T-Shirt Forums banner

Mission accomplished "license to thrill"

[DIY DTG] 
1M views 5K replies 321 participants last post by  Laser212 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
R1900BUILD-Mission accomplished "license to thrill"

It is now official she is the T-DOZER:) here is the video of her knocking out some shirts. again i did a video from the power up sequence all the way thru printing two shirts, at the start up you can see the pf motor does not move (by evidencing no movement of the platen)

the printer is 100% error free as seen. i still have not mounted my power button pad (epson original) or additional two buttons (my modifications) i just could not hold back showing the video of what she can do, before i completed the final details:D keep in mind all thru-out the video the printer is not secured yet and either are the base covers..she is smooth;)

I'm still using the cardboard platen template, the final platen is plexi and weighs in at 1.3 pds. i believe i have accomplished the goals i set prior to the build. small foot print, light weight delivery system, portable, etc-etc.

I'm using 100% epson firmware with only some wiring modifications (rerouting) at the board as explained previously. everything required to do this build was purchased at lowes home improvement store with the exception of the plastic base (which can be substituted) and the printer itself of course..

I'm still using trial versions of the rip.. i tried multi-rip gp first and now i'm on my second brand of a trial version. i wish i could have done a shirt of each at the same time but the driver configurations don't agree with each other including the epson driver (you can only use one at a time on the computer without complications by my experience) so I'm testing individually..

i can tell you the rip is mandatory in my opinion, (its the business end of the deal):D and there are some very cool features and settings to play with ...im still learning..

i finally learned to adjust the settings in the rip for the table adjustment, the videos show it printing in 1400x1400. now i can print in 720x720 with the same quality as far as proportion and by my calculation it prints twice as fast..;) the 1400x1400 is still the best quality image all around as far as details etc and im sure that i will print with that setting most often..

well i hope you enjoy the show as much as i did..;)

P.S i added the video of the printer printing at 720x720 res dual cmyk.. i calculate start of print at the :59 sec point in the video and the end of print at 1:37 so i came up with 38second print on an 11x11 detailed graphic...a major feat using the stock epson firmware with its jerky motion in the 720 res mode with the r1900 imho, watch the very bottom of the shirt bounce during the print steps, and then check out the detailed print...

regards
jeff

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qc3OrrsnMHs





http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWNmlNKiQ7A
 
See less See more
#176 ·
I am using EKRIP version 3.4.3 r1900..

it had alot of features to begin with but mine is heavily modified.. im like the test guinea pig for this (diydtg) based on my design... as i relay info they modify it to the needs of the printer, send it back for my testing in a beta version..then when i see that its good i relay back and they update the modifications to the real deal..then i test again..lol:D

everything is pretty much worked out these mods are in roll mode aswell.. im working on the new drive so there will be one more mod yet... there great people-fast to get it modified usually less than a day, and it works remarkably..to say the least.. i keep saying this but the table feed adjustment and gap adjust feature are priceless. its a must have for diydtg..

hope it helps..
 
#177 ·
made the decision on the drive...found the parts!!!!:) and right off the self...

i thought the cost would be more than the belt set up but after the math this way is cheaper?

the best part is the set-up is extremely simple..

its a rack and pinion drive... extremely acurate with less backlash compared to a belt..and nothing will ever need tentioning its a metal track metal gear..

that being said theres one component to this equation i have never dealt with...so i decieded to take the road less traveled..if the engineering works as designed it will be an astonishing dtg to say the least (just that one component that makes me nervous)... everything is in place the rip is setup to operate it as intended... i cant say enough about these guys they have bent over backwards for my little project and for a guy with no previous experience building dtg's...

we will see what happens when she gets together..:) to be continued............
 
#178 ·
i gotta rework my math as well. my belts move about 3 times as fast as the pf surface. shot a board that was there for the purpose of going along for a test ride right out the front. the book that was on it for weight did that magic trick where you pull the tablecloth and the dishes remain. punchline: the book title was "Speedmath".
 
#179 ·
O.K. I was in a hurry. I switched a numerator and denominator. My math above is otherwise correct. the gear sizes are correct. The 12 tooth gear goes on the frontmost paper feed shaft (outboard of everything otherwise it will make contact with the head) The 30 tooth goes on the front platen shaft. And the 4- 15 tooths go on all corners of the drive system.... I ordered them from Jeffs place in the link above. I bored any that weren't bored for 5/16 shafts. it maths out to be within thousandths of an inch, seems dead on now. At least I didn't have to order different gears and wait for them! I would add that a pillow block bearing supporting that 30 tooth gear is probably a necessity in the outboard gear config... I will be adding that before I do any more testing.
 
