Credit Photo

Tomcee

credit Lulzbot/Alphobjects

Credit Nick Wilson

Slic3r

MendelMax is a new Open Source RepRap 3d printer designed by Maxbots and based on the Prusa Mendel. It is a true reprap, using printed brackets, but instead of using threaded rod for the structural elements it uses inexpensive aluminum extrusions. This gives a huge increase in rigidity for a minimal extra cost (Self sourcing will cost about $80 more than a standard Prusa when purchased from the recommended suppliers). The required extrusions are available world wide from a variety of suppliers.MendelMax costs a bit more, weighs a good bit more, but the frame is much physically tougher, and looks 500 times sexier. I have yet to see any parts for MendelMax go on Ebay/Emakershop, but Lulzbot is selling the parts . They also took a pretty cool pic showing how strong the frame is.One other must share image, what happens when you mix Makerslide, & MendelMaxWINNING!Printrbot is a a smaller scale Reprap design, very similar in size to the Emaker Huxley, but the standard "Mendel" design has been dropped in favor of a very simplified base frame and a floating y stage (The Y axis is supported only in the middle). The core team of Printrbot where nice enough to let me have the files pre-release (I think release will be in late December) to help out in the Openscad conversion.As you can see, I did not get the chance to finish the bot over the weekend, so I hate to review it. Plan is to have review of the bot after I get a 1st print (should be later this week (I hope)). But I can tell you they are for real, and the parts will go together into a functional machine. How well it prints in the real world, and whether the Axis's are as robust as Prusa, I will fill you in on that later.For the last 3 weeks now my go to Gcode generation program has been Slic3r (Found very few things it does not slice, but if it does not I just use Sfact). This slicing engine is a complete ground up rethink of Gcode generation, and honestly I have never had anything that is this easy to set up. Only things you need to give it are nozzle & filament diameter, packing density (if your E step/mm is dead on this should be 1), your requested extrusion width/height, and your set up. Generating Gcode is about 10 times faster on big things and 2-3 times faster on small things. It's definitely worth checking out.