Tag Archives: mk4

What’s the minimum cost to upgrade to a MK5 Plastruder?

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I figure to upgrade my Batch 9 MakerBot to use a Plastruder MK5, I’ll need the following:

$106.00 isn’t too shabby to upgrade to the most badass Plastruder2 money can buy. 34

  1. I’d ask Zaggo, Webca, or jrombousky to design it… [↩]
  2. Edit: Plastruder kit [↩]
  3. Especially when you essentially get to keep your Plastruder MK4 as a backup. [↩]
  4. You’d still need a few spare parts – but I’m sure that’s nothing we can’t scrounge from leftovers… [↩]

Why should you buy a MakerBot sooner, rather than later?

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A fair number of people I polled are waiting to buy MakerBots not because of money, but because they are waiting for the technology to mature.1  Is this you too?

If so, let me ask you this – would you be willing to spend $235 right now to play with a current “immature” technology MakerBot for an entire year before buying a full price MakerBot that’s more “mature” next year?

If you said yes, you need to buy a MakerBot today.

I bought my Batch 9 MakerBot in late November 2009.  In the nearly 10 months since then MakerBot has come out with a $50 heated build platform and the brand spanking new 2  more reliable $185 Plastruder MK5. 3  The only “difference” between my MakerBot and one you buy today with all the upgrades is that I got to play and experiment with a MakerBot for 8 full months more than you for an extra $235.  On top of that, I have all the parts for a complete Plastruder MK4! 4

$235 is a small price to play with a MakerBot for nearly a year.5 6 7

  1. Not to mention a small percentage of people whose parents were killed by awesome robots… [↩]
  2. As in released about 11 hours ago! [↩]
  3. I’m not counting the MK5 Drive Gear Upgrade Kit because that MK5 Gear is included in the Plastruder MK5 kit. [↩]
  4. This way, if any part of the MK5 fails, just drop the MK4 back in! [↩]
  5. Not to mention having a Plastruder MK4 on standby. [↩]
  6. That’s a $125 value FREE!!!  That’s right – FREE!!! Order now and we’ll throw in these high tech atmospheric pocket buffer equipment safety enclosures FREE!  That’s right – FREE!!! Just pay shipping and handling! [↩]
  7. High tech atmospheric pocket buffer equipment safety enclosures is bubble wrap. [↩]

Plastruder MK5, now with 85% less heartache!

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Of all the bits to get working on my MakerBot, the Plastruder MK4 was the most challenging.  There were so many ways for some critical component of the Plastruder to go wrong.  You could:

  • Cut the wrong length or resistance of nichrome wire
  • A small patch of nichrome fiberglass insulation is scratched off, creating a short
  • The nichrome is not wound close enough to the barrel, requiring extra power to heat
  • There’s too much space between the barrel and nozzle, creating a gap where plastic and build up and cause a blockage
  • Heat can travel up the barrel and plastic can ooze up the threads
  • Heat can travel up the barrel, plastic can pool and then cool causing a blockage, bulge the PTFE
  • The thermistor can burn out or short out
  • Heat can cause the thermistor or nichrome to become unsoldered or lose connectivity

From the description of the new Plastruder MK5, it sounds like the improved designs solve all of the above potential problems!

Update: Beak90 offered several other possibilities!

  • one could not heat it up enough and strip the PTFE threads.
  • one could heat it too much and cause the PTFE threads to fail.
  • one could put the thermistor in the wrong place and have it read the wrong temp.
  • one could wind the nichrome in 2 layers and have it not heat enough.
  • one could tighten the nut on the barrel too much and cause extra stress on the PTFE causing it too fail.
  • one could forget to say the required magical incantations before firing up the plastruder causing everything to fail.

And, one more I just thought of:

  • Fail to play Daft Punk