VZBot-330AWD.... I mean VZTrident (doh!)

[cjkennedy72]

Thought I would start out this Build Journal with a couple of before pics... This printer started as my first CoreXY printer, but quickly became a source of great frustration and a thorn in my arse... Constantly having to check if I needed to cancel and restart a print due to loss of adhesion, or a couple of trashed $30 Revo nozzles because the bed was screwed up from the factory... I have had quite an experience with this thing... 

One bright note... its failings led me to find Voron's and this cool website filled with awesome nerds like me!
Last two pics before I start taking this punk apart!

Edited December 23, 2023 by cjkennedy72

[mvdveer]

Exiting - looking forward to this build

[cjkennedy72]

Well... Time to head back out on the road (air travel) for work... won't be back home until LATE Friday night... so I thought I would share my progress on this project.

• I reprinted a bunch of parts on my newly built Voron, well.. because they looked bad and side by side, were off a little compared to the parts I just printed.
• I have all the frame replacement parts cut and ready, bed extrusions are ready...
• With any luck, my Mellow 330 bed will be here when I get back, or shortly thereafter. 

Pics:

That is what is left of the TronXY that is being reused plus the extrusions I cut yesterday to replace the Y Axis roller guides with linear rails.
 

Hopefully, I will be able to get this put together when I get back... But first work duty calls! Off to Chicago, then to Austin, TX before I get back home!

 

[cjkennedy72]

Have made some progress...
1. Completely disassembled the frame and put it back together with proper bind-joints (my son assembled it the first time, when it was still a TronXY)
2. Decided to go with dual-Z steppers instead of the single stepper in the back. YAY for the designers including the STLs for that!
3. Discovered during assembly that the BOM is for ordering 500mm linear rods, not the 525mm from the original, so yay... Printed the 525mm rod mounts last night.

Here is a pic of the progress:

I also found I had mistakenly ordered an MGN9C, but I think it will work fine. I hacked together a mount so I can use the BIQU Hermit Crab CAN tool changer I have had sitting on a shelf for a while now:
Mount Pic:

I should have time between meetings today to swap out the rod mounts for the proper ones to handle the extra 25mm. I might have this thing printing before I leave for Chicago in early November, LOL. (I hope sooner)

Edited October 24, 2023 by cjkennedy72

[5twenty]

Following along, as I have plans for the same. Times 4!

Though I've maybe not had such the ordeal you have, but I did lose a stepper driver on the board that I had to fix, per TronXY people the fix was to hang an external one dangling off the back!!! Looks...not very good.

Good luck, we are here for you.

[Penatr8tor]

@cjkennedy72

Lookin' good so far!

[cjkennedy72]

Latest update... pretty stoked I got this to work. I had mentioned the BIQU Hermit Crab CAN adapter I hope to use. After test fitting the previous design, I realised a massive design-flaw. If you spot it, good for you. I am not one to highlight my own mistakes.... Own them, yes... point them out, nope. However, the back of the Hermit Crab has the teeth indentations for 6mm Gates 2GT belts... So I remixed the stock printhead mount.

See whatcha think: I just test fit it and everything is lining up nicely. Here is a couple pics I took before the test fit. If you are wondering, I eliminated the front shoulder bolts that would normaly to wrap the belt and am using the Crab's belt catchs. The front now has no screws, so I created the joint between the top and bottom to be a pressure fit at the bottom of the block for the Hermit Crab.

Now to reprint it in Orange!!! 

Edited October 30, 2023 by cjkennedy72

[cjkennedy72]

Yay! Some progress! But as always, two steps forward and one step back. Gotta break out the angle grinder and cutting wheel to trim down those linear rods! I just LOVE putting something together to turn and take it back apart... 

I swear I read all the manuals, well because you have to if you want all the instructions and never came across anything about the rod length... Oh well.
Progress:

[mvdveer]

6 hours ago, cjkennedy72 said:

came across anything about the rod length

It's hidden in the BOM somewhere. VZBot documentation ? Let's not go there 

[Ducky4546]

Great build progress! Doing things the hard way is sometimes the best learning experiences. Keep on trucking

[Penatr8tor]

11 hours ago, cjkennedy72 said:

I swear I read all the manuals, well because you have to if you want all the instructions and never came across anything about the rod length... Oh well.

VzBoT's are challenging mostly because the documentation needs some help. I've used the CAD when there's an unanswered question. Well, that and an abrasive cutoff wheel for those rods. 

