Project: Wingman

It all started when...

My senior project at Hartwick College was 6 weeks behind. I had initially decided to develop a web application that would be similar to the check in feature of Facebook. I found that the more I learned about web development, it was a never ending rabbit hole in terms of available libraries, frameworks, and back-end systems that could be used.

So I bailed and changed course. I knew that to build a project to the caliber that I wanted would take more time than the few weeks I had remaining. I have no shame in admitting that I abandoned that project for the time being.

Another project would need to be completed though. So I turned to my hobby of several years; 3D Printing.

I received my first 3D printer in 2011. A Makerbot Cupcake CNC. Without a doubt, this was one of the worst 3D printers ever conceived. This was to no fault of it's creators however. The world of 3D printing as a hobby was in its infancy at the time and would need more time to mature. We didn't have all the dedicated parts of today's printers. Everything had to be developed from scratch. This printer limped along from day one. After several months of breakdowns and failed prints, I upgraded to the Printrbot LC v2. My workhorse for the last 4 years, the printrbot has been the cornerstone of my workshop since the day it arrived.

Haven taken the printer to 2 shows in November of that year, I thought to myself that there may be a market for portable 3D printers that could be used by R&D teams, salesmen, or other professions where having a machine like this at their disposal would be of huge benefit. So I began researching what machines were available. Most square frame printers could easily be transported, but were bulky and needed special care to keep them from being damaged. My printer was not lucky to be one of those square frame types, and needed to be handled very carefully as to prevent damage to it. My mind was made up in that moment that I would develop a portable 3D printer. Something that could be packed into a hard-sided aluminum case and could be set up and taken down within minutes.

I named it Project: Wingman.

The first version of the printer went together fairly easily. I based the design heavily on the only operating printer at my disposal, my trusty PB LC v2! The printer would have 2 vertical Z rods, and 2 threaded rods on the Z axis for vertical movement. It incorporated a moving y axis similar to that of the PB LC v2 whereas the rods moved with the bed, and not the bed along the rods. This make the overall design simpler and more compact for transport. The X axis was designed as one self contained unit as well, with the X motor, carriage and extruder, smooth rods, and Z carriages all bound together. This allowed it to come apart as one piece to pack it away. The extruder uses a Bowden style configuration as to reduce the weight and overall dimensions of the X carriage. The end result was a a very fast machine all things considered. To give the printer the best odds of success, I used a genuine E3D Lite6 hot end. This design did not have a heated bed however. This allowed the use of a smaller power supply that could be plugged into the control board rather than the bulkier power supply required by printers with a heated bed. The plastic used was PETG, a high temperature, super tough thermoplastic practically made for this application.

Version 2 made some big improvements. First was the switch to a bigger box. The first version packed down, but was very tight and ended up damaging some components. The second version gave me much more wiggle room. It also expanded all axes of the printer. Because the box was wider, the X, Z and Y smooth rods could all be extended to fill this new constraint. In the end, the new print area rivals that of the original Prusa i3, with a 200x200x200mm printable area. I also introduced a heated bed, which in turn required a bulky power supply to be built into the box. It was a tight squeeze, but everything still manages to fit.

Files will be available at some point when development is complete on Thingiverse, but for now I want to focus on a better version 3 that is easier to set up, even if it has a smaller print area.

And this new printer prints great! Currently there is a retraction issue, but I can guess that it's related to the overly long length of Bowden tube material, and the poorly designed extruder that I threw together in Fusion in about 5 minutes. Room for improvement I guess, but for now there is a pressing matter. My original printer has a priority mission.

Today, I'm sorry to say, the trusty Printrbot LC v2, even with it's upgrades and modifications, has started to show its age. The bearings are starting to go slack. The belts as well. The motors and controller are still healthy for now, and the hot end still reaches the temperatures required for it's next job: total self-refit. I am currently working on printing components from the famous Prusa i3 MK2 and will be building an aluminum chassis clone. The motor, controller, and some linear motion components will be making their way to the new frame, but it will no longer be the PB LC v2 that I've tended to for years. That printer has helped me keep up my CAD abilities and keep my problem solving skills sharp. Hats off to Brook Drumm and the whole Printrbot team for this wonderful little machine. Never thought I would be sentimental about a little bit of plywood and some electronics, but hey, that's me for ya.

Once the refit is complete, the Franken-Printr will be sporing the latest tech. Auto bed leveling, E3D Hotend and Extruder, and a much larger print area, but until then, it's gonna have to get me through.