Oh no, Openbuilds® goes out of business 😓
The CEO Mark Carew invented the V-Slot® open source aluminum extrusion in 2013. The ingenious idea was to be able to convert it into a linear motion axis by adding V-Wheels. It’s cheap, quiet and the 45° angle of the wheels provides a high contact surface with self-centering.
Openbuilds V-Wheel on V-Slot (image by Openbuilds)
We use V-Slot on the Bear because the V-shape offers an easy alignment during the assembly and more flexibility for the printed parts (no support needed).
Everything must go: openbuilds.com
Their T-Nuts are one of the few quality V-slot compatible ones still on the market. They will be missed. We made custom high quality open source T-Nuts for the Bear but unfortunately none of our resellers still sell them.
Openbuilds T-Nuts. (image by Openbuilds)
Furthermore, Openbuilds isn’t just a part store but also a friendly community full of creativity. A lot of projects have started there, including the Bear Upgrade frame! You can find CNC, 3D printers, lasers, artbot, vacuum forming machines and many more gems.
The open source nature of the V-Slot means we already have manufacturers producing them in EU and China. #vslotnotdead !
Thank you Openbuilds for what you have done for the open source community 🙏