Hey all. I'm working on a Build-A-Printer workshop geared towards teen+parent teams.

3D Printing
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1

Hey all.
I’m working on a Build-A-Printer workshop geared towards teen+parent teams. I’m looking for an I3 design that is easy to build and easy to source, the plan is to buy parts for 10 printers. I don’t want a kit because I want good quality parts and hotends, and it seems the cheap kits are mostly junk.

So, which printer design would you recommend?
Any tips for running such a workshop?
How many hours do you think is needed?
I’m currently aiming for 3 sessions of 2-3 hours each.

2

FolgerTech also has kits that are inexpensive too…

3

I’ve seen people talking about the Folgertech 2020 extruder motor being under-spec and needs replacing with a higher torque version. Also the hotend quality is spotty. I would love if they sold a mechanic-only kit, but they wont (I asked them).

4

@Shachar_Weis Probably because the margins are really small. Still, $270 for a 3d printer is pretty awesome.

5

Oh I agree, I don’t think I can self-source the BOM for that much.

6

What kind of budget are you looking for? Have you considered buying from Joseph Prusa’s shop? 600 each for the DIY kit. http://www.prusa3d.com. He is the original designer of the Prusa i3 and recently opened his own shop. He might even work with you on a bulk buy.

7

I’m releasing a starter kit for just such a situation this week. Loosely named Frankenbot, it uses overstocked parts I have and can include at very low cost. The kit is $199 and intended to be laser cut for the initial build, but I am hoping kids will design their own and learn some design to improve rigidity and grow the build platform. As I exhaust certain parts, I will morph the design to keep selling overstocked parts. Just a bit of fun for those with lower budgets.

These kits will include :
Printrboard rev4
Refurbished Ubis ceramic hotends
Z sensor
2 endstops
Wires
6x6 heated beds
metal printbeds
12mm rods & bearings
1/4" acme rods & nuts
MicroSD card
Belts and pulleys

You will need a micro usb cable and atx psu
The laser cut design is open source and a little like an old printrbot plus/lc

Just throwing my hat in the ring. Good luck with the class
Brook