Introduction: 3d Printer for Less Than $100 USD!!!
The future is now!!!! You can know build your own 3D-Printer for Less Than $100 USD!!!
In this instructable I will show you how I built my 3d printer, The RepStrap.
You build a repstrap in order to build a reprap!
Step 1: Plan Your Design.
If you're planning on building a 3d Printer you've come to the right place!
Before you begin building and spending money here's what you need to know.
-It's not cheap (Even from China)
-Even though it's less than $100 USD you still have to spend some money in order for it to be a proper printer.
-It takes time
-Don't rush your work, Take your time, make it look good, and be patient your parts will come.
-Measure Twice, Cut Once.
-I cannot stress this enough to anyone building 3d printers, Measure your material carefully so that when you build it, you won't run into major problems in the future.
-Use As Many Sources As Possible.
-I kid you not, the more you look up reprap videos on Youtube, the more you will learn about how 3d printers work and are designed. I was inspired by the prusia i3 reprap 3d printer, that's where I based my design off of.
Step 2: Here's What You Need.
Here is a list of all the things that I bought in order to build my 3D printer.
General Parts:
Motors; http://goo.gl/hMJOs9
Arduino+RAMPS 1.4; http://goo.gl/IfA62p
Parts for extruder:
Nozzle; http://goo.gl/ZoKWTH
Aluminium Block Assembly; http://goo.gl/pgy69k
Thermistor; http://goo.gl/RLCRO7
Heater Cartridge; http://goo.gl/Q1wYf5
Filament Throat; http://goo.gl/A4BJ8n
Kapton Tape: http