3D Printing Stack Exchange
3D Printing Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [printer-building]

Questions about building your own printer.

Questions about building your own printer, either from scratch, from a commercially available kit, or printer part modifications.

88 questions
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Printed part auto-eject (automatic part removal)

What are the methods to auto eject parts (into a collection area/box/basket) in order for the 3D printer to continue printing? For some reason this feature isn't common (yet?). Is there a hidden reason why? Will using the print head to ram the part…
allanlaal
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14
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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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10
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Is it necessary to have both hot ends on a dual extruder printer at the same height?

I'm thinking of another extruder on my printer, and I'm curious about this one.... Is it necessary to have both hot ends on same height? Why yes / why not? (if there is not)
Josip Ivic
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10
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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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10
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1 answer

Folgertech FT-5 : Does not seem to be reading G-Code correctly

I recently purchased an FT-5 from Folgertech and finished assembly about a week ago. I have yet to accomplish a successful print. It seems like either the file is not being sliced correctly, or that it is possibly reading the G-code incorrectly. It…
T_Robbins
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8
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4 answers

How to cut OpenBeam/MakerBeam?

I'm building a 3D printer and I've been looking around for materials suitable to make the frame. I have occasional access to a laser cutter which I could use to manufacture a ply box-type (UltiMaker) enclosure, but I like the ease of adjustment…
jamess
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8
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How do I wire the z-axis motors in parallel on the Prusa i3?

There is a little circuit board, or breadboard or something in the diagram of the wiring for the i3. And it's mentioned that the z-axis motors need to be wired in parallel but beyond that they don't give you much detail about parts or how the wires…
leeand00
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8
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When building a RAMPS 1.4 based printer, can I safely plugin just some of the components to test if they are working?

If I need to test out some of the components of a RAMPS 1.4 based 3D Printer, can I only plug some of them into the board (not all of them) and test them out? I'd like to test out the NEMA 17 motors without testing the heated bed or extruder. Is…
leeand00
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Auto Bed-Leveling with Inductive Proximity Sensors and Magnets

I recently decided to upgrade to auto bed-leveling using an inductive proximity sensor and an aluminum build plate on my Prusa i3. I also wanted to try to secure the build plate using neodymium magnets at 4 points, with the magnets being secured…
Alex Sky
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7
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What are the advantages/disadvantages of using synchromesh cables instead of belts?

Some 3d printers use synchromesh cables instead of belts. For example, the Deezmaker Bukito (http://bukito3d.com/) and a number of RepRap conversions. Photo from http://christophergranz.com/?p=449 Are they significantly better than GT2 belts? What…
Ryan Carlyle
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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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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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Carbon fiber instead of smooth steel rods?

I have a long 8 mm smooth steel rod of about 55 cm long. This rods bend easily due to the length. If I replace them with 8mm solid carbon fiber rods, will the bending reduce? Will the bearings wear off the carbon fiber rod? I couldn't find too much…
Andres
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What are the appropriate ranges of gear ratios for 1.75 mm and 3 mm filament extruders?

Most 3 mm (mostly are actually 2.85 mm) filament extruders have some kind of gear reduction. Many 1.75 mm extruders are direct-drive / ungeared but some do use gears. What kind of reduction ratios are suitable or optimal?
Ryan Carlyle
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Lead screws - M8 instead of M5?

I am building a Prusa i3 MK2S (Dolly). I find it very difficult to find M5 rods for the Z axis, I have an M8 lead screw with 8 mm lead, So I thought since M8 is widely available online I could just use them instead of M5. What do you think about it?…
Jose Ben
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