So I have been searching all throughout the forum and have yet to see my questions answered clearly, oh I haven't yet purchased the phlatprinter but I am planning on getting the phlatbones kit very soon.
1. Can someone tell me what ill need and how to do a belt drive mod on the Y axis. I have seen some basic info on it however since I do not have a phlatprinter yet I don't really know too much about the setup or the terms. I would like to do this mod as I am first building the kit, would this be a good idea? or should I just do the standard build?
2. What other mods would be good for a first time builder? it seems that everyone has made their own mods, but there is no list of the essential ones. I noticed that the posts with mods that have been done on the machine are not at all for the CNC newbie, could someone create either a document or a post with a step by step guide to some of the essentials? I want to start off my build with all the mods that are possible. thanks for any help!! Royce

 

Welcome to the quest, foamflight,
Many of us have posted photos of the mods we did on our machines. Just look through the topics at viewforum.php?f=107 and you can pick those threads out fairly quickly. One thing you should notice very quickly is that most of us just hacked away until it worked the way we wanted - that includes everybody except Randy - rjarois, I think.

 

I would say the must do mods are 1) bronze bushing 2)cheap ACME threaded rod to replace the all thread. They offer the best improvements for the monetary investment. Also, I would make the top of the Y gantery removable so you can remove the Z, if you ever need to. I posted some pictures of what I did, but can't find them right now.

I think 1 person did do the belt mod completely on his own, 3dmon? I don't think it is that hard to do. Guess it depends on how confident you are, about hacking up my machine. You can get the belt parts from Mark & Trish, and I am sure people will offer you tips.

-Kwok

 

The belt drive mod can be quite simple if you move the stepper and pulley block to the outside of the cabinet instead of trying to package everything inside of it.

A simple pulley block can be made from MDF, a 1/4" shaft, two 1/4" inside race bearings, a piano hinge, adjustment screw, and a pulley (from M&T). A Drill, Dremel or table saw can be used to fashion the MDF pulley block.

Two slots in the main cabinet would need to be cut to allow the belt to exit and return. A belt connector attaches the belt to the gantry and a hole must be cut in the gantry to allow the back side of belt to run thru it. Again, a Dremel can be used for slotting the MDF.

Outboard the stepper... Again, MDF is a good source to fashion a mounting method for the stepper. It is possible to keep the stepper on the inside of the cabinet, but it is tight quarters. If you outboard the stepper, you would have to add slots to allow the belt in and out of the cabinet for rounding the stepper pulley.

The mod just requires some common sense and careful consideration of where to make the slots in the sides of the cabinet so that the belt runs clear of it, but it is not all that difficult if you have a few general shop skills. Attached files

 

Wow, thank you guys so much for the help. Flashsolutions, thanks for that picture, it really helped me visualize the idea for the design. I will definitely be doing that y axis belt mod, it just seems like the smart thing to do. I cant wait to begin this new area of rc design! I am very much done with paper templates... Royce

 

One more request, could some of you guys with the belt mod please post some pictures of your machines? there are only a few pictures that I've been able to find here, but it would be nice to get some more insight from what people have done. Thanks guys!

 

I think alot of the pictures are gone, since the kit is not sold anymore and the purchase thread was deleted. This is all I can find, but it basically show the two possible methods of appying tension. Either on the stepper motor side or the return pulley side:
viewtopic.php?f=107&t=141&start=100#p6348
viewtopic.php?f=107&t=797#p6260

-Kwok

 

I am a firm believer in a belt drive. It was what drove the X axis on the original machine and worked extremely well and does to this day.

The problem with the Y belt drive mod simply boiled down to the designer not wanting to hack up the phlatprinter any more than necessary. In so doing, compromises were made that resulted in a poor installation and problems for those who attempted it.

Had the mod been open for discussion like most other mods, I think a more workable solution would have come about, but that is water under the bridge.

Outboarding the drive pulley has worked very well for me. My stepper is still mounted inside the cabinet, but it too could be outboarded fairly easy. Slotting the cabinet is the most difficult part and requires a Dremel or some kind of tool to route openings for the belt to enter and leave the pulley and or stepper (if outboarded).

I have been able to achieve rates of 1200ipm using the belt drive, but for all practical purposes, this is way too fast. I have settled in for a more comfortable 500ipm which I only use for rapidly moving from part to part. I still slow my feed rate down to 130ipm for cutting most foam.

Acme thread is probably the easiest way to go. You really don't need speeds that are going to bust the cabinet if something goes a foul.

The belt drive mod is not for everyone. It takes a fair amount of hacking to accomplish, but it is doable.

Once M&T get their new CNC operation going, I see no reason why a workable belt drive mod could not be produced fairly easy. Some cutting/marking templates for the sides of the cabinet and some simple MDF pulley blocks and stepper housing could be whipped out in no time and a kit produced that would actually work.

So my recommendation is to wait for a kit. If M&T produce it, you can be sure it will be top quality and work first time. It is just the way they do business.

 

Well I haven't done the belt-mod yet but here is some pictures of how I plan to do it:
viewtopic.php?f=107&t=805#p6567

 

Bushings, linear rods and MPJA steppers