Questions related to 3D-printers, that are either not manufactured on a commercial scale and assembled by the end user, or are designed and built by a non-commercial entity.
Questions tagged [diy-3d-printer]
210 questions
14
votes
4 answers
What are the pros and cons of collecting parts yourself, versus getting a DIY kit and then modifying it?
I'm thinking about buliding my own 3D printer from scratch.
Is it better to buy a starter DIY kit and try to build your printer around it, or to order separate parts for printer, and then to combine a printer?

Josip Ivic
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14
votes
7 answers
Would 3D printing multiple copies at once saves time?
I am wondering - of course if the 3D printer's bed big enough - printing multiple copies of the same print could save me significant amount of time in a small production line, excluding minor wastage such as setup time, post-processing time,…

Mehrad
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11
votes
4 answers
Are there practical reasons to NOT use a stepper motor with lead screw for the X and or Y axes?
After a few months of printing with my Prusa Mk3 (with plans to get a second one soon), I have been wondering about making my third printer a home-built one was a larger print bed than the Mk3. One thing I wondered about is perfectly expressed in…

Mikel F
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10
votes
3 answers
Printing with colorfabb XT fails after several successful layers
I'm printing parts for a HEVO (HyperCube Evolution CoreXY), using Colorfabb XT filament. After several successful prints. I'm having a lot of failed prints. They start off pretty well but after ~15 layers the filament starts to string and blob.…

Toon
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10
votes
3 answers
3D printer stepper motors only going one direction and skipping in the other
I have built a couple of 3d printers now and I'm having a little trouble with one I'm currently on. I frankensteined this one with two of my other printers that I had built. I took the Arduino mega and ramps 1.4 out of the older one and wired it up…

Dakota Miller
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10
votes
4 answers
ABS or PLA for structural printed parts?
TL;DR
Is ABS a better material to use for structural parts of a 3D printer, as opposed to PLA?
I have been looking at various suppliers of printed parts for a Wilson II, on eBay.
One supplier supplies all of the parts printed in ABS, whereas…

Greenonline
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9
votes
1 answer
Heat bed troubles
I am currently building my own 3D printer, it is all set and ready to go but I seem to be having issues with the silicone heat bed I purchased. The motherboard I use is from the Flashforge Creator Pro for it allows me to use dual print heads.
The…

LDF
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9
votes
1 answer
How can I prevent my nozzle catching on my print?
I have created a budget 3d printer using parts of old computers, specifically I used the CD drive mechanisms for the x,y and z axis. This printer is similar to the curiosity E-Waste printer, as seen here: Link
After quite a bit of time working on it…

Joe Clinton
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9
votes
7 answers
Nozzle rubs on previous layers
I'm having a frustrating problem with my recent built custom 3D printer
so every single print I made, from the third layer, the nozzle is "rubbing" on the already placed filament. This results in a complete mess, melting the previous layers with…

eduardogarcia234
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7
votes
1 answer
Issues with Auto Bed Leveling
I have enabled auto bed leveling on my 3D printer. I have used a 6-36 V inductive sensor with a 7805 voltage regulator running the sensor at 10.78 V.
I am using Marlin 1.1.9. This is my configuration file for Marlin firmware. I used this video for…

Baalaji V
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7
votes
2 answers
RAMPS 1.4, 1.5 or 1.6?
I'm about to build a Prusa i3 dolly. I am confused whether to use RAMPS 1.4 or 1.5 or 1.6.
What is the big difference? Is it only the MOSFETs and the poly-fuses? If that is the case, would it be advisable to upgrade a RAMPS 1.4 board (replacing the…

Jose Ben
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7
votes
2 answers
Hot end jamming very quickly
I have built a 3D printer out of parts from my tip, a ramps board, arduino mega, and a hot end. However, after doing a test extrusion some plastic was spewed out and then the print jammed un-expectantly and my homemade extruder no longer had the…

Joe Clinton
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7
votes
3 answers
Managing LEDs with NanoDLP
I'm building my own DLP printer with UV LEDs. I use a 20A relay to power them on, since they require high power and can't be directly driven by arduino or Raspberry.
I'm planning to use them with NanoDLP on Raspberry + GRBL on Arduino.
Is it…

BackSlash
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7
votes
2 answers
Can cheap hotend parts sourced from China actually produce good prints?
TL;DR
Is it possible to build a hotend, using separate parts, sourced on eBay, from China, and still achieve a high quality print?
In my opinion, the E3D V6 hotend is rather expensive, at $/£70, especially to those building to a tight budget. Now,…

Greenonline
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7
votes
3 answers
Would using a leadscrew with 1 or 2 mm lead, en lieu of 8 mm, result in a better printer?
By "better" I mean "more precise"...
With respect to a RepRap P3Steel or Wilson II, I am getting some 330 mm T8 leadscrews for the Z-axis movement.
There seems to be a choice between a lead of 1, 2 or 8 mm - the pitch is 1 mm in the first case and…

Greenonline
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