Test Tube Mendel

6-2-2011: The vinyl washer vertex posted on thingiverse recently inspired me to work on a Mendel derivative using that idea that would have a much lower print/replication time. So far I have only built a frame to play with, and I hope to be able to reuse some of the Prusa printed parts. I consider this project still a reprap though others may disagree. I think the use of another vitamin (vinyl tubing) is justified by the dramatic savings in cost and time to print a replicate. Goals of the project are

1. Dramatically reduce printed parts

2. Reduce total build cost

3. Push the boundaries of simplification

4. Have a good time

The initial frame seems to be adequate in stiffness but will likely need an electronics mounting board attached to the frame to add lateral stiffness. I have decided that a large hose clamp will be my Y motor mount. I tried using nuts and washers to clamp the motor, but they just slid off. The hose clamp is cheap and it provides a much stronger mount than the printed part while simultaneously reducing printed part count. For those that already have a printer the cost savings might be minimal, but if you have to buy printed parts, the dollar spent on the hose clamp is more than made up by the current cost of printed parts.