My 3DR build is progressing nicely. I’m building a 60 cm version which makes for lots of interesting questions and challenges. But that’s the fun of building your own printer!
http://www.tumblr.com/blog/mynext3dprinter
Good
I’m also building one. Having a hard time finding T-Slots in Canada. Where are you located? Where did you buy the Taxxas joints ?
Traxxas joints are available on sale on ebay.
Finding the Traxxas-style joints was the most difficult part for me, until Rich added a post-script to his blog - here is the link: http://kcmodelaccessories.com/store/products/single-end-knuckle-extender-swivel-joint/
This shop is in the UK (where I live) but if you want to try and find them from a local dealer there are lots of useful terms at the link site that you could try Googling.
The T-slots I ordered from http://Metallin.co.uk but they were eventually shipped in from Austria. If you are having trouble buying them I would seriously consider trying one of Rich’s suggested alternative hollow tubes. Mine are great but they were a real PITA to fit. If the holes in your printed parts are just fractionally too small, as mine were, they will be very difficult to fit. Softening with heat and filing down the parts didn’t work; in the end I filed a little off the end of the aluminium and then just hammered them in with a mallet. Not elegant but it worked!
I know why, I just figured it out. The 3DR was designed to fit Profile 6 T-slot (6mm between the slots). What you bought, and what almost everyone is selling, is Profile 5 (5mm). That extra mm was giving you a hard time.
But Profile 6 T-slot is 30 mm across. All the holes are 20 mm across so surely only Profile 5 will fit.
There are at least two types of 20x20 T-Slot. I’ve seen vendors with 6mm gap and some with 5mm gap. The 3DR was designed for the 6mm gap.
Edit, links :
6mm - http://us.misumi-ec.com/vona2/detail/110302368740/
5mm - http://www.valuframe.co.uk/Aluminium-extrusion-profile-systems.html
The 5mm will not fit the 3DR (as you experienced).