This is where things really start to come together, literally. We’ll be putting the frame together and then adding a the assemblies that you’ve been working on in the other sections. Lasercut PartsFirst gather the lasercut parts for the body; it should look something like this: - Laser-cut Stage Parts
- Body Front
- Body Back
- Body Top
- Body Middle (Acrylic)
- Body Bottom
- Body Left Side
- Body Right Side
- Rod Covers
Peel Backing off Middle PlateBefore assembling, peel off the protective sheet from the acrylic middle piece. Start the peel by using a blade at one corner. Be very careful not to cut yourself! Identify and Mark Middle PlateGetting the middle plate in the right orientation is a critical part of your build. The middle piece has a top and a bottom. The top has the word “Middle” etched into it. Orient it like this so that the stepper motor mount is in the back right corner. Note: The word “Middle” is actually etched onto the bottom of the sheet in the first batch, just make sure it looks like the picture above. Bolt Four Rod Stops to Middle PlateMake sure to put these on the bottom of the middle piece. Use M3x16s to attach them. Install them with the socket caps up or the Y axis will hit the bolts holding the front (unused) Z rod stops.
Top Rod Caps
Rod Cap As Seen From Side
Lower Left Corner Rod Cap
Lower Right Corner Rod Cap
Bolt Y Motor to Back Right corner of Middle Plateparts needed: - Cork gasket
- Y Stepper Motor
- Body Middle
- 4 M3x12 bolts
Add one cork gasket to the stepper motor and bolt it in place with four M3x12 bolts, making sure the wires are facing inward. We’ll adjust it later. When viewed with the motor shaft sticking up, the motor needs to be in the back right corner.
Mounting the Y-Axis Mechanical EndstopUsing two 1/4″ spacers and two M3x16 bolts, attach one endstop as shown. Y Idler Assembly to Middleparts needed: - Body Middle
- idler pulley
- 1 M4x50 bolt
- 3 M4 nuts
Mount the idler pulley to the Middle. Take one M4x50 bolt, one Idler pulley, and three M4 nuts. The stackup looks like this: M4 bolt + idler pulley (teeth down) + nut + middle + 2 nuts
Join Middle to LeftIt’s extremely important to get the orientation of this right — the stepper driver and endstop switch should be towards the back, the fan should be on the left, and the idler pulley in the front. Any deviation from this arrangement will cause trouble later, and to change this, you’ll need to disassemble the body completely.
Join Middle to RightAttach Top to AssemblyNow for the Top piece, as this will lock things in place. Use some bolts to lightly secure it in place. Attach End StopUsing 1/4″ spacers and 2 M3x16 bolts and 2 M3 nuts, attach the end stop to the right side of the back.
Attach BackAttach the back to the body. Use only the Right Side t-slot for now. You can add the other after adjusting the stepper motor
Attach the FrontUse 2 M3x16 bolts and 2 M3 nuts. Bolt PSU In PlaceUsing four shiny 6-32×3/8″ inch screws, attach the power supply to its designated spot on the left side. If your power supply doesn’t line up properly, you may have installed the left panel of your Thing-O-Matic backwards. Some recent orders may have included a “Sparkle” brand power supply that needs to be installed slightly differently. Here’s a photo of an installed unit. As you can see, the wings of the power cord port overlap with the lasercut side. To help with installation, you should have received 4x 1/8″ spacers — this will push the PSU back so the wings don’t need to protrude through the side opening. In this photo, you’ll install a spacer for each bolt, indicated by a red arrow. Put the spacer between the lasercut side and the PSU itself. Place XY Stage in BotThe Front part of the XY stage should face towards the front of your Thing-o-matic. Thread X Stepper Motor WiresThread the wires from the X Stepper through the hole in the back-left corner of the bot. Add Y Stage RodThe Y belt should line up with the motor. Insert the Y rods at the same time to lock it in place. These will be the middle length rods; they are only slightly shorter than the Z rods.