#180 ·
O.K. I was in a hurry. I switched a numerator and denominator. My math above is otherwise correct. the gear sizes are correct. The 12 tooth gear goes on the frontmost paper feed shaft (outboard of everything otherwise it will make contact with the head) The 30 tooth goes on the front platen shaft. And the 4- 15 tooths go on all corners of the drive system.... I ordered them from Jeffs place in the link above. I bored any that weren't bored for 5/16 shafts. it maths out to be within thousandths of an inch, seems dead on now. At least I didn't have to order different gears and wait for them! I would add that a pillow block bearing supporting that 30 tooth gear is probably a necessity in the outboard gear config... I will be adding that before I do any more testing.
so this belt system requires three belts? and a minimum of three drive shafts and 6 pulleys..wow -at least how i see it working it would require this using the original shaft.. 2 platen belts-and one belt from the pf to one of the platen drive shafts (gearing down platen speed) so you have a total of 4 belts with the original coming off the motor to the encoder?

its alot of belts eh? if you went to a fixed platen i suppose you could eliminate one of them... if your interested i have a solution for only using two belts.. just down size the shaft go with a 312 pitch pulley and drive directly off that..;) then any other pulleys as idlers will not need to be sized either, you can use a small idler this way.

cant wait to see the vid of your setup....:)
 
#181 ·
3 belts (four if you count the original), 2 addtl shafts. the timing style belts are supposed to be something like 96% efficient as they don't need high tension. I cobbed the whole thing together (without any bearings or bushings) from stuff I had laying around the shop (except for the pulleys and belts and soon skate bearings) it worked just fine except for thepull on that extra long extension on the thin front shaft seemed like it would never be reliable. I picked up some bearings today. turns out that 8mm skate bearings are a perfect fit to a 5/16 shaft. I'm trying to conserve cash in case I end up needing to buy another rip.

I tried a multitude of options, and the way to keep the speeds exactly the same as a piece of paper using the available ratios with the available timing belts and gears was to run off that frontmost shaft... it started the calculation at .814814814 rpm... and ended up perfect in the end. starting at 1 rpm from the main pf shaft always ended up off a bit and I was questioning whether the stock pf adjustment was going to be enough to correct it out (That one extra gear is the tradeoff I made to be able to run it with multirip without the ability to adjust the feed.) That additional pf shaft is further away from the head also, so it allows placement of ball bearings and strong support which is a plus.

Without bearings (but some silicone spray) it did easily carry a load of: a board, a regular size dictionary, a thick MCAT book, a thin mathbook, and about 20 sheets of paper. (maybe 20 lbs) I overloaded it just that once to see if there was a lag from pf shaft moving and the load moving. There was no noticeable lag from stretch or play in the system. It definitely doesn't hold a candle to the system you are designing, (And there is no PF speed gain between band printing) but it should serve me well.

I thank you and everyone on these forums for the tidbits of info that got me this far. Love this group of people on here. So selfless with their time and talents.

Hopefully tomorrow, I'll be able to add bearings all around and make a simple single-height platten. then it should be time to get it to boot up and switch to roll mode and send it a print job. Wish me luck. Of course I'm being optimistic... things never work out that smooth. :)
 
#182 · (Edited)
I see, thats how i calculated also..

did you lower the front foremost shaft (your second drive shaft?) im just wondering because you will need to have this lowered due to the platen i cant quite remember its position on the stock printer.. the platen needs to ride approx 1/16th to 1/8 th under the print head itself for printing, and if i remember correctly it is slightly in the path of the platen in its high position?..

i said to you on the phone, i thought you would be the next to get the 1900 going error free! great job:) what kept me going was thinking about saving the 15-18k lease payment on one of these and start making money almost instantly.. now im addicted to making em..lol additionally i spoke with a local screen printer today, (he found my youtube vid) i went in to his shop, i had no idea the time effort and expense that goes into setting up on that system..burning screens etc.. i got real time view of it in action.. i can see why they like the dtg for short runs.. also he said if he could get a few of these and make em cheap he would forego that process altogether.. so i think it really comes down to cost of the machine for these guys from how i see it.. he said he gets alot of low piece requests 10-30 shirts etc.. that he has been doing these but the only way hes making money mostly is a constant volume.. i agree for sure..

