I'm up to needing a print a pinda probe alignment tool.
Two other problems remain. My extruder thermister isn't doesn't make a, maybe my wiring is dodgy or maybe the setting for the thermister type is wrong in my software setup.
Also my screen seems to be deady dead. Could be my first bad part!!
Here are some parts I found that I wanted to remember for potential future use.
Mk3 front and rear end plates only $34.95 AUD shipped
Mk3 cheapest end plates, frame and y carriage $140.00 AUD shipped
Mk3 cheapest end plates, frame, y carraige, smooth rods and 3030 extrusion $170 AUD shipped
Mk3 nicest looking end plates, frame and y carriage, smooth rods and 3030 extrusion $184.86 AUD shipped
Mk3 cheapest y carriage with u clamps and lm8uu linear bearings $38.00 AUD shipped
Mk3 cheapest y carriage $19.46 AUD shipped
Mk3 cheapest mk 52 magnetic heated bed with spring steel sheet $79.33 AUD shipped
I've making good progress in constructing my MK2 varient and I need to set the correct P.I.N.D.A. probe height.
Luckily, michaell0533 has made a model for this.
Prusa printers have some slightly tricky parts if you want to build one from scratch.
Bluerolls have a store on Aliexpress with MK2 and MK3 parts and kits, including packs of specific small springs, and gears that are difficult to source.
There is an interesting open source router called a TopsCnc that can mostly be made using 3d printed plastic parts and also aluminium extrusion.
I'm not really sure I have a purpose for such a machine, but it is curious.
A bit beefier is the PrintNC. Looks pretty simple to put together.
https://wiki.printnc.info/en/home
Back in the early 2000s days you could host a website from home using a static IP address. You sort of still can but with the expectation of the Chrome browser to host sites under SSL certificates, this isn't quite as easy as it used to be. Also in 2021 the ability to get a static IP address from your internet provider might also be limited.
You can host in the cloud of course, but many of the offerings still don't supply SSL fronted hosting and you'll probably pay $8/ month. This is sort of fine but actually not that cheap.
Cloudflare has a useful product I will look into at some point that solves the SSL fronting problem and the static IP address problem and lets you host from home. If you have a media PC, raspberry PI or other computer that is on most of the time, this might reduce your overall power usage and greenhouse gas emissions.
Cloudflare Argo tunnel product page is here.
However, the cost isn't great. At $5 USD per domain per month for the lowest tier at less than 1GB of traffic, this is a pretty cost neutral service for a small website instead of a saving. I would prefer it also had a lower tier for $2 per domain or something for less traffic.
There is some sort of free teir, but I'm not sure how to figure out the details.
This collection of alternates sort is interesting.
The Prusa Mk2S extruder instructions have 35 steps whereas the Mk3 extruder instructions have 66 steps, mostly as the later has more small odd metal parts.
I was thinking about trying to construct a Mk3 extruder assembly, but I'm put off for the moment by trying to source the odd parts.
If I had planned differently and had not bought a 5th stepper motor and a hotend already then
I could order this kit from aliexpress which appears solves the sourcing problem
tidily.
So I'm making a sort of Prusa MK2 / MK3 clone-ish thing, not exactly a clone, but very close to a clone. So I need a bunch of nuts a bolts and things from a nuts and bolts hardware store. There is Bunnings everywhere across the Australian state of Victoria, sprouting up ahead of developments everywhere like some sort of weed, in empty recently rezoned farmland at a train line extension waiting for suburbia to catch up. I can go to Bunnings.
Also there is a competitor to Bunnings that may carry better quality stock that I'm patriotically disposed to, Mitre Ten, but basically it will be the same as Bunnings, a home improvement store/ light building supplies store.
Better yet it appears is a proper commercial nuts and bolts retailer, that has a good online store, not fast, but actually otherwise good, and a great deal of stock listed on line. I can buy nuts by the piece, not by the pack. So I'm probably going to do that and I'll save money vs Bunnings even including shipping, which is a modest $13.50, better than a 1 hour drive each way.
So I've found a new untried favourite vendor, bolt.com.au.
Now I have to do the slightly boring part of actually figuring out my order. I need some MK2 parts and some MK3S parts. So I'll need to go through the online Prusa MK2 and MK3S relevant sections to note down all the nuts and bolts I need, and then to make an order.
The Prusa MK2 instructions for the Y axis/ base are here. The Prusa MK3S instructions for the X, Z and E (extruder) axis are here.
My 2017 model year Giant Trance 2 came with a Giant v2 dropper post. It has been reliable enought, but the cables and cable housing tend to wear out faster than you would expect.
I've been looking for a complete, exact model youtube video on how to service it for ages, and I finally found one, in Italian:
So I'm using my 3d printer to print parts for another 3d printer. Usefully, Prusa has a recommendation for this:
