Make a TAZ 5 with a TAZ 5 ?

#1

Recently purchased our 1st 3D printer at work ( a TAZ 5 ) and been using it a lot for prototype work.

I would really like to build one for myself ( home use ) but cant afford to drop $3k on what is essentially a “toy” for me…

The KITTAZ option doesn’t seem to be available anymore ???

I can handle the mechanical aspects and sourcing of frame nuts bolts motors belts printed parts etc… ( work will allow me to run off a set of printed parts for myself ) although it will be some time before I can sneak them all in around legitimate work…

I’m left with the electronics cables & “firmware” bit which honestly I don’t know much if anything about… I haven’t opened up the controller box yet to have a look at what’s inside there…

Is there a “kit” available or can I order all that is required from Lulzbot themselves ?

I’ve seen the Rambo board and cables on the site for $220 what else would I need ?

Is there a less pricy way to do it ?

I can handle reading wiring diagrams and some basic soldering / wiring but soldering components onto a printed circuit board is probably pushing my skillset pretty hard…

I’d really appreciate any advice or direction to similar forum questions / answers ( I did try searching but had little success )

Thanks,

SS

#2

Well I do not think LB sells all the required cables, so you probably will have to source the ones you can not find or build yourself. The only board I have seen is the RAMBo and all the parts are already soldered on it.

#3

If you look in the user gallery there is pics of a Lulzbot clone that a user made. He says that the cost was around 1k if you have a 3d printer to print the parts. I would love to make one myself one day.I have had my Taz 5 since February and I actually made a Prusa I3 myself. I made it from scratch and even printed the frame to try to keep the cost low. I probably spent about $300 total with electronics and vitamins. If you build yourself it teaches you a lot about the printer and the firmware. Most of the how to’s on the Marlin firmware can be found online. I would check out reprap.org for starters. Hope this helps and good luck.

#4

You can get the exact Rambo board used in the tax from lulzbot or direct from ultimaker. You want a “full graphics LCD” for the display. You can get the LCD case and the taz 4 electronics box from the lulzbot store. The ultimaker board comes with the endstops and some wire. You will want 5 motors from the lulzbot store. The hotend you can get from amazon.com. make sure the hotend is the AO edition hexagon as they are different. The heated bed you will also want to source from lulzbot. Any standard 24 volt 3d printer power supply should work. ebay has those.

Once you have all the electronics wired and connected (electrical connectors from digikey.com ) you just load the stock taz firmware and then tune your extrude steps accordingly.

It may be cheaper to buy a used taz 3 or 4 and upgrade that to a 5.

#5

Thanks for the speedy input guys, really appreciated !

So is the “Rambo” board advertised on the Lulzbot website the only electronics board I would need ? so that, with the motors, connectors, wiring and micro switches ( sourced elsewhere ) would complete the electrical aspect hardware wise ? the wiring isn’t too complex and I could buzz the works TAZ to copy the layout and connectors configs, its a lot of work for a self confessed electrical amateur but I’d be willing to give it a go…

Do I need any extra hardware for the firmware install like cables, eprom flashers or anything else unusual ? ( I take it this can be done from a PC ? )

Wish I could find a cheap used or damaged TAZ but I haven’t seen anything advertise for sale anywhere…

I’m almost tempted to just accept that I may be better off buying a Chinese cheap diy kit for my home based amusements and just use the works TAZ for anything more “serious” I may need to do

On that subject has anyone ever tried one of the $400 “delta” type kits on Eb-y, they look like fun but I suspect would be pretty useless ? I also like the look of the rostock v2 but dropping $1k in one chunk isn’t really an option

Thanks
SS

#6

The LCD board is the only other circuit board aside from the Rambo board itself, and it is optional. You connect to it with a standard USB device cable. Here is the full step by step TAZ 5 build instructions that show all components https://ohai-kit.alephobjects.com/group/a16b1f2d-5c1f-47fe-a83d-9d68cca5d62c/ Don’t forget the power supply and the bed and hot end too. Here’s the board with the microswitches https://ultimachine.com/content/rambo-13
All the part files, part number and quantity lists with sources, etc. are located in here: http://download.lulzbot.com/TAZ/5.0/

Delta printers are an interesting project. They make very tall skinny things very well. I’ve not built one, but I am told they can be a bit more difficult to dial in initially. Any printer you can put together can be made to be very useful and accurate, it’s just a matter of how much time and effort you want to put into it.