Anyways... What's your toolhead strategy moving forward? The CPAP fan has terrible lag, on the order of 2 seconds to respond to a speed change. It was designed to maintain a steady flow. A more responsive fan could possibly net better cooling performance if there's a benefit to turning the fan up and down quickly versus a constant flow. What about hotend? Are you going with the Goliath or maybe a Rapido? I'm kind of on the fence with the Goliath, haven't determined if I like it yet. Obviously, the huge melt zone makes it ooze more than our current commander in chief but, when you're printing it flows pretty nicely. The Hextrudort is a super capable extruder but where it excels in extruding it fails in a couple other areas. It has no feature to let you install a quick release so the bowden tube constantly needs to be pushed back in the hole. There's also no way to open the extruder other than to remove the spring tensioner. All complaints aside... both the Goliath and Hextrudort do work well.

[cjkennedy72]

@Penatr8tor Thanks for the info on the Goliath and Hextrudort. CPAP setups are interesting, but I am not currently planning on putting one on yet. Honestly, I am at a point where I just want to get this thing done so I can move to the next project. My 400mm bed, heater, etc just showed up, so the Trident + tool-changer parts are all here now and I am dying to get going on it, LOL... 

I have had this HermitCrab Can adapter for a while, so I have 3 tool plates on hand. I have printed the "HeroMe" 7.4 setup for the Rapido UHF, Apius on one plate. That one, I have printed the dual 5015s part cooling setup. I have an Orbiter 2.0 and.. damn, forgot what the other hot-end is... that will probably go on the second plate. Third plate is undecided presently. 

[5twenty]

Oooh, I'm interested in the toolchanger. I was looking for a way to get multiple heads on one printer via a changer (and a la XL - though they didn't think of it!). I like the idea of multi-material printing, but not the waste and time sink to do so.

You have any material for me to peruse to tackle this? I only ask since you seem to have a head start down that path.

[cjkennedy72]

@5twenty - This is the Github repo for the Klipper config to do tool-changes: https://github.com/TypQxQ/Klipper_ToolChanger
 

There is also this project: https://github.com/ankurv2k6/wp-daksh-toolchanger

There are videos of the wp-daksh project on YouTube. I have watched them and looked at the klipper macros and config. Fortunately, while I am not a developer, I have enough knowledge of Python to understand it and reverse engineer other's work. So... I am up to a challenge!

I did cheat and buy a clone of the E3D changer system, but I felt the $400 I spent for the changer and 4 extra tools was worth the time saved. 

[mvdveer]

3 hours ago, cjkennedy72 said:

There is also this project: https://github.com/ankurv2k6/wp-daksh-toolchanger

Just some advice on this @5twenty, it is extrmely hard to get the 15x5 hole magnets. Could not source it anywhere in the WORLD, except in India and for some reason , PayPal does not except Indian Rupees as payment and the Vendors in India, do not want to deal with us down under. He is developing a version 2, which will use "standard Voron parts" according to discord. I have sourced everything for that build bar the magnets.

[cjkennedy72]

Been a while since I was able to work on this.. but I have made some progress. My bed arrived, so I have now aligned the screw-thru mounts on the bed frame. I also had my son help hold a light so I could get the X/Y belts on. WIth those in place, I was able to verify that my hack-job of a remix works for mounting the BIQU Hermit Crab CAN on the VZBot-330. 
I just got the firmware flashed on the Octopus Pro, Hermit Crab CAN and am testing steppers! Success so far! 

 

 

Hoping tomorrow I have time to cut the bottom and back panels. I have a sheet of ABS in the shed from the Voron build just waiting to donate more of itself to the cause!
 

[cjkennedy72]

Well, the bad news is that the VZBot printhead assembly + the Hermit Crab + a printed mount + cooling was going to eat up WAY too much of the front bed. 

So... After looking around, modeling both the EVA 3 and 2.4 revisions, I opted to go with the 3. I know @mvdveer, you said someone in discord had been adamant that you were wrong in choosing the 3, but after looking at both, I like the EVA3 better for several reasons. So, I printed all the parts, but was once again bit by my accidental order of an MGN9C carriage block on this linear rail. So, after spending a couple of days searching the interwebs, I gave in. I actualy went to college for Architecture, although not my profession, so I broke open FreeCAD and modeled my version of the part I needed.

It works, and I am now able to mount this on the 9C carriage block and just need to move the belts to it and wire up the EBB36!
 

