Monster Kossel version 3: seeking input

Show off your FreeCAD projects here!
Forum rules
Be nice to others! Respect the FreeCAD code of conduct!
Post Reply
User avatar
goeland86
Posts: 43
Joined: Thu Jun 25, 2020 9:19 pm
Location: Greater Geneva area, Switzerland

Monster Kossel version 3: seeking input

Post by goeland86 »

Hi everyone,

I've been working on and off this project for a long time now. My Monster Kossel design has had an evolving target over time - the original plan was to get a Delta printer that could print bigger than the Mini Kossel kit I'd started with (170mm diameter bed, 240mm vertical limit). So I went big. Significantly bigger than the Kossel-XL. Hence the name, it's a bit of a beast to see a machine with a 70cm equilateral triangular footprint that stands a meter tall on your desk ;)

It's been my pet project for the last 6 years now, and here's the target feature list:
  • Enclosed build volume (for advanced material printing)
  • Air filter (to keep the air relatively safe - I don't have a garage or basement to leave the machine in)
  • Fast (who wants to print as slow as a default Creality machine?)
  • Reliable (when you want to use a tool, it has to just work)
  • Direct extruder
  • Remotely mounted extruder motor (not a Zesty Nimble, no flexible shaft, custom telescoping torque shaft of my own design)
Versions 1 and 2 were designed using Blender. V1 wasn't very good - mechanically unstable, so I didn't even share the files. V2 you can find on Thingiverse: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2854236

Version 3 though, I realized that I was making not just a file for a unique printer size, but instead for a whole large delta printer platform which should be parametric. So I learned FreeCAD for that express purpose. FreeCAD was on my radar anyway, so off I went watching tutorials and trial and error with the 0.19 pre-releases at the time.

But because it's my first FreeCAD project, I really need some feedback before I start my next spurt of work on it. What could I do better with the processes to make the whole design more robust? How do I make things better parametrically? I'm not afraid of having to potentially start over from scratch for several of the elements, but I need to know what to fix... And also get a bit of a better understanding as to what assembly plugin is interesting in the context of a 3D printer with both static and dynamic linkages between parts. I want to be able to propose a printer design that interested people can fine-tune with variables to get the dimensions they want (either by part availability or print volume requirements).

So I humbly submit my Monster Kossel V3 on Github for your review - I'll read replies here or as issues on the Github project if you prefer using that method to track individual points to address.

https://github.com/goeland86/MonsterKossel
Image
User avatar
Kunda1
Veteran
Posts: 13434
Joined: Thu Jan 05, 2017 9:03 pm

Re: Monster Kossel version 3: seeking input

Post by Kunda1 »

Alone you go faster. Together we go farther
Please mark thread [Solved]
Want to contribute back to FC? Checkout:
'good first issues' | Open TODOs and FIXMEs | How to Help FreeCAD | How to report Bugs
Syres
Veteran
Posts: 2893
Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2018 11:14 am

Re: Monster Kossel version 3: seeking input

Post by Syres »

I think you mean A2Plus not A4Plus in https://github.com/goeland86/MonsterKos ... mbly-files
User avatar
goeland86
Posts: 43
Joined: Thu Jun 25, 2020 9:19 pm
Location: Greater Geneva area, Switzerland

Re: Monster Kossel version 3: seeking input

Post by goeland86 »

Syres wrote: Thu Oct 07, 2021 2:58 pm I think you mean A2Plus not A4Plus in https://github.com/goeland86/MonsterKos ... mbly-files
Oops correct, I'll need to fix that tonight. Thanks!
User avatar
goeland86
Posts: 43
Joined: Thu Jun 25, 2020 9:19 pm
Location: Greater Geneva area, Switzerland

Re: Monster Kossel version 3: seeking input

Post by goeland86 »

Kunda1 wrote: Thu Oct 07, 2021 2:46 pm Added to https://forum.freecadweb.org/viewtopic. ... 57#p531657
Definitely! I didn't even have time to lookup the new collab project. Awesome! Will have more time starting next week to keep going.
User avatar
goeland86
Posts: 43
Joined: Thu Jun 25, 2020 9:19 pm
Location: Greater Geneva area, Switzerland

Re: Monster Kossel version 3: seeking input

Post by goeland86 »

So after running into multiple small fixes that I needed to add to the project in the course of assembly (i.e. adding tolerances to the right places), topological naming (or the bugs thereof) reared its ugly head and my A2Plus assemblies are requiring manual corrections for everything.

I'm trying to understand how to use all my individual part files as part of a Linkstage 3 Assembly3 file instead... Does anyone have any examples or can point me to a specific guide mentioning how to do this?

All the tutorials I've found are showing me how to create parts/assemblies from scratch in Assembly3.

Thanks for any help with this.
User avatar
bambuko
Veteran
Posts: 2160
Joined: Thu Oct 24, 2019 12:53 pm
Location: UK, England, North Devon

Re: Monster Kossel version 3: seeking input

Post by bambuko »

goeland86 wrote: Sun Jan 02, 2022 12:25 pm Thanks for any help with this.
This webpage: http://help-freecad-jpg87.fr/02_ass_ind.php has helped me when I was starting in Assembly 3
I am using Link branch and Assembly3
you can also download ... and try it here
excellent Assembly3 tutorials here
david69
Veteran
Posts: 1773
Joined: Wed Jan 01, 2014 7:48 pm

Re: Monster Kossel version 3: seeking input

Post by david69 »

Last edited by Kunda1 on Wed Jan 05, 2022 1:17 am, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: FTFY with the wikisection bbcode ;)
User avatar
goeland86
Posts: 43
Joined: Thu Jun 25, 2020 9:19 pm
Location: Greater Geneva area, Switzerland

Re: Monster Kossel version 3: seeking input

Post by goeland86 »

Thank you both, David & Bambuko. Am sifting through them now. I expect to be making some progress this week or the next with this.

Current state of the repo is that the parts & STLs have been updated for tolerances as I assemble the parts, but the assembly with A2Plus has just been broken by those changes. And I don't quite have the time to re-do it every time.
User avatar
Kunda1
Veteran
Posts: 13434
Joined: Thu Jan 05, 2017 9:03 pm

Re: Monster Kossel version 3: seeking input

Post by Kunda1 »

Mod edit: Troubleshooting assistance post was split off to the Assembly subforum https://forum.freecadweb.org/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=66061
Alone you go faster. Together we go farther
Please mark thread [Solved]
Want to contribute back to FC? Checkout:
'good first issues' | Open TODOs and FIXMEs | How to Help FreeCAD | How to report Bugs
Post Reply