i know what you mean about conserving the cash..lol;) i really think the ek rip is the way to go due to its adjustment feature alone.. i needed this for running in the 720 res with a perfect speed match, there is some backlash due to the jerky motion of the original firmware..you will see what i mean.. i would spring for the rip for sure just for this reason.. but it is quite a tool and will be set up perfect for roll mode on the 1900..lol lots o t-dozer testing;)
 
#183 ·
The foremost shaft is cut. It, and the PF shaft are actually both cut at about the line where the spit station starts... to align the shafts and take it easy on those plastic gears. Right now there is a custom aluminum bracket there. I probably will have to make a nylon bushing/bearing for the PF shaft... almost no clearance there. I'll post a pic tomorrow. But I have a clear path for a platten. The only thing in the way is that black plastic contraption with all the white rollers. That will pop right off if it turns out too low. I am hoping to use it as a head saver. My 2200 was way to close to the platen in my opinion. So on this one, I am starting further away.

And the screen printer will always have an important place in my shop. I probably won't fire it up for less than $100 profit. (that's what I did when I first started and only had the screen press) Now I do much smaller orders because I have much streamlined the process. But really most of my jobs are above that now. I wouldn't want to do a 100 or 250 shirt order on a dtg. It'd take longer and cost more. Though lately I've been taking smaller jobs and charging the DTG rate just to start getting the word out that I do them. I place limits of a single color on them or two colors not touching and no halftones, and I cut the stencils on my vinyl cutter in sign vinyl and stick it to the screen. The DTG will allow me to bite into a different market/demographic (with a website that collects money and I start with printable art.) I have some local teams/orgs that are anxiously awaiting the dtg and website.
 
#184 ·
The foremost shaft is cut. It, and the PF shaft are actually both cut at about the line where the spit station starts... to align the shafts and take it easy on those plastic gears. Right now there is a custom aluminum bracket there. I probably will have to make a nylon bushing/bearing for the PF shaft... almost no clearance there. I'll post a pic tomorrow. But I have a clear path for a platten. The only thing in the way is that black plastic contraption with all the white rollers. That will pop right off if it turns out too low. I am hoping to use it as a head saver. My 2200 was way to close to the platen in my opinion. So on this one, I am starting further away.

And the screen printer will always have an important place in my shop. I probably won't fire it up for less than $100 profit. (that's what I did when I first started and only had the screen press) Now I do much smaller orders because I have much streamlined the process. But really most of my jobs are above that now. I wouldn't want to do a 100 or 250 shirt order on a dtg. It'd take longer and cost more. Though lately I've been taking smaller jobs and charging the DTG rate just to start getting the word out that I do them. I place limits of a single color on them or two colors not touching and no halftones, and I cut the stencils on my vinyl cutter in sign vinyl and stick it to the screen. The DTG will allow me to bite into a different market/demographic (with a website that collects money and I start with printable art.) I have some local teams/orgs that are anxiously awaiting the dtg and website.
very cool...:D

you know more than i with screen prints..

got a first hand view of this and he explained some limiting factors with colors, and it looks major messy not to mention the space it takes and that monster dryer thing..

it also smelled bad..dont know if this was the ink they use or just his shop in general..

i would not venture that for sure..:p
 
This post has been deleted
#187 · (Edited)
yeah i posted this 6 days ago ..http://www.t-shirtforums.com/diy-dtg/t120740-12.html#post741539.in in the thread, here it is again..:)


made the decision on the drive...found the parts!!!!:) and right off the self...

i thought the cost would be more than the belt set up but after the math this way is cheaper?

the best part is the set-up is extremely simple..

its a rack and pinion drive... extremely acurate with less backlash compared to a belt..and nothing will ever need tentioning its a metal track metal gear..

that being said theres one component to this equation i have never dealt with...so i decieded to take the road less traveled..if the engineering works as designed it will be an astonishing dtg to say the least (just that one component that makes me nervous)... everything is in place the rip is setup to operate it as intended... i cant say enough about these guys they have bent over backwards for my little project and for a guy with no previous experience building dtg's...

we will see what happens when she gets together..:) to be continued............
 
