3D printers, anybody ever build one?

Tin

Tin

Club Member
I've been toying with the idea of a 3D printer lately, but would rather build my own instead of buying premade due to cost and proprietary software :thumbdn: involved. From my research, I can use a Reprap Prusa i3 as a base and build it exactly as I want it at a cost between $250 and $500 depending on stepper motors and extruder. My plan is to control it with a Raspberry Pi + camera module loaded up with OctoPrint so I can run it over the network and remotely start/stop/monitor print jobs. Has anybody else here built one? If so, which design did you go with? What are you using to control it? Any pointers you could give me?
 
build a plasma table...cnc table...3d printing plastic can get boring.

My first makerbot was one of the early ones where the software was all opensource, once you can slice and send to your machine you will be golden to have whatever configuration you want.

I see alot of printers that are using fixed Z plane and the extruder move all directions, the older school was XY on the extruder and Z with the build plate...heated build plate for certain filaments, enclosure to keep print temps up, how big of a piece do you really want to print??

I am at my wits end with these makerbots I am currently using...the extruder is nice design, but not reliable...and it get frustrating taking apart an extruder so you can keep printing even thought they want to service them at makerbot for a fee

sorry for the rant...did not really give much good advise.


I just saw an arduino powered OBDII reader/display that looked like a cool project
 
I'm not looking for a huge print bed, probably 8" to 10" at the most. I figure that should suffice for most projects. FWIW, I looked at some DIY CNC builds, and those looked interesting as well. Some of them use standard wood routers with whichever bits are suitable to cut the desired material. A friend of mine build his own CNC for ~$1000 and he does everything from wood and plastic to aluminum.
 
http://makezine.com/projects/eventorbot-open-source-diy-3d-printer/

http://makezine.com/comparison/3dprinters/

https://www.google.com/webhp?source...spv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=heated+build+plates&tbm=shop

maybe pick the build plate first, pretty sure you need it for printing ABS...which is better than the PLA.

I have a plasma cutter, and I read if you try to do both router and cutter, you do neither great.
I have also been looking at the mini-lazer engravers they are making open source from old CDRW drives.

Sounds like a fun project
 
monoprice sells a few that looked open source. I looked for a second and got interested in something else.
 
Just built one of these a couple months ago. Works good. I will tell you it is probably not very practical to try and start print jobs remotely. It's possible if the bed isn't level the first layer or 2 will need to be picked off quickly when the print starts so it doesn't get tangled in the extruder and ruin the whole print. Let me know if you have any other questions. Kit took about 4 or 5 hours to put together. Was up and printing right away. Here's my second print.

printingStorm.jpg


http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Black-Factory-High-Quality-Precision-Reprap-Prusa-i3-DIY-3d-Printer-kit-with-2-Rolls-Filament/32357171936.html?spm=2114.01010208.3.20.UGs3lp&ws_ab_test=searchweb201556_2,searchweb201644_4_505_506_503_504_502_10014_10001_10002_10016_10017_10010_10005_10011_10006_10003_10004_10009_10008,searchweb201560_5,searchweb1451318400_-1,searchweb1451318411_6448&btsid=b2158b97-a5c4-4f6e-aef2-8a92469cc07c
 
It was pretty easy to calibrate. Run the extruder to each corner and adjust nut that levels bed. Run it through that sequence a couple times until you don't have to adjust anymore. I printed that right off the screen without hooking computer up to it. Once you use the slicing software like CURA or whatever, you can adjust all kinds of shit. Print speed, infill amount, wall thickness. I starting drawing things in Google sketchup and exporting them as STL files and printing them. Works good.
 
That was printed with 1.75 PLA and a .4mm nozzle at 60mm/s I think. I've gone up to around 100 or so. The better printers will print faster. For 200 bucks this one is pretty hard to beat. If i were to do it again I'd probably start with something like this.
http://folgertech.com/products/folger-tech-reprap-2020-prusa-i3-full-aluminum-3d-printer-kit

It has a more rigid frame and is probably easier to put together. A lot of guys are using the delta printers now also.
 
The mendelmax because it was very rigid. If you want high quality prints then you either need to make everything really light or make sure it's rigid.

I thought that I would have more uses for a 3D printer, but in the end I just printed tons of useless knick knacks.

Tin said:
Which do you like better?
Click to expand...
 
LT1Pat said:
The mendelmax because it was very rigid. If you want high quality prints then you either need to make everything really light or make sure it's rigid.

I thought that I would have more uses for a 3D printer, but in the end I just printed tons of useless knick knacks.
Click to expand...

Hmmmm, maybe I'd be better off building a CNC such as a Shapeoko http://carbide3d.com/shapeoko/
 
Anyone of you guys have any experience with a small waterjet type table? I have been playing around with the idea for about 2 years now. But, I can't seem to locate anything that would be functional or cheap. Table size I am looking for is about 48x48. But I am using different materials. Currently I am using an XN44 from Esko. But even though I have all the extras, it still has issues with thick materials.
 
So yah thanks Zarken. Looked at youtube for homemade waterjets. Found laminar flow fountain sat for 45 min watching that thinking water a neat fountain for the pool. So much work to do. Dammit!!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top