Test Tube Mendel

thingiverse

A simplified Mendel, employing vinyl tubing vertices as suggested by Mrkim (http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:8313), is under construction. Currently, the frame and a Z motor mount are completed. The X motor mount and idler will resemble Prusa's design but reversed and potentially upside down due to the inverted placement of smooth rod within threaded rod, as seen in Prusa Mendel. Updates will be posted on this page and the Test Tube Mendel wiki page (http://reprap.org/wiki/Test_Tube_Mendel) for progress tracking. An update on 20th June 2011 includes completion of X end idler with uploaded files. Print time comparisons have been made, revealing significant savings using Test Tube Mendel: Vertices (Test Tube: 0h vs Prusa: about 6.5h), Z motor mounts (Test Tube: 1h vs Prusa: about 2h), and X end Idler (Test Tube: 1hr vs Prusa: about 1.5 hours). The design is adaptable to various threaded rod sizes, with 5/16 inch used in this instance. The entire frame uses 15-inch lengths for ease of scaling. Alternative length choices could optimize material usage, leading to mini and mega versions. Z motor mounts use 1/4-inch cross bars and printed parts, reducing print time (about 30 min each set). Bar clamps are sourced from Prusa Mendel files (http://github.com/prusajr/PrusaMendel).