#188 ·
hello im new to this thread have read alot of the info
can someone send me a pm and give me a little advice on what to do to get started

i can make the outer box and platen etc
need more info on the printhead mounting and paper tray and pulleys, belts

have a mate in electrical engineering and is willing to help
just need a little more simplified info
 
#190 ·
@ german13 hello german13 jeff how are you mate first of all what a bloody great job you have done awesome i read somewere in a post from you that you would mfg the base design and platen is this true would you sell one to me very keen to make one have the electic side done with the help of my mate...
sorry for posting here just thought you might see it quicker
 
#191 ·
@ german13 hello german13 jeff how are you mate first of all what a bloody great job you have done awesome i read somewere in a post from you that you would mfg the base design and platen is this true would you sell one to me very keen to make one have the electic side done with the help of my mate...
sorry for posting here just thought you might see it quicker
thanks for the kind words..

working on implementing a rack and pinion drive to the design... should have a vid coming soon stay tuned..;) the new design is done just waiting on some mods for the rip for testing and wrapping up a few loose ends

i...pm'd you as well:)
 
#192 ·
Glad to see things are still cooking on the ultimate DIY DTG. Just a thought. If the platen bed is aligned manually with an alignment mark as yours currently does I would think not much problem in backlash, as long as the same method of setting the mark, i.e. the tension on the bed is the same when set. However if sensors are used and the bed would auto set itself and then auto reset for second pass I can see a backlash error happening. I have a TJet 3 in pieces now, just for the heck of it. It uses a screw drive but seems to have registration problems. I am convinced that a great deal of these problems are due to incorrect setting, adjustment of the backlash nut on the drive. I know yours (German 13) is a manual reset which I have on my DIY and it is very accurate. Just a thought.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 102557
#195 · (Edited)
on the belt first i super glued it... then the wife ran it thru the sewing machine.. then i took the clothes iron on high and used the edge of it and melted the lip that was created after sewing... you can get them anywhere walmart,home depot, lowes etc etc.. a solid shelf liner material will work also (duck brand) i emphasize solid the one with the holes is to stretchy-this is made from pvc easy to glue..first use pvc plumbers glue lightly.. then sew, then erase the seam with iron..

p.s dont get the perforated ones (window pulls)there meant to be torn to size (perforation) it will tear after about 50 uses.. get the solid and cut it with a razor knife using a framing square as a guide..any straight edge will do..

i have a new design coming soon with a fixed platen..:)

hope it helps
 
#196 ·
thanks for the heads up after my last message i went to a home depot an employee was cutting a shade for some else and he gave me a 11 inch wide scrape roll so i can try it out but i have to trim one side abit not truely square but it was the right price for R&D how wide is your belt it is hard to tell from the pic?
thanks for the tips on seaming now i need a wife to iron HEHEHEHE
 
#198 ·
the belt is 1/2 wider on each side of the top shirt holder, so the print width is 13" and length is 19' your top plate is 13x19 and your bottom plate is 14x21 this gives an inch for the shirt hang front and rear..;)

this makes your belt width 14 aswell to keep platen from moving side to side while in travel (side registration)
 
#199 ·
thanks i had built the c88 version from the online plans about 2 years ago it is long since gone one of my kids took it to college i never saw it again
I just aquired a r1800 and was researching to build again and your belt drive is intriguing thank you for your ideas i might even make the base out of plexi instead of wood this time cut some weight from the project
well keep up the good work ttyl bye
 
#200 · (Edited)
if you use acrylic (lexan) available at any home store.. you can solvent weld it with MEK (lowes etc) its a parts cleaner-solvent with the consistency of water..main ingredient in many plastic glues.. use in a well ventilated area in pure form! have a jig for your fabrication -use a hypo applicator to weld..the bond is instant and irreversable..so make sure its where you want it when you solvent weld;) the bond is 100% strong as the parent material..its not gluing (solvent welding... it softens the molecules of the material and then rehardens in a fraction of a second combining the molecules of the pieces to be married actually forming one piece...:) other plastics can be done this way aswell, but the best two are acrylic-abs in that order.. there are some really cool things you can do with acrylic..polish the edges with a map gas torch-tint-stain-paint etc etc.. did i say i love plastic..lol:D
 
