Fab@Home to print paper pulp - art application
I’m interesting in the Fab@Home printer to print paper pulp for an art application called pulp painting. The usual method is to dispense the pigmented paper pulp (which is a mixture of mostly water and cotton fibre) using a squeezable ketchup bottle. Some artists already use syringes for fine detail. The difference here is that we are working in two dimensions so essentially we’re talking about an inkjet printer that dispenses paper pulp instead of ink.
It looks like Model 2 could do a good job of this and if the object being printed must be 3D I could create a thin layer for each colour. Here is my question: could I just build the dispensing part of the machine and attach it to my CNC router (after I remove the router) so that I could print larger images (my machine is 4’ x 8’)? I’m currently using Mach3 and BobCAD to write the G-code, but would I have to change to the Fab@Home Model2 software?
For a few years I’ve been experimenting with this idea of a pulp painter using peristaltic pumps, pressure pots. etc. and it seems like the Fab@Home method of controlling the amount of substance dispensed could work well.
Brian
This is a fantastic idea!!!!
the model 2 software would need a few modifications in order to use your machine. The high level software generates an xml file type call a fab file. This fab file contains the movement commands for the machine. I have been working on a python script which can convert this file into GCode to be run on a makerbot/reprap machine. If you had a 4+ axis CNC controller, you could modify the syringe tool to work using your motors and electronics. then you could use my script to convert the fab@home fab files into the GCode for your platform.
Hi Jeffery,
I apologise for the late reply, holidays and life got in the way. Thank you for your enthusiastic response to my query, your python script sounds like another piece of the puzzle to my pulp painting project. I have more questions, but let me know if you think we should continue this conversation off the forum. From what I understand the mechanical difference between my 3 axis CNC router and the Fab@Home is that the Fab@Home utilizes an extra stepper motor that drives the shaft that extrudes the build material. Does that motor turn at a constant rate or does the software vary its speed? In other words is it like M8 in G-code which just turns on the coolant pump or is more complicated than that? In my last attempt at building a pulp painter I experimented using gravity feed and a solenoid that opened and closed a fluid needle using M8 g-code in a modified spray gun head. Controlling the head by raising and lowering the bottle that held the paper pulp didn’t provide fine enough control.
When you mention that you’re currently working on a python script to convert fab files to g-code I assume that’s because the Fab@Home machine only runs fab files but I can’t help but wonder if there are existing programs that run 4 axis’s or is the Fab@Home software unique in the way it controls the 4th axis which extrudes the build material?
Finally, I don’t fully understand the difference between a 3 axis and 4+ axis machines other than the extra axis. I assume I would need to add a 4th Geckodrive for example? By the way, I recently built a RepRap from a kit and I’m in the process of calibrating the machine. I look forward to hearing from you. My email address is bqueen(at)shaw.ca.
Brian
Brian