What's a good way to stiffen up a MendelMax Y axis?  Also,

3D Printing
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#1

What’s a good way to stiffen up a MendelMax Y axis? Also, a good way to level the bed in a way that is very unfriendly to fiddling with. Everyone @ my hackerspace believes they need to “level the bed” of this thing, and really all they’re doing is throwing it out of whack.

I’m guessing first is getting rid of the sprung PCB-bed, and clipping everything to the second aluminum plate. But are there any other mods to the MMax Y axis I could make to make it more intimidating, and harder to muck with?

#2

Maybe one of these Y-Rail Kits from Maxbots @Maker_s_Tool_Works ?

I think that would meet you needs. Some lock-tite on the adjustment screws to really hold them in-place once levelled?

http://store.makerstoolworks.com/upgrades-and-kits/mendelmax-1-5-2-0-y-axis-rail-kit-complete/

#3

I dont understand the general hate of springs. I do think 3 point printbed leveling is key though. I use the springs not in the original theory to avoid head collision but as a simple and effective way to adjust the bed using a screw, spring, and lock nut. Move the head to one corner, adjust, then the next corner, and finally the opposite side middle. Simple. Two motor or Prusa-style Z axes also mean that the x-axis needs to start in a mostly horizontal position to begin with.

#4

The “hate” of springs is mostly that everything should generally be in-tram already. I’m also trying to remove adjustability, because you really shouldn’t need to adjust the tram of the bed constantly like people think needs to be done. If the bed is out of whack left/right, the X axis needs to be adjusted (not the bed), and the Y axis should be perfectly tram already unless there is something else awry with your machine.

My Prusa i3 Y is directly bolted to the carriage. No tram adjustments anywhere, and I never have to fiddle with it. It’s just proper setup and it makes the machine more reliable.

#5

I bought some 12mm precision linear rails from Aliexpress and some 12mm self aligning bushings from SDP-SI. Printed new bushing mounts and now there is no discernable flex in the y rails :). Also much cheaper than the linear guides from makerstoolworks.

#6

The way i mounted my bed is probably finicky enough for you but still somewhat adjustable and super-stiff. I have a thread in the base platform and a regular cap head screw to adjust height, but instead of a spring i have jammed a nut against the bottom plate’s top and another one against the bed’s bottom side. So to adjust, you’ll need to loosen both nuts, screw the cap head in/out for adjustment and then re-jam both nuts. Once set, there’s no reason to re-adjust, ever (except when you’re using a bent wooden base for the bed).

screw-
head
bed
nut <- jam against the bed
t
h
r
e
a
d
nut <- jam against the base
base