On this page I have collected what I am doing to build my own printer (up to November 2023).
After studying a lot of designes I started to buy parts.
Currently parts are arriving from China, Germany, HongKong and Netherland.
As the summer approaches this project may be halted until after the summer.
Don't copy me because 'all is under construction' and nothing is final.
YOU WILL NEED a 3d-printer to make some parts.
Note to the parts: I did not go for the 'minimum' amount, the amount is between (n), just safely more then enough.
✓ means part arrived.
Note: Before buying from China/HongKong studie the photos of the items thoroughly. Some parts are to thin/weak. Some parts arrive within a week other parts take up to 6 weeks.
Parts
✓ DOLD: 12 mm rods for Y and Z axis, 450mm (2), 550 (4 but 2 is enough)
✓ DOLD: 8 mm rods X-axis, 450mm (2) [ ==> 400mm is sufficient ]
✓ DOLD: Precision acme screw RPTS TR 8x1.5mm, 450mm (2) ==> 30-50 mm to short to reach 40 cm height.
✓ DOLD: Trapezoidal thread nut ELRM 8x1.5mm right gunmetal D20L16 (2 but 1 is enough)
✓ EBAY: MK3 3D Printer Heated Bed - 3mm Aluminium PCB Heatbed - 12/24v Heat bed Alu M0BG (1)
✓ EBAY: 24 Volts power supply (1)
✓ EBAY: 2 x Oil Impregnated Sintered Bronze Bushing 8mm Bore x 12mm OD x 10mm Long (4)
✓ EBAY: 3D Printer All Metal J-head Hotend Extruder Nozzle-0.4mm filament-1.75mm RepRap (1)
✓ REPR: Miniature microswitch as stopper (6)
✓ REPR: Thermistor 100K pre-crimped wire (1m) (2)
✓ REPR: Compression spring - 20MM - OD 5MM (3)
✓ Heatshrink Black 20cm, 1.6mm bore, 0.8mm shrunken (60 cm)
✓ 3-wire cable, Red Black Yellow (1m 6)
✓ 4-wire cable, Red Blue Green Black (1m 5)
✓ MROS: Bronze bushings 12x18x20mm+24x3mm BRK-012018020 (8) (LM12UU and LMK12UU from EBAY)
✓ RVSP: bolts Inox M5 M6 x 12mm (100), cheaper by the 100
The cheap chinese bearings are not quality bearings (LM8LUU or LM12UU or LMK12UU). Consider buying SKF or others.
Bushings for the horizontal lift of the heated bed is a bad idea. Bushings get (b)locked easy. I changed to ball linear bearings LM8LUU.
Bushings for the vertical movement can be a problem also.
MakerBase SBase board is up and running with the TFT32 touchscreen and an additional bought board .
The SBase board needs an micro SDcard with its config.txt (configuration) on it.
The TFT32 touchscreen has also a slot for an SD card, from which you can print stand alone.
I would not use 12 mm axis (Y) and 8 mm axis (X) again but instead use lineaire sliders
Ad by Google.
Change from a flat X-carriage to a standing X-carriage (easier access to extruder nozzle) and IGUS drylin lineair bearings (currently cheap chinees ones)
and hollow aluminim pipe (10mm) from the construction market.
2023 Main changes:
- white belt reinforced with steel threads,
- only RepRap full graphic smart controller (display)
- board BTT SKR 3 EZ (550Mhz) with EZ2209 drivers,
- Marlin 2.1.2.1
- BTT PI V1.2 (runs at 24Volt only) with OctoPrint,
- TriangleLab ceramic heating core (24V) Hemera Hotend (extremely fast heating but at 200 Degrees Celsius I see fluctuations of ~4 degrees... ),
- CHT 0.8 Nozzle (requires a lot of tuning of temp/heigth/width before it prints nice)
End 2023 Main changes:
- Switched to lineair rails with sliders MGN 12H, parts created with OpenScad.
The construction is stronger: before the hot end carriage tilted when the hot end touched the bed, with lineair rails the bed tilts.
