Saturday, March 9, 2013

I've Setup My RepRap, Now What?

Once you get your RepRap finished and all dialed in. What is the first thing you should do? Besides yell out in victory, you should start by making a journal or diary of your prints. Include such important things as:
Printer:

* # of parts printer has printed in its lifetime:
* Part Name: Plastic Color:
* Plastic type:
* Bed Temp:
* Extruder Temp:
* Print time:
* Layer Height:
* Quality of result:
* Notes for this print:
* Parts of printer that required tightening before/after print:
* And any other info you might find important.

I have a separate log for each printer and it comes in very handy. It also let's me track wear and tear on parts and estimate very closely on when certain things are about to ho out on my printer. I also use this log to estimate my reprap maintenance. If you keep track of the above info for every print; It makes running your bot effortless.

The next step after you've finished your RepRap is to grab a shoebox or Rubbermaid container and print out an extra set of parts for your RepRap. Focusing mostly on the smaller gears and then the larger gears. After that print any other parts you think you might need. That way your always set just in case something breaks and trust me it will eventually. I personally print an entire full set of parts for each RepRap. If I ever use a part or give it to someone in need I always print a new one right away and put it into the box.  Doing this every time has saved me more times then not. So two words of advise, keep a print log and always print a replacement part set with your 1st print after your machine is dialed in.

Thanks for your time!

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