I know that it's debut was met with some skepticism,

3D Printing
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I know that it’s debut was met with some skepticism, but I feel compelled to give it a try - has anyone had any experience with the MapleMaker Mini V 2? I really like the idea of being able to print almost all frame components, but can see some potential issues with structural integrity of the frame. Any thoughts or experience with this project?
https://www.youmagine.com/designs/maplemaker-mini-v2-3d-printer

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Potential issues would be the the structural integrity of printed parts to maintain rigidity while moving motors and belts cause vibrations on the frame, against threaded rods and screws, it seems like they would strip the plastic parts in a short time. For weight and strength a high infill would be required but still wouldn’t add much time to the lifespan of the frame, and at the end of the day it would be a waste of materials and a long run for a short slide. Maybe a bowden extruder would help alleviate vibrations on the X axis?

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That’s a lot of plastic. I wonder how many days of printing that represents.

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I’m the original creator of the V2 (and V1, and upcoming V3…whenever I get that done). Thank you for your interest in the printer, hopefully I can alleviate some of your concerns. Overall, the frame rigidity and strength is quite high. When fully assembled, there isn’t much lateral movement in the frame. Of course you can twist the frame if you try too, but it’s no worse than some acrylic framed printers. The parts were all printed in PLA with 20-35% infill. Total print time for all of the components typically takes around 35-50 hours, depending on your printing speed/layer height/etc. Far less than the V1 :slight_smile: Typically, with the V2, I print around 55-60mm/sec with 0.2 and 0.3 layer heights. There’s a few examples of quick prints on my blog here: http://maplemakermedia.com/?p=143

Hope this helps!

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Crap…I should also add that you can view/download any of my development files for the V2, and all my other designs here: http://maplemakermedia.com/dev/

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@Ryan_Adams This is great information, thanks so much for the clarification! I searched for more information through your blog and on your maplemakermedia website, and could only find about 90% of supporting documentation. I think that for the project alone, it’s worth building, especially for smaller scale parts that need more time and detail, plus having a second printer on hand doesn’t hurt either. I’d like to hear what you are working on for your V3!

I had just taken to CAD to begin working on my own project to see if I could do something similar, when I found a post about this project. I was looking to source a heavy square wooden box to mash up what turned out to be your project with the CaseRap V2. - I wanted an almost entirely 3D printed printer that could fold up and be easily transported to locations where I help others learn about what 3D printers are, and give them a chance to try it themselves.

Can’t thank you enough for all of your work and congratulations for being able to make it happen - I know there are a lot of “career naysayers” when it comes to this subject, and I’m happy to see I’m not the only one who is willing to give something different a try.

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Thanks @Michael_Anton1 Did you have a look through the build guide? It’s not perfect, but it helps illustrate the build a bit better. It’s cool to see people still printing and building the V2, and heck, I’d love to see what derivatives people come up with too. I’ve been working on a larger OpenBuilds coreXY printer, but still like the printed printer concept. The V3, when I finally finish it should be a lot smaller and simpler to print/build than the V2! @Mark_Ellison You should be able to resize or drill out the bearing mounts to fit an 8mm lead screw. I might be able to change the design and revise it when I have a bit of time. Should also get around to finishing up the dual extruders too…