PrintNC Build Part 7 - Mechanical build post-mortem.

[@VirtualCrickets]

Thanks a TON for taking the time to make notes, document your build process, and make the necessary changes to the wiki! I actually tried to build this nearly 4 years ago, but it quickly became clear that the project was in its infancy as an open source project - and therefore not in a state where someone as inexperienced as myself could come in and get things done It’s definitely come a long way since then, despite the issues that still exist. And it’s people such as yourself that truly pave the way to making the whole build viable for people such as myself. I really appreciate your attitude when it comes to sharing what you learned and paying that knowledge forward, and I hope I find similar opportunities when I finally take the plunge!

[@JohnWright-i7c]

Just ordered by printNC kit. I raised your point about screw type. Their response was: "The cap screws were removed from the assembly quote some time ago to standardise the requirements. There are still some references to them in build instructions but using socket head does not create any issues." So, not "wrong", just different.

[@davidferreira3801]

I'm gonna start building my machine soon, thank you for your notes. Holes for the chain before assembly really are a must, specially considering the chain is included in the kit

[@DavidR8]

I completed my PrintNC build using the supplied hardware and didn't have to use a single button head cap screw.

[@f15sim]

\o/

[@elrobertvazquez]

How many is the cut dimensions machine?

[@pholos77]

interesting video and very clean build, personnaly i love the fact the project is not entierly guided, you always have to think about what your doing, making mistakes and do things as you can, i see that like the education you can give to a children while he is growing, you can prevent him from doing mistakes or you can let him do mistakes as long as it will not hurt him too much, my thinking is you learn more passing through errors rather than following a very precise manual, life does not have a manual for evrything...

[@f15sim]

Mistakes due to vague documentation aren't mistakes, they're forced errors and they can be very costly from a financial standpoint. A project of this complexity shouldn't ever be considered a "learning opportunity". If that's what you're after, go get a 3018 from Amazon.

[@pholos77]

@@f15sim thanks for the idea but i have already one, and is the 3018 really a build learning opportunity? i don't think so as it is ready to go as it is... don't you read documentation before doing the project? you can see the glass half empty, i see it half full, anyway the glass is as it is so take it easy and do your things

[@dsnyder05]

How has the electrical aspect of the machine gone? Hoping to see a conclusion to your *epic* tale of a machine vs machine. I have an old V1 Shapeoko 3 and have started at the idea of upgrading to a new machine...and I've found your videos helpful in understanding the state of the PrintNC. Appreciate your time and effort making the videos!

[@f15sim]

The electrical is still a work in progress. All the components are purchased but other things have been occupying my time. Most recently, I've been dodging the universe's best efforts to punch my ticket. I got two stents installed last month. :)

[@dsnyder05]

@@f15sim Keep fighting! Hope you heal quickly and come back stronger!

[@f15sim]

@@dsnyder05 Thanks! That's the plan. :)

[@vigigamehacker123]

did you used to fly the F-15 or are you saying that you are in fact a retired, highly-advanced fighter jet?

[@f15sim]

Sadly, neither. I own the forward fuselage of an F-15C and I'm quickly (in geologic time scales) converting it into a flight simulator.

[@keychains2010]

Which version are you building? I see version 3 is out now. I don’t know when that was released but I’m assuming you are building V2.

[@f15sim]

I'm working off of the v3 model that was current as of April of 2022.

[@keychains2010]

I’m surprised there are so many error that you came across being that it’s the 3rd version. Hopefully they’ll fix all the errors when I go to build mine.

