1 Topic by BlaiddDrwg

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Topic: Building a 3D Printer

Hi! I'm working on a project for my Educational Technology class and I wanted to have my kids research and potentially build a 3D Printer. Any suggestions on where to start? I don't want to buy a kit. To me, buying a kit and putting it together it isn't the same as having my students research all the ins and outs of 3D Printers, making design decisions, identifying and analyzing pieces needed etc and collaborating to get the machine built. This is probably a monumental task, but I think we can do it :-D

Thanks!

2 Reply by ronsii (edited by ronsii 2013-12-09 00:32:34)

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Re: Building a 3D Printer

Look through the hacks and mods section here as well as the maintenance one as there are plenty of DIY builds to parts of the printer, there are also a few threads here somewhere on people building their own printer... it's not a super complicated task if you can handle basic electrical/electronics and simple mechanical stuff smile

Also another good source of info is youtube just do a search for DIY 3d printer and you should find hours of enlightment smile

3 Reply by BlaiddDrwg

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Re: Building a 3D Printer

Awesome, thanks!!!

4 Reply by 2n2r5

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Re: Building a 3D Printer

If you don't want a kit then at least examining the parts and instructions for the kit should be best way to research. Spending 30 minutes looking the help/repair/maintenance section as Ronsii pointed out is another good way. I just finished putting together a Prusa Mendel I2. I think that is a good example of how sometimes, simplistic is harder. Going out of your way to make printable parts is over board when you can get everything you need from your local hardware store.

SD3 w/ mods:
Glass bed with QU-BD heat pad upgrade, threadless ballscrew w/ 8mm smooth rod, spectra line belt replacement, lawsy MK5 extruder, Lawsy replacement carriage, E3D hotend, Ramps 1.4 w/ reprap discount controller, DRV8825 drivers, 12v 30A PS, Acrylic case, Overkill Y-idlers, Filament alarm, Extruder fan + more.

2n2r5's Website

5 Reply by muddtt

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Re: Building a 3D Printer

If the students are starting from 0 knowledge of 3d printing it might be a little overwhelming. I found that owning a 3d printer and tinkering with it has taught me a lot. A kit isn't a terrible idea. The way 3d printer kits are you can always print replacement parts, improve parts of the printer, and significantly modify them for performance. Trying different modifications will offer plenty of opportunity to tear down and rebuild the printer.

6 Reply by elmoret

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Re: Building a 3D Printer

muddtt wrote:

If the students are starting from 0 knowledge of 3d printing it might be a little overwhelming. I found that owning a 3d printer and tinkering with it has taught me a lot. A kit isn't a terrible idea. The way 3d printer kits are you can always print replacement parts, improve parts of the printer, and significantly modify them for performance. Trying different modifications will offer plenty of opportunity to tear down and rebuild the printer.

Bingo - especially if these are high school students. Give them a kit so they can get it up and running, then let them tweak it.

Filastruder - the robust, inexpensive filament extruder
E3Dv6 All Metal Hotend - the premier 3D printing hotend

7 Reply by Serin

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Re: Building a 3D Printer

Man... I wish my design-tech teacher back in highschool was as forward thinking...
Awesome!
Good luck, BlaiddDrwg!

This is a crowd funding thing that I'm running: http://www.gofundme.com/bvi140 It's for pretty selfish reasons tongue

8 Reply by Claghorn

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Re: Building a 3D Printer

For real fun they could build a delta printer :-).

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9 Reply by BlaiddDrwg

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Re: Building a 3D Printer

Thank you everyone for the input! I think I'll definitely take a look at kits and see whats what.

Is there a particular kit that most recommend?

Thanks!


@Serin, thanks!!! I definitely try smile

10 Reply by elmoret

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Re: Building a 3D Printer

Cheapest would probably be printrbot simple. "Best" would probably be Mendel90.

Filastruder - the robust, inexpensive filament extruder
E3Dv6 All Metal Hotend - the premier 3D printing hotend

11 Reply by 2n2r5

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Re: Building a 3D Printer

elmoret wrote:

Cheapest would probably be printrbot simple. "Best" would probably be Mendel90.


It would also be worth while to pick up a filastruder kit from elmoret ^. http://filastruder.com

To see something go from imagination to design to printer is cool. It's even better when you make your own extrusion media out of pellets.

SD3 w/ mods:
Glass bed with QU-BD heat pad upgrade, threadless ballscrew w/ 8mm smooth rod, spectra line belt replacement, lawsy MK5 extruder, Lawsy replacement carriage, E3D hotend, Ramps 1.4 w/ reprap discount controller, DRV8825 drivers, 12v 30A PS, Acrylic case, Overkill Y-idlers, Filament alarm, Extruder fan + more.

2n2r5's Website

12 Reply by ronsii

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Re: Building a 3D Printer

Here is a link to a list of printers and kits ---> http://www.3ders.org/pricecompare/3dprinters/?o=Price this is by no means a list of every available kit out there but it should give you an idea of what's out there. smile