As if I needed another 3d printer, I’ve decided to start working on a Tantillus. A friend sent me the lasercut panels and I’ve gotten the rest of the vitamins from McMaster. Now I just need to print and assemble!

So the directions that come with the QU-BD nozzles are insufficient. Now I have a gooey mess and ruined insulation on two nozzles. Luckily I was able to readjust them how they should have been. This makes me really appreciate my MG hot ends.

Well, I can’t say its been a simple/quick/easy process with these extruders, but I’m finally getting my first multi-color prints. It a pain to ensure that the nozzles are equally spaced from the build platform and to tune their offset. Below you can see my tuning progression as well as my first really multi-color object, a die.

I’ve wanted to get to dual extruders for some time, but I just never got around to it on my prusa. There just didn’t seem to be any really good options. Recently QU-BD started selling a revision of the Makerbot MK7 extruder. I decided to get two of them and see what I could do. I had to build a mounting plate for the vertical rail car which seems to be working out well. I’m going to mill it out of aluminum once I get these nozzles working well.

I continue to tune the mmax to get the best results. Some of the examples below demonstrate the type of prints she is turning out. Some of them are really stunning.

I just completed the second prusa build at the HC in Nashville. We had 7 builders and everyone was printing cubes by 10 AM on Sunday. By noon they were printing objects. Its was awesome. The HC guys are fantastic as always. Special thanks to Mudflap for keeping us fueled, Smug for lending a hand, and ninja for printing mustaches

Today I’ve added a reprapdiscount LCD to my mmax. It was a lot more time consuming than I had originally hoped. As it turns out, I need to figure out the pin mapping as this hasn’t been done on Rambo and update the pin mapping in the Arduino software to address the proper pins. I needed to get this worked out for the upcoming Prusa Build event.

I also spent a good bit of time tuning and was able to print the twisted lamp you see below. The picture really doesn’t do it justice.

The electronics and extruder are mounted on the max and she is printing! I had to fabricate more brackets to make it all work. This is a very peculiar combination of items I have chosen. The Octopus turned out very nicely for a second print

I’ve decided to go with a 480 watt 24v power supply on the MendelMax. Running at 24v means quicker heating of the bed and more efficient use of the motors. I also didn’t want to go with an cheap imported supply so I picked up a Meanwell. It has all the protection circuitry just in case. I did have to fabricate a few brackets in order to make it fit. It barely fits, but I think it will work nicely.

After debating about it for some time and sitting on many of the parts, I’ve decided to build a MendelMax. I originally planned to convert my Prusa1 into a max, but some of the upgrades like linear rails are a bit too tempting. Below you can see the beginnings of the MMax. She is purple with PBC linear rails from Trinity Labs. I’ve also laser etched vector flames into the black anodized aluminum.