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Challenge - chap 3D printer

tada9

Hi Ben,

I have a chalange for you.

Try to build the cheapest possible 3D printer by hand with no use of CNC or 3D printer.

It should be based on Raspberry PI(another chalange?) becouse it is cheaper than Arduino.

Parents

  • The electronics are (relatively) inexpensive. The bulk of the cost is in the mechanics. Google 'ballscrew' and check the prices. Note that you'll need three of them, plus motors. This cost is high (approaching $500 for something that may be a toy at best, unless you spend another $500 or so).

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  • The electronics are (relatively) inexpensive. The bulk of the cost is in the mechanics. Google 'ballscrew' and check the prices. Note that you'll need three of them, plus motors. This cost is high (approaching $500 for something that may be a toy at best, unless you spend another $500 or so).

Children
  • in reply to shabaz

    You do not have to use ballscrew when trying to do things cheap. And good source of stepmotors are old printers.

  • in reply to tada9

    There are hundreds of people building 3D printers everyday continuously looking for ways to build them cheaper, myself included.  I think that at this point in time if you want a usable printer, it's not going to be possible to do it for much under $400-$500, and even that is pushing it.

     

    As for the stepper motors from old printers, most of those stepper motors are strong enough to move in 3 dimensions.  As for the ballscrew, you need something to move the print head around - and using a ballscrew is fairly accurate.  You could use a trapezoidal screw, or belts but then you have other things you need to consider.

     

    That being said, I'd love to hear or see about cheaper alternatives, but I've been thru it so many times I can't imagine building an entire printer from scratch for any less.  Between the stepper motors, electronics, linear bearings, etc.

  • in reply to Former Member

    If ti would be easy, it won't be chalange.

  • in reply to shabaz

    Acme screws are much cheaper... about 50 bucks for a 6 foot length... cut that in half and you have enough for your vertical axis... the horizontal axis on the other hand can be belt driven like any other printer... although there are diffrent challenges depending on who you are and what you have acess to .. some people may have a hard time with the task of the mechanical portion... others will have issues with the electronics...

     

    im actually building a 3d printer out of 3 or 4 old Hp g85 office jetsBuilding a 3D printer out of Hp G85 Office jet printers

    if your interested in seeing my progress i will be posting it there

     

    Edit:

     

    most printers are belt driven so you can get  your belts from them and they also have the pullys that fit them...  you just need to make sure you have matching steppers for each drive!

  • in reply to shabaz

    Hi Shabaz,

     

    I have almost completed constructing the mechanical parts of 3 D printer. But I need a lot of guidance, maybe you or  somebody can spare some time to help me understand all the parts of 3 D printers.

     

    Is there a way I can upload the image so that the LEARNED professionals at Element14 can see the product and guide me to improve the product?