d like for the project, but also means that I’ll have a lot more time for the project coming up this fall and winter. I’m expecting some very good and cool things to happen in the coming months, and I’m very excited. First off, a quick update on what is new with the RRRF store.
Heater Barrels
I recently got 10 new drilled heater barrels in stock. Same pricing, etc. All you have to do is apply the JBWeld, nichrome, and you’re good to go.
PTFE Thermal Barriers
The other part of the equation here, I have about 50 drilled / tapped thermal barriers in stock now.
PowerComms v1.3.0 (beta)
This is a new product! We’re offering the beta version for free to people who want to help use test / document it. We developed a new version of the serial comms board that has more LED’s to help people debug their connection, as well as some other minor improvements. All we ask is that you pay for shipping (well, that and test it and/or contribute to the documentation). Once all goes well, we’ll begin to offer this board instead of the current PowerComms v1.2.1 board in the store. Yay progress!
Okay, now for the upcoming stuff:
Extruder Kits
As we speak, Adrian Bowyer is creating the molds for the extruder parts, and he will be shipping those to Luis Freeman, who will be making cast acrylic extruder parts. We will then be able to offer those to you on the store for a much lower price than the CNC cut aluminum extruder kits. A price has not been set yet, but we’re probably looking at somewhere between $40-$60 for the same kit as before. Once he gets the molds in a week or two, he’ll begin to produce the kits and send them to me as he makes them.
McWire Cartesian Bot
As many of you know, we face the chicken/egg dilemma: how do you print out parts for a RepRap machine when we’re still researching it, and haven’t perfected the art of 3D printing. Currently, the only path that is available is either a commercial machine, or to build your own. Recently, a cool, easy to make design was posted on Instructables. That design is very adaptable to both being made at home, as well as lasercut manufacture. I’ve ordered a test run of parts, and if all goes well, then I’ll order a larger run of parts that we can offer as a kit to those seeking a middle ground solution. The lasercut parts will probably run $100 - $125, depending on the size of the order, and some other variables.
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