Additional parts and tools required for Deluxe kit

Although I have the CupCake CNC Deluxe kit, there are still some parts and tools required.  If you’re getting ready to build your own MakerBot, here’s what else you’d need to build everything in one go:

  • Primer, paint, masks, cardboard, duct tape, and pen – if you’re painting.  While the other stuff is obvious, I found the pen handy for labeling the cardboard next to the parts that had to be painted differently from other nearby parts.
  • Sandpaper for sanding down punch-out-nubs and leveling off plastic parts so they’ll fit.  Based upon my enormous background in robot building, I’d recommend a super fine sandpaper for the nubby bits wooden bits and a medium course sandpaper for sanding down plastic parts.  You won’t need much, so there’s no need to buy a whole pack.  You may also need the course sandpaper for widening the openings for the plastic sliders on the X and Y axis platforms and/or to make some of the tabs fit better if you’ve painted.
  • 3-in-1 oil is needed for the various slides/rods and as part of the cleaning of the Z-axis threaded rods.
  • Paper towels are just a good thing to have around.  Damp they’ll help you wipe down a little bit of the fine ash left by the lasercutter.
  • Electrical tape and an electric drill along with paper towels and 3-in-1 oil are used for the recommended method for cleaning the threaded rods.
  • Zip ties for organizing cables.  But, seriously, you should just have these necessities anyhow.  They’re good for everything.  If you’re going out for zip ties, I’d highly recommend picking up (1) an assortment of colors/sizes in a large pack (2) a pack of uniformly colored small zip ties and (3) a pack of uniformly colored large zip ties.
  • Hot glue gun, hot glue sticks are needed for affixing the plastic sliders on the X and Y axis stages.  Like zip ties, if you have these around you’re going to find they’re a good solution for a lot of problems.  It’s like Windex that way.
  • Popsicle sticks and black paint are needed for completing and installing the opto-endstops.
  • An exacto-knife or razor blade will come in very handy for removing the very very tiny bits of protective cover on the acrylic lasercut parts.
  • Super glue is needed for affixing a pulley to the idler pulley and for laminating some parts of the two “dinos.”