This is an old revision of the document!
What is a RepRap?
have a look at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMhG4fWQnlE
More information and pictures in the slides of the reprap lecture at easterhegg 2010.
Current Status
2009-11-25: BitsFromBytes has released the firmware source code. Happy hacking!
2009-10-11: The extruder head has been upgraded to fix the instability issues of the PTFE tube. A first, superficial test showed the print-head is functional with the new parts. Proper calibration and probably a new Skeinforge profile will be needed for usable print quality. Old .bfb files should be used with caution. A switch was added to the power cable to power the RapMan on and off. WARNING: “Suicide mode” is neither analysed enough nor confirmed to be gone, so the RepMan should not be left unattended when switched on. Side note: BbB have published detailed Skeinforge calibration instruction in the blog.
2009-09-18: WARNING - reprap has suicidal tendencies. The reason still is unknown, but sometimes a print doesn't start right. I think it's the same effect we attributed to not rebooting after a print, but it can also happen freshly powered up. For some reason it seems to happen more often now than before. So it is important to be at the reprap when heating is over and printing starts… If the steppers go loud and slow: immediate power down, if the extruder already is over the z-plate press it down, power up again, manual move, down - otherwise it gets burned one more hole… Once a print is started it seems to go through without problems. Very strange. 1.0.6 didn't fix it, we're flashed back to 1.0.5.
2009-08-23: reprap is ready for print again, z-idler-post were fixed. the extruder update is planed for the end of this week or next week. please keep in mind that the reprap will probably be in a non-productive state after that for a while until it is recalibrated so if you have stuff to print, better do it now.
2009-08-21: Not ready for print: the z-idler-posts are a bit loose, moving belt and driving gear also should be readjusted. 9r plans to work on this next week.
2009-08-01: Should be ready for print again. Please watch printing process carefully, espcially: Is the raft printed too deep in the baseplate (yes: abort!)? Does the z-plate move correctly down during printing?
2008-08-01: New Baseplate has been installed (thanx to mazzoo for cutting it!), extruder is cleaned again and z-axis should be fixed.
On 2009-07-30 the whole reprap was accidentally. Needs a new printing base plate, some cleaning of the extruder and readjustment of the z-axis movement mechanism.
We bought a RepRap v3 kit at http://bitsfrombytes.com.
The machine was financed by donations and by a grant of CCC e.V.
It arrived on 26.05.09. Assembly has been finished on 07.06.09.
(quite some status missing…)