This looks like the logical next step after building a brachiograph!
Cartesio – Low-cost Cartesian plotter robot
11–17 of 17 posts
Re: Cartesio – Low-cost Cartesian plotter robot
#12FYI, if you already have a 3D printer, you can totally use it as a 2D plotter (if that's not obvious). And you can totally use a fountain pen if you feel like it. In action: https://www.instagram.com/p/BlQHk43gwra/ Final result: https://www.instagram.com/p/BlJHawZgFi1/ Same, with a ballpoint: https://www.instagram.com/p/BlJ8dgmAaTA/
How do I do this? Installing the pen and adding some initial gcode to raise the Z axis above the bed so the nozzle doesn't touch isn't a problem, but what generates the drawing gcode?
Re: Cartesio – Low-cost Cartesian plotter robot
#13Is there a practical use for this? I’m thinking if my 3d printer does I could repurpose it for this.
I just spent a day upgrading my printer and playing with Gcode, but it wasn't until your comment that I realized just how easily I can write a program that outputs gcode itself and add a pen so I can have the printer draw on paper. I'm going to have to test this right now.
Re: Cartesio – Low-cost Cartesian plotter robot
#14I wonder if we might see a resurgence of these plotters ala 3d printers. A tronxy x1 is $85 right now for a full small form factor 3d printer.
a review of the tronxy x1 https://www.techradar.com/reviews/tronxy-x1/2
check aliexpress or similar for the $89
self upgrade to make it better: https://www.reddit.com/r/3Dprinting/comments/81xkut/tronxy_x...
Re: Cartesio – Low-cost Cartesian plotter robot
#15I don't understand the decision not to use CoreXY. I have a very very similar plotter that also cost me next to nothing using essentially the same BoM as this. It's directly descended from this one [0]. It can absolutely fly, I've spent some time tweaking it but I can reliably and accurately drive it at something like 20cm/s. That's largely a factor of the low inertia of the CoreXY design, which keeps both the main s…
CoreXY is interesting, and seems especially well suited to plotters, where you don't need to worry generally about the speed of the tool. I've seen CoreXY machines doing circles at two or three linear meters per second (!) with print heads on them, I can only imagine how fast a light pen plotting head could go. Is there a reason why people aren't using thin cables or wires instead of belts at this point? If you used wires you could have a simpler crossover, I think (wouldn't need the extra pulleys); this could also reduce belt inertia, if that's of any importance.
Re: Cartesio – Low-cost Cartesian plotter robot
#16FYI, if you already have a 3D printer, you can totally use it as a 2D plotter (if that's not obvious). And you can totally use a fountain pen if you feel like it. In action: https://www.instagram.com/p/BlQHk43gwra/ Final result: https://www.instagram.com/p/BlJHawZgFi1/ Same, with a ballpoint: https://www.instagram.com/p/BlJ8dgmAaTA/
How do I do this? Installing the pen and adding some initial gcode to raise the Z axis above the bed so the nozzle doesn't touch isn't a problem, but what generates the drawing gcode?
I wrote code that generated this particular G-code for the Dragon curve.
In general, there's software to convert PostScript or DXF to G-code (used with e. g. engraving machines).
The G code to move in XY is simple enough (G0 x y) that you could write a converter yourself.
Re: Cartesio – Low-cost Cartesian plotter robot
#17Earlier quoted context omitted.
How do I do this? Installing the pen and adding some initial gcode to raise the Z axis above the bed so the nozzle doesn't touch isn't a problem, but what generates the drawing gcode?
I wrote code that generated this particular G-code for the Dragon curve. In general, there's software to convert PostScript or DXF to G-code (used with e. g. engraving machines). The G code to move in XY is simple enough (G0 x y) that you could write a converter yourself.
G code is simple, I'm just not sure how simple reading the curves would be. I worked around this by exporting as a png and having Cura slice that, then writing a script to extract a single layer. It works beautifully, now I want to see if I can make PCBs with it, it would be a revolution.