Beta Testing the Engravinator, Part 2

Just a quick update on the Engravinator...I completed printing the parts to build, early this morning, and I was really happy with how they came out:

A lot of that goes down to how Adam (the creator) laid these parts out, for printing.  For those who are unaware, the orientation of a part on the build plate, has a lot to do with how strong it is, under torsion, compression, tension, and shear on the X, Y, and Z axes.  This is especially a b.g deal, due to the additive nature of the plastic 3D printing process.

I also assembled the aluminum extrusion frame of the engraver.  Again, I can't say enough positive about the quality of the kit, and the thoughtfulness of the engineering.  Instead of the usual hammer nuts, or t-nuts, Adam included sprung post-insertion nuts, which can be added after assembly of the extrusions, and also don't slide around, or fall out, when you rotate the item being built.  These cost a bit more, but are really helpful!

Here is the completed frame, which is as far as I have completed, so far:

I'll continue to post here, as I build the kit, and give my thoughts on it.

Beta Testing the Engravinator, Part 1

Anyone who knows me is aware that I'm an extremely (if not completely consistent!) backer of Open Source and Free Software.  That's one of the major reasons why I work for Red Hat.  Given this, I'm a frequent contributor to the Electronic Frontier Foundation (and you should be, too!), to Wikipedia, and I just signed up for a monthly contribution to the Internet Archive.  What all of these things have in common is that they are part of the larger Free Culture movement.  I'm also a passionate maker-of-things, and a heavy user of 3D printing, and occasionally of CNC wood and metal cutting.

All of that is a rather long-winded way of explaining my significant interest in the Engravinator.  The Engravinator is an Open Source hardware project that was started, in 2018, by my fellow Red Hatter, Adam Haile.  You can read his blog here, where he discusses the various other projects that he has created.  I met Adam at the second East Coast RepRap Fesival (ERRF), back in October.  He was showing his prototype laser engraver, and I was immediately impressed with the quality and thoughtful engineering that had clearly gone into the device.

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So. Freaking. Excited. Nearly a year of work and the not-so-secret project is ready for launch! Say hello to @TheEngravinator! The most orange and compact diode-laser engraver around. Come check it out at #ERRF2019 ⠀ https://buff.ly/2ocEcaa⠀ #laser #3Dprinted #engraver #cnc

A post shared by Maniacal Labs (@maniacallabs) on Oct 1, 2019 at 7:31am PDT

So, when Adam told me that there was a beta test group being set up, to test out the process for building the machine, I jumped at the opportunity.  After an amazingly quick kitting process, where Adam was inundated with parts, he finished the kits over the Thanksgiving holiday.  Mine arrived on December 3rd, and I quickly realized that I had forgotten to print the required 3D-printed parts!  I finished the first set (the core components) early this morning (in Prusament Galaxy Black, perfect for a Baltimore Orioles fan!), and I think that they came out amazingly well:

I'm now running the print for the electronics enclosure, on my Prusa i3 Mk2.5, and am hoping to finish all the prints by late, tonight:

If you're as excited as I am about this project, join the forum, and discuss this amazing project with the rest of us!