SeeMeCNC-H1 Build Notes

These build notes are user-submitted tips and advice you may find useful during your own build.

You are encouraged to add your own notes to this page, as well as to modify any tips you see with your own improvements or corrections.

Please discuss any new modifications or risky changes you see here on the message board before attempting. Just because it worked for someone else doesn't mean its a good idea for you.

Tools

The build will require:

A philips head screwdriver (preferably electric)

1/4" and 7/16" wrenches or adjustable wrench. It is nice if the 1/4" wrench has a closed end to hold the small locknuts captive.

3/32", 7/64", 5/32", and 3/16" allen wrenches. It would be best if the 3/32" were a screwdriver tip due to the large number of Cap Head screws for the 90 degree bar clamps. the 7/64" is used for the extruder tensioning screws, and is a bit of a nonstandard size. Go buy one, or you'll just bugger up the most often adjusted piece of your machine.

Tape Measure

5/32", 1/8", and 1/4" Drill Bits.

Pre Drilling

The holes in the plastic parts are a bit tight at times, especially when threaded components must pass through. For the case of the 60 degree bar clamps at the centers of the threaded rods, adjustment can be very difficult due to the tight fit. This situation can be eased by drilling the holes out with an appropriately sized drill bit.

71514/71516 - Triple Bearing Support/Cover. ONLY TWO of each of these should have their 4 mounting holes drilled to 5/32". This is an official mod and is listed on pg 71576. This is needed to fit the #8 sheet metal screws through.

The rest of these are unoffical mods.

71508 - Bar Clamp 90 Degree. Drill all 4 corner holes on each with 1/8" bit, to prevent binding when mounting with the 1-1/4" Socket Head Cap Screws (SCHS)

71501 - Bar Clamp 60 Degree. Drill the 2 outer (large) holes to 1/4" to prevent binding on the threaded rod.

Bearing Fitting

This section is for those who are replacing the delrin bearings with R2ZZ's. Electronrancher found that his bearings were too tight on the shaft (some impossible to fit), and used a Dremel tool to spin the shaft and sand them down a bit.

Place the clean end of the shaft about 1/8" into the Dremel and power up to a moderate speed (15k RPM). Use a flat sanding device, like an emery board or sandpaper wrapped around something flat to sand down the flared end so it's flat, as well as to slightly sand the shaft down. After about 10 seconds with lightly held sandpaper, power down, wipe the shaft and check the fit. After a few, you should be able to judge the timing automatically.

Go ahead and fit all the bearings and washers on the shafts first, so they are ready for the next steps. In order to make sure your bearings are centered on the shaft, a spacer can be made by stacking up two of the delrin bearings and taping them together. This luckily ends up being exactly half of the empty space when an R2ZZ and a washer are also put on the shaft, so it makes centering a one-push deal.

Electronics Bench Test

The 450 watt power supply that either comes with the kit or one that you supplied is more than ample to power everything that you need. Here's a tip to keep all of those power wires clutter free. Once you determine the ground, +5 and +12 wires that you need, as well as the green wire to trigger on the power supply, open up the power supply case. You will see that all of the red wires are connected to one area of the circuit board. This goes for the black wires and yellow wires. You can either cut off the unneeded wires flush with the circuit board or actually unsolder them. You can also take this time while the case is apart and mount a SPST switch that will connect the green wire to a black wire.

71578 - Double Bearing Sub Assemblies (2)

Build these first - it's the simplest component and a good way to get your build skills limbered up. For the captive nut/screw combo (the 4/5 in the pdf), you may want to hold the nut in a wrench and get the screw a few threads through the nylon locknut to avoid it flipping around if you tried to screw it in an uncapped assembly.

The actual assembly is a piece of cake - drop in two bearing/shaft combos and screw the lid on. You may want to put all the screws through and hold with your fingers while you thread on the nuts. Then, tighten each in turn.

Look at that, you're building a reprap!! Put a smooth rod through one and feel the sweet double bearing action - that's going to be your table walking back and forth!

71579 - Triple Bearing Sub Assemblies (8, but only 2 fully assembled in this step)

We'll stuff all the triple bearing sub assemblies for future use, but only two get their lids put on in this step. If the 71514 support is oriented like a T as shown in the PDF, it gets one captive nut/screw combo (a 4/6) in the lower left, and two of the six assemblies get one captive nut (the 6's, flat side out) in each of the upper right and upper left slots. Those two (with the captive nuts) will get their covers put on now. The six without captive nuts will be used for other steps. If you have already drilled four of them to 5/32, make sure those are saved and not used for this step.

When dropping in the three bearing/shaft rods, the horizontal one goes in first, then upper right, then upper left on top of that.

71577 - Combo Bearing Sub Assembly for X Carriage(2)

You should have two shells left for both the double and triple bearing supports. They will be stuffed here and attached to the 71519 combo bearing support for the X-Stage. Stuff the bearings and the captive nut/screw tensioner normally, but note that only the upper left captive nut slot in the triple is stuffed. Add the cover.

71576 - Z Axis Bearing / X Axis Gantry Sub Assembly (2)

Here you will use the four triple bearing blocks that were drilled to 5/32". They are screwed to the X-Axis motor mounts with the large (#4) sheet metal screws. It's best to attach the 71508 90 Degree Bar Clamps before the bearings because the upper bearing would block the rotation of an Allen wrench, if that's what you intend to use for the 30617 5-40 Socket Head Cap Screws. If you're using a hex screwdriver, then either order is OK.

71580 - Front Base Sub Assembly (1)

You may consider marking the centers of all rods to assist in alignment during the build. This is the first time you'll need it. soon...

71581 - Front Base Sub Assembly (1)

soon...

71582 - Z Axis Base Sub Assembly (2 Bearing Plates that mount into 1 sub-frame)

Press fit the R4ZZ bearings and install their holders (called 6/7/5). Pay attention to which side is up, and remember that the bar clamps go on the same side as the HEAD of the R4ZZ bearing holder. soon... Alignment/squaring!

71590 Steve's Extruder

Now is a good time to change pace and build the extruder. Seems like a lot of parts, breaking it down into a few simple sub-assemblies really simplifies things.

The bearings fit countersunk in the white gears, and can misalign the gears and cause binding if they are not fitted deeply enough. Flush does not seem to be good enough. Press the outer race when fitting, lest you risk damaging the bearing. When fully seated, a #8 washer can sit on top and itself be almost flush with the surface of the gear. It's deep. soon...

71523 Offset Support Rod (Rod Bending)

YoYo's method.

71583 Frame Assembly

soon...

71584 Y and Z Axis Installation

soon...

71574 H1 Extruder Barrel (Hot End)

soon...

Life Test

soon...

Hot Test

soon...

Burn In

soon...

Calibration

soon...

Printing

soon...

Mods

soon...