[@f15sim]

@@keychains2010 Right now, all the really painful points that caught me have been resolved as far as I can tell. The biggest annoyance right now is the button head fastener callouts. I'm not sure that's been resolved in the wiki yet - I haven't made any changes along those lines. I re-checked my v3 model and it appears that the designer went in and changed all the button head fasteners to socket head cap screws. The button head screws are a better choice for the X & Y rollers due to access limitations, so if you're going to build a "stock" machine like mine, order 12 M6x12 button head hex screws. That head style uses a 4mm hex tool instead of a 5mm that's used for the socket head cap screws. This means that you can reach the button head screws through the M5 threaded holes in the tops of the rollers. One important thing to note is that the designer doesn't appear to have much involvement in the wiki at all. It's a community-driven effort and there's no real organizer behind it. The machine is a fantastic design and is worthy of anyone's time & money, but just be aware that there's enough "left as an exercise to the reader" bits to make you crazy if you've got limited blocks of time to work on the machine. I my case I have a very specific need for a machine like this and don't have the time to faff about with trying to figure out how something should go together that realistically should be called out in the docs. :) *sips glass of Raspberry "whine"* 🤣

[@Mike-qh5bn]

Seems to me the problem is that ,like me, you are a software engineer. And like me you expect things to be as accurately documented as possible, there is no excuse for shoddy documentation - just do it right. Unfortunately a lot of people take the attitude that as long as it's over 90% accurate its good enough. Just ask them, "would you like the surgeon doing your operation to take that attitude?"

[@f15sim]

That has a lot to do with it, yes. At the end of the day however, it's a me problem, not a them problem. Based on the presentation of the project, I made some assumptions that led me to not scrutinize the build process properly. Had I done that, I would have seen the holes and could have adjusted for them long before I fell into them. :) While it sucked for me at the time, it did prepare me to deal with the build of the electronics enclosure (which I'm nearly finished with). I took it at face value - the only thing I had to work from was the Fusion 360 model and no supporting documentation or order of assembly information. There were no holes or oversights because of how little there was to start with. The cabinet is an excellent design and if you prepare yourself to build it based solely on what you can see in the model, it's a great experience.

[@Mitch3D]

Using metric hardware has been a little challenge. The endless Amazon and Ace Hardware trips I’ve made for replacing metric bolts. Most of your notes are issues I’ve had as well. I think these would be good for at least updating the wiki.

[@f15sim]

I made a number of updates and I know there's others doing good work as well.

[@rightrudderleftstick]

One huge eye opener moving from NA to the EU is just how easy everything is when the entire universe is metric. This mixed imperial/metric reality of Canada (and to an extent the US) is a nightmare.

[@f15sim]

@@rightrudderleftstick Yep. At least in Canada you should be able to get metric fasteners locally and for a better price. Around here it's not uncommon to spend $1+ each on something like an M6x12 if you can even find them. If I need bulk but I can wait, I'll order from boltdepot.com. If I need it in a hurry, my go to has been Amazon. Still a couple of days and a bit more expensive, but the delivery is pretty quick.

[@JohnWright-i7c]

Watching the rest of this gripe session was painful. I couldn't stomach it. Go buy an off the shelf machine next time.

[@f15sim]

I will freely admit that in my initial excitement over the project, I missed all the red flags that caught me out. If I had to do this over again, I'd likely end up building a machine that was properly and accurately documented. You call this a "gripe session"....is that because you've built a PrintNC machine and you overlooked the issues I found?

[@MauricioHernandez-de8is]

Ok ok okay

[@tomnorman5461]

54 views and only 4 "likes", maybe your sub's don't care to listen to you WINING about 'open-source' assembly instructions that aren't as accurate as a repair manual for an aircraft? I've watched all of your videos about this PrintNC build, you DO complain a lot...UNSUBSCRIBED!

[@f15sim]

I've been accused of a lot of things, but "wining" hasn't ever been one of them. It's either Scotch or Voodoo Ranger IPA. (I though I have to admit, I met a local Raspberry Wine about 8 years ago that absolutely whipped my ass. Who'd have thought that a bottle and a half at 18% ABV could hit a guy that hard... 🤣) I understand that you may consider that I'm *whining*, but what I'm actually doing is pointing out issues that a project that's three years old simply should not have. No amount of gaslighting on your or anyone else's part will change that fact. Have a nice day!