3D Printer - First Tests and Prints

or YouTube link

3D Printer Build History

I have not been doing a good job at keeping up with posting about the 3D Printer.  I have managed to take a number of pictures which show the progress over the last few months.

Rough hot end holder

Y-slides and precision rods

Y-slide

Belt idlers 

Early Assembly

XY Stage (Holds hot end)

Filament Extruder (Knurled wheel and idler bearing)

Filament Extruder Gears

Filament Extruder

Hot End

Hot End

Hot End

LCD Holder

LCD Working!

3D Printer

Partnering with my dad, we have designed and built our very own custom 3D printer. He has done the bulk of the mechanical design and fabrication whereas I have done the bulk of the electrical work (the easy part). Now we have something to show. 

Working 3D Printer

You will be seeing a lot more posts about this and hopefully robotic projects utilizing the 3D printer. 

The frame is made from extruded aluminum, mostly from a company called 80/20 "The Industrial Erector Set" (but bought from amazon).

The 8mm hardened rails have cheap linear ball bearing slides. 

We decided to go with the "h-belt" drive which was made popular by CoreXY. The RepRap Marlin firmware (link here) has an option to control such a drive system. It utilizes both motors in order to drive in a single direction. Typical x-y stages have a single motor for a single axis.  The CoreXY site goes into the advantages, but we liked it due to the ability to drive the stage, which holds the hot end, in x and y rather than driving the in a single direction and moving the platform, where you print.  

H-Belt Drive System

We also decided to use the RAMPS 1.4 board which utilizes a Arduino Mega. So far I have been impressed with how simple the electrical and firmware setup has been.  We purchased this kit from Sainsmart (SKU:20-013-213).  

Sainsmart Kit (SKU:20-013-213)

RAMPS 1.4 and LCD Display

Together we have spent approximately $1,200, however, for that cost we have bought enough components for two printers!  (although only have one built as of this post

First X-Y Test

MORE TO COME!