#Wanting to learn how to build a 3d printer from scraps

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queen ravine
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I've always envied people who can really get into their printers and hack it to extreme degrees. As a learning project, I'd really want to build a 3d printer. Not assembling a kit, but scavenging for parts, even if it comes out more janky/expensive than a kit. I'm a SW engineer and tinker with electronics in my free time so I'm hopefully not starting from absolute 0. Please bear with me, I'm trying to lay out the knowledge/steps I've gathered to verify if it's indeed the way to go or if I have fatal holes in my knowledge, and I also have some questions.

So what I've gathered is that you basically (concentrating on the CNC itself for now, not the hotend or heat bed)...

  1. Build the frame, which needs to be sturdy (right-angled, solid, precise, usually ppl use something like 3030 aluminum profiles for this)
  2. Build the movement system, here I'd decide what coordinate/movement system I'd want to implement (bedslinger with separate axis, H-bot, delta, corexy, ...)
  3. Add electronics. Essentially I'd need some board that can control the axial motors, the extruder and read sensors like the temp sensor. And I need something that can interpret gcode and give instructions to this board. To my understanding a RAMP board on an Arduino is fine for direct control of the motors and reading the sensors (with Klipper flashed on it). Any computer should be able to do this through a serial interface, but I suppose a common pick would be a Raspberry PI having Klippy to control Klipper.
  4. Calibration. I think custom movement systems with their own transmissions/gear ratios will never just work out of the box, you'd need to test, measure and configure Klippy accordingly until the movement is right and accurate.

Is there any very significant hole or wrong information in this? Assuming I want to do a coreXY movement system, do I need to pay attention to what head I'm buying, or is it just a matter of fastening any head on the belts properly? Any pitfalls I should look out for?

As an addition, I'm scavenging stepper motors from old printers, is there anything to specifically look out for? AFAIK the ideal would be bipolar steppers, but I'm not aware of a recommended power, I suppose that depends on the size of the thing I want to build?

pallid juniperBOT
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AI Help

Your overall plan and understanding of the key components involved in building a 3D printer are quite solid! Here are a few points to consider:

  1. Building the Frame: Using 3030 aluminum profiles is a common and reliable choice for building a sturdy frame. Ensuring the frame is well-aligned and stable is crucial for achieving accurate prints.

  2. Movement System: Each type of movement system (bedslinger, H-bot, delta, corexy) has its own advantages and challenges. CoreXY systems are known for their speed and precision, but do require precise calibration to function optimally.

  3. Electronics: Using a RAMP board on an Arduino with Klipper firmware is a popular choice for controlling 3D printers. Adding a Raspberry Pi with Klippy for easier control and monitoring can be beneficial.

  4. Calibration: Custom movement systems may indeed require more calibration and tweaking compared to off-the-shelf printers. This process can involve adjusting steps per millimeter, belt tension, and othe...

WARNING: This response is AI generated and may contain errors.
scenic pelican
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Toolhead: bowden is easier to implement than direct drive. Are you scavenging everything from old printers? Also keep your voltages consistent. 12V heaters on 24V systems and such.

queen ravine
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I haven't really thought of the extruder itself yet to be honest. If there are some relatively cheap ones that I could just plug into the system, I might go that route.
I'm scavenging everything that I can, which is not a lot to be honest, it's mainly the motors and parts for the power supply. The frame and even rods will probably have to be bought from some metal store.

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I've heard of RepRap, I'll have to give some of these printers another read (heck, that's where I heard about calling these breakout boards RAMPs). I'll create a project once I start on anything substantial, it might be fun and educational to doc my journey (or total failure lol)

scenic pelican
pallid juniperBOT
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queen ravine
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?solved