#201 ·
Yeah i love the mek and acetone melt i use it for that purpose all the time
I work in a pad print shop so i am around the acetone and mek all the time we also do sonic welding so crafting of the base should be easy i was thinking of just using the heat bending table for the base 24" x 30"? to bend or maybe use square hollow pvc post like a gutter drain then melting them to a base i can run the wiring inside the hollow post. just need to figure how to manipulate the power supply but for now i am going to work on making the belt with my test material. i willl check back in later bye
 
#205 ·
Hey German
Thanks for the tip on the vinyl. i made a couple test belts yesterday i over heated them a bit when i went to melt them i was in a hurry and got distracted but i like the process i used my t shirt press set it to about 300 degree for 20 sec but the weld looks great just need to set it so i dont touch the rest of the material so i get a perfect seam. thanks again. I have to go to south carolina this week my nephew is graduating from army boot camp thursday and i am driving down there to see him so i wont get back to my r1800 build project this week
 
#207 · (Edited)
just wanted to update on the new printer...

Initial testing has been very successful, i have had to make a few changes etc to the platen base design to accomadate its new features.. it has been completly reworked as far as its operation... most of the time consuming elements consist of reworking the base platen dementions (a 1/4 change requires new base to be made) you can only plan so much on paper then the real world elements have to be dealt with regarding various methods of drives we have tested...

anyway one of the biggest upgrades is now the printer sets registration automatically!!! (heres a hint i no longer run in roll mode! its very very exciting to say the least... i owe a big thank you to ek rip for making alot of this possible.. they have accomodated every adjustment i needed (Chris your the man!) so alot of the design is done with mechanical upgrades and the other portion with advancements and adjustments made possible with the rip software..

I have been using templates etc for testing..I will begin Implementing the new componets into a permanate fixture now, i had a 3am morning the night before it doesnt far well with the day job leaving at 5:30am:) So im going to take a brief break and get back at it, its hard to disconnect from the project when its this close..cant wait till you guys see this... shes reincarnated with attitude..lol:)

to be continued...............................
 
#209 · (Edited)
its using the pw sensor in the bottom of the print head (photo sensor or reflective photo interupter).... it searches for the edge outside of roll mode (sheet mode) and its the front edge of the platen unlike in roll which first searches the side edge (to make sure an object is present and during printing so its the width in roll mode.. you can see this for yourself by watching the difference on print start between roll and sheet with the epson driver (it does not jockey the platen in roll or paper for that matter).. you can still run it in roll mode if you prefer so.. the other mode requires one additional modification...but we feel it is the best method as far as registration is concerned (being belt driven) as thats what we are leaning towards (explanation forthcoming)

if you will notice in most commercial printer video demos at start of print it moves the platen or jockeys the platen searching this edge...registration will be as good and accurate as the epson itself (this is great for doing dark);) and yes ek has a hand in the adjustments etc within the rip..cant go into the details on that end..as agreed with them and i could,nt really tell you how it works anyway... i dont have much knowledge of the drivers etc and how they work..and frankly i prefer to leave that end to the experts:p

by my experimentation and personal opinion i think most registration errors come in two forms..

1. being added firmware and the additionalphoto sensors they use to read platen position..

2. Backlash of the drive mechanism used... particulary belt drives due to stretching a bit over time with use.... and some screw drives which actually have a backlash adjustment nut..


we have tested three drives hardcore.. the rack and pinion,conveyor belt (large) and a belt drive..

there are pros and cons to all, i really dont like the whinning noise the rack and pinion makes..i believe this is due to the almost straight cut gears.. (sounds like a super charger..lol) no on a serious note it sounds similar to the screw drives..its very distinct.. im not quite sure i would like to hear this day in and out:rolleyes: while printing.. the belt is much quieter with both small or large apps.. but you get more back lash, and would have to tention it a few times a year i would guess..but your design options are much greater with a small belt drive (timing belt) in my opinion your limited using a large conveyor (cant place anything in its path) which limits design options... and with the new found registration we are leaning towards the timing belt.. (in my case simply because i dont enjoy this whinning noise of the rack and pinion.. we have a very very nice design using the timing belt (something never seen before on any dtg to my knowledge... but its yet to be deceided which one we will go with-we will flip a coin on it tommorro eve.

:D we would like things to be as perfect as perfect can be coupled with simple..lol im not easily satisfied until all options are explored and i beleive we have done so to the best of our knowledge mechanically on the drive mech.. and working to use all original equipment from the printer..

and yes it is still 100% epson (no additional firmware)
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top