Starting to look into building a 3d printer from a kit.

3D Printing
, , ,
1

Starting to look into building a 3d printer from a kit. Any thoughts about the Prusa i3 as a starting point?
Also, this site seemed like a good index of kits. Any additional resources I should look at?
Thanks!
http://www.3ders.org/pricecompare/3dprinters/?a=DIY+kit

2

I started with a prusa I3 and i love it. The kit i bought was the folger kit. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Folger-Tech-RepRap-Prusa-i3-Clear-Frame-Full-3D-Printer-Kit-RAMPS-GT2-/231301357105?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item35daa29e31
It went together really well

3

That’s great to hear. That kit is also much cheaper than some I was seeing in my link above (which would be welcome!). I assume the difference is acrylic vs aluminum frame? Any issues with the acrylic, or does it work well? it actually looks pretty sharp!

4

Acrylic should be fine as long as it is thick enough. Generally speaking, Folger seems to sell decent stuff. I bought some parts from them and am happy with my purchases.

There are lots of happy Prusa owners out there. Take your time to build your machine well and calibrate/tune it well.

Use good filament like ours (http://toybuilderlabs.com)! :slight_smile:

5

my printers acrylic pieces are 5.45mm thick

6

We just launched a i3 kit, it is a little more than some on your list… and a little less. :/). I believe the i3 is a great place to start, and well, finish. Good choice!

Which ever you choose hit me up if you need any help, have four i3 iterations laying on my desk from a 12x16 bed to a an 8x8 and rarely have an issue I haven’t seen before.

7

Thanks All, and Nick, I may take you up on that!

8

Honestly, don’t go with the single-plate i3. It has NOWHERE to put anything. No way to tie up wires and make everything routed pretty. If you’re going to get an i3, get one of the laser cut/graber versions.

9

The acrylic frame is cracked very quick. You better go for a wooden one.

10

Thanks, and I meant to say, Brandon, I may take you up on that.

11

No problem sir, there are a tremendous amount of super great people with tons of experience on here, you are in the right spot.
Agreed with Thinktik’s comment, one hindering aspect of the i3 is space to mount the PSU and electronics. I will typically use M3 plastic stand-offs and drill and tap the frame for the controller but the power supply, I normally have to leave sitting to the side as I have found mounting it on one of the Z risers creates an undesired moment arm on one side of the frame. Leaving it on the table has never really bugged me, but some people really like a modular design. Suppose it is personal preference.

Keep us updated on your build, always love to hear people’s build experiences and your knowledge will help others who build after you. Opensource!