Its pretty compact, overall.. so if anyone want to remix the mount I put together, its up on Printables here:  

https://www.printables.com/model/671350-eva-3-top-for-mgn-9c-and-sensorless-homing

Here are a couple of pics once I had mounted it to the printer:

[cjkennedy72]

I have been able to make great progress since my last post!

Ditching the HermitCrab let me go back to the faithful and trusty EBB36 and U2C setup that I have on my Voron 2.4. So now the printhead is assembled, CANBus cable has been made, and I even crimped the rediculously small JST thingies!!! Wrapped it in cloth electrical tape for now, funny since it is often used in your car on CANBus wires.
 

I decided how I would bottom-mount my electronics! I don't have room for them to be on the back in the area where my printers sit, so I grabbed some cheap "L braces" and put this together:
 

Last mod/share... I modified the files for the squash-ball feet I had when this was still a TronXY to add a little height under the frame. 

NEXT up: Mount the Electronics in the frame, wire it all together, and I will need to modify the Skirt I found that I liked.. it's about 10mm too long on all sides, and I would like it to be maybe 10mm taller when mounted.

It's getting closer and closer to being a functioning printer! Excited, to say the least!.

Hope everyone else's projects are going!

[cjkennedy72]

The 3D-Touch (cheap knockoff BLTouch) will go away when my Beacon gets here... Just sayin'

 

[cjkennedy72]

More progress! YAY!

1. I modified the VZBot Skirt I had found, and it seems to fit now. It was about 15mm too long for the squash-ball feet. 
2. Glad I put the feet mod on, I needed it for the extra space of a bottom Electronics Chamber
3. Mounted the electronics in the bottom
4. Cut the deck panel and back panel, will mount the back panel today, I hope...
5. Started wiring things together and figuring out what cables needed to be extended to use a cable chase down the center
6. Created a simple part to put on both Y-Axis extrusions so I can use sensorless homing since I am NOT using NEMA23
7. Printed the bottom component to mount the in-coming Beacon probe
8. Changed the cooling fan mounts to the 2 5015s oriented parallel to the X-Axis. MUCH Better! It doesn't hit the rear frame part anymore.
9. There is more, I am sure...

Sharing pics for posterity. BTW... the Skirt is supposed to be a "Silver" ABS.. but it looks grey to me... Maybe if I do the acetone polish it will change, but likely to do it.

 

[cjkennedy72]

More solid progress! 

The electronics are all mounted, cabled and cable-chases are in place. These help make it look so much better! 
 

Also, Yes... I ordered the cloned Beacon. But, they showed up and I have the first one mounted and at least seemingly working in klipper. More to come once I get the top deck mounted to cover the electronics and then install the bed.

 

Getting a little excited over here... really really close to having this thing printing!
 

[cjkennedy72]

IT'S ALIVE!!!

I decided to test all the components before I put a deck on the bottom. Plus, I am still deciding how I want to mount the bottom deck, but....

1. No "Magic Smoke" when you power it up!
2. All the steppers work and are turning in the right direction
3. I can Home X, Y, AND Z!!!
4. All heaters work and have been PID-calibrated
5. The Cloned Beacons work basically the same, but all the commands are IDM_ instead of BEACON_

I have NOT put filament in it yet... I still have some alignment and calibration work to do before I want to risk a PEI Sheet. LOL

 

 

[mvdveer]

17 minutes ago, cjkennedy72 said:

IT'S ALIVE!!!

Oh it is looking good. Far from what a Tronxy x5sa looks like. 

[cjkennedy72]

I haven't decided if I want to enclose this one quite yet but I did go ahead and start tuning... Ellis of course....

 

[cjkennedy72]

Update...
Well, I am finding that getting my Z-Axis to work smoothly is going to require new leadscrews and linear rods/bearings... The bed simply doesn't raise and lower without shifting around a bit. I have tried re-aligning everything more than once. It prints fine, but you can see fine layer shifts in test cubes and I can see them as it raises the bed to home the Z axis. 

The fix?? Welcome to the VZTrident project! 
I have ordered 3 new leadscrews and MGN12H rails to implement the Trident/Rat-Rig style Triple-Z bed mount. I already have everything else and I have found the TronXY rods and leadscrews are not perfectly straight. So, if I gotta order 2 leadscrews, then why not go Triple-Z?!?

I am going to put side panels on this and move it off the bench while I wait on the parts. 

Now for the positive perspective... While I wait on the new Z-Axis parts, I am going to start building the Trident 400mm Toolchanger. Those parts are all here