The Idea

So I wanted a 3d printer but did not like the ones I could find for cheap seriously what can you print worth printing in a 4" x 4" x 4" print area, the printers I did like are $2000 so I decided the best bet was to build my own.

To cover the costs I bought some parts here and some parts there.

My idea was given to me by drooling over the Ultimaker, I am using a clone of the Ultimaker Original board, it seems so much better than the reprap board that came with the electronics kit I got from hobbyking, I would have LOVED to have gotten my hands on the Ultimaker 2 board, that printer gives me a nerdgassim every time I look at it.

My printers config will eventually be an 11" x 11" x 20" build platform however I ran out of money and am so close to having it built I threw in and bought some cheaper bars and print bed so it will start out at a 8" x 8" x 12" build area which is still respectable in my book I have made the frame to accommodate the larger build platform, the frame once built ended up pretty big, it is a total of 18" x 18" x 36" so it is big but it is going to be so nice to make larger items in the end, I am sure I will have to make my own heated bed to get the 11" x 11" size.

I am starting raw and plan on improving something every other payday until I have my dream printer, Some of the mods I want to make is a quad extruder head, light strip (easy), get the precision shafts for the 20" height, the 11" x 11" heated bed, covering all the sides and adding a door to help regulate the heat etc.

It is going to be a bowden fed (a tube between the extruder and the filament feeding unit, it lets the filament pass through the tube which is firmly attached at both ends), I am going to use the CoreXY setup for my X and Y axis, it looks so stable and simple that I think I am really going to enjoy it.

The coolest thing about this project is that it will first be made of bailing wire and bubblegum (I learned those skills from my dad.) and once I have it printing it till print parts for itself to upgrade itself into a rock stable 3d printer with a huge build area. (compared to most hobby printers)

Stay tuned for build pics and updates,
Rob.