RepStrap log start

I've started this blog, cause I feel like I need a place to jot down what i've done, and am doing.

To start off, even though my cartesian robot is about half complete, i've been working it for several months now, when I have either had enough money or time to devote to it.

I was hoping to have this thing built and working before the New Year started, so much for that plan.

So while its holiday time, and with the materials I bought at the start i've managed to get the inside frame nearly done for the z axis, just got to add a couple of bearings to it.
I'm designing the Z axis from scratch, the first attempt failed, in that it had way insufficeint constraints and mean't that it flailed everywhere when the threaded rod was turned. I am now using long drawer type slides attached to a frame, I won't know how this is gonna turn out till I get the outside frame done, that's the frame that moves up and down, the inside frame is stationry.

For the robot, the X and Y axes are made up of two old A4 flatbed scanners, bought them off TradeMe forNZ $5 for the two, what a sweet deal for two drive mechanisms, 2 opto end stops and high resolution 1.8 degree steppers.

I'm using MakerBot electronics, as there wasn't much point redesigning that which has already been done, though several people have apparently coded up their own g-code driver boards, if I get board I may try this by turning Adrian Bowyer's 5D Arduino code to true embedded C.