#7

Thanks Piercet great info in those links ! im gonna do some serious reading before I commit but I think I can probably handle it with that information, it does look like my soldering skills are going to need some improvement before I take on the electronics though :laughing:

Im going to go ahead and produce the printed parts and start sourcing the mechanical purchase parts by the time I’ve done all that I should have enough cash to buy the board motors etc…

Thanks again guys for all your guidance and no doubt ill be back soon asking for more help

SS

#8

You’re welcome!

Most of the electronics used in the stock TAZ use crimp fittings. You shouldn’t really have to soldier anything for that build at all. I personally find pin crimping to be just as difficult as complex soldering, but thats just me. The only soldering I can think of that you might run into would be making one of the endstop wires longer.

#9

Hi been making a bit of progress and have most of the mechanical parts printed & built up, I cant find a model of the “x end plate” part no pp-fp0031 I think… I realize these should be machined out of aluminum but I want to have a go with printed parts as much as possible, if they break down the road so be it… any Idea where I could find this model ?

Thanks
SS

#10

Chipheads printable X ends can be found here

#11

This thread has me thinking…

It looks like most of the printed parts for the TAZ 4/5 are ABS? Can they also be made from PLA with a good outcome?


Thanks,
Bill

#12

awesome thanks

SS

#13

Use chip heads x ends if you do not want to have metal plates cut. Printing the stock metal plate design caused a noticeable Z wobble on my Taz 2.1. They were too flexible.

#14

Pla can work, except for the X carriage pieces that get very hot. You will also need to make or source the y axis endplates as I have not seen a really functional printable one yet. Would be easy enough to make one though.

#15

Thanks! Good to know…now only to wait while the Taz 6 details emerge…

#16

Quick update :-

OK, I’m finished with the mechanicals of my home built Taz 5 everything printed but the ball bearings screw shafts, steel rods & aluminum frame extrusions… it looks OK… I would post a pic if I could work out how to…

Recon its cost a little under $300 so far…

Now working out my list of electrical / electronic parts and where to get them all from…

Ill keep updating as I go…

SS

#17

Forgot to ask, Thermistors ? I noticed them mentioned in the control board manual and I’m guessing they monitor the temperature of the hot end and the bed where would I get these from ?

Thanks,
SS

#18

Thermistors generally come with whichever hotend you end up putting on your printer. If you order a hexagon hotend it will come with one. Same thing with a heated bed kit. You can procure both through Lulzbot’s store. You can also build your own hotend using the AO-edition Hexigon kits off amazon

#19

Hey Speedysteve,
How are you progressing? I also have a TAZ 5 at work that we use for development. any chance you could put together a list of what you purchased and from where? I’m trying to determine whether I can build another TAZ5 for less than $1k.

#20

Grab the 2 X endplates and 2 Y endplates from here: http://i-t-w.com/hardware/ along with 10 of the 500mm extrusions. You may also want to get the control box and LCD case from there as well. I’d recommend getting the leadscrews and leadscrew nuts direct from Mitsumi. That will get you most of the frame and impossible to find elsewhere parts. If you can find a Taz 3 with a working bed and electronics for under $700, coupled with those parts you may be able to stay under $1k, or at least close to it. Sourcing a heated bed new will run about $150, the hot end is going to be around $100 in parts, or $200 assembled. If you try and make a 5 style control box the fittings are going to add another $100. A 3 style control box is cheaper, but has its own limitations.