Thread the Second RodThread the second rod through the XY Stage. Align the bearings by wiggling the platforms gently. This will align the bearings close to their ideal position for smooth operation Add Rod Covers to FrontAdd the rest of the rod covers to lock the rods in place. Bolt them in with more M3x16 bolts. Place the Y Belt over the PulleyPlace the belt over the idler pulley. Pull Belt Over Y StepperLoosen the bolts holding the stepper motor in place. Slide the stepper motor toward the machine’s inside. Place the belt over the stepper motor pulley. Note that the belt may be a tight fit at first, try placing the belt at an angle over one of the pulley edges to fit it on.
Adjust Stepper PositionSlide the stepper motor back to tighten the belt. Tighten the bolts. Now is the time to check if your pulley needs to be adjusted upwards. Move the Y stage back as far as it will go, and check if the belt is rubbing against the lower edge of the hole where it goes thru the Y stage. Here is an example of a pulley installed too low:
This is too loose:
This is correct:
Make AdjustmentsTo adjust the pulley, with the Y stage all the way forward, loosen the bolts and slide the motor forward to loosen the belt and slip it off the pulley. Even if the set screws are below the level of the acrylic, you should now be able to slide the motor back and get enough clearance along the groove to get your Allen wrench to the set screws. Loosen the set screws, and slide the pulley up a few millimeters. Put the belt back on, put a little tension on it and gently secure the motor in position, hand-tight for now. Now adjust the height of the pulley so that the belt clears the holes and runs level. This may require as much as 8mm of adjustment, but as long as the set screws can still tighten onto the motor shaft, it will be fine. Run the Y stage back and forth, checking the pulley height. Tighten the set screws on the pulley, adjust the tension on the belt and bolt down the motor. Insert Z StageInsert the Z stage with the large piece towards the bottom. Insert the Z rods at the same time. These are the longest rods. Slide them all the way into their respective holes in the Middle where you’ve already mounted rod caps.
Attach Z MotorThis will be the motor with the threaded shaft attached to it. Use a cork gasket between the Top and the motor Align Z StepperMount Z stepper with four M3x12 bolts to the rear of the Top piece. Make sure the lead connection is facing to the right.
Thread Rod Through Z StageTurn the rod to thread it through t the bearing of the Z Stage Tighten Motor in PlaceTighten the four M3x12 bolts Add Rod CapsAttach StepstruderUsing the two M5 thumb screws that you made, attach the Stepstruder to the Z Stage. Secure it to the innermost holes on the bottom of the Z Stage. Make sure all your wires exit the heated area cleanly without coming in contact with heated parts. Tighten the bolts. It should now look like the picture below. (the MK7 is similar in terms of attaching the thumbscrews)
Thread Fan WiresThread the fan wires through the hole in the top-back-right hole. Stepstruder DC Filament Drive and ThermocoupleThe wire for the DC motor is a powerful emitter, and should be kept as far from the thermocouple wire as possible. Route the thermocouple through the back left and the DC motor through the back right. Attach wires to Z StepperThread Z Stepper WiresThread the Z Stepper wires through the hole in the upper right corner. Add TiesAdd ties to keep wires in place. Attach Heated Build Platform CableAttach the cable, tie up extra wire and then thread the wires through the front right corner hole.
Clean up Heater CartridgeMark Holes to Fix Safety Cutoff in Place(This section is for the MK6. If you have the MK7 you’ll have already mounted the safety cutoff ) With a pencil, align and mark holes to mount the safety cutoff on the Z Stage. Drill holes and then use 1/8″ spacers and 2 M3x16 bolts and 2 M3 nuts, secure the safety cutoff into place.
Connect Ground and Power to Safety CutoffUsing a small flat head screw driver, loosen the end terminals and place the red wire connected to the black wire the IN terminal and the black wire to the FET connection. Tighten the end terminals to secure wires in place. Connect Thermostat’s Wires to Safety CutoffUsing the same method as before secure the wires into place on the safety cutoff. It does not matter which wire goes to which terminal. Connect Heater Cartridge Wires to Safety Cutoff
Attach End Stop Cable to Safety Cutoff
Attach Cable to End-Stop on Body BackThis one is tricky, but attach the cable to the end-stop on the back. Then thread the wires through the back -right hole.
Connect Cable to End-Stop on XY StageConnect a cable to end-stop on XY Stage and then thread the other end through the front-right hole. Connect Cable to Y End-StopConnect cable to Y end-stop, then thread the other end through the front-left hole.
Congratulations!You have completed the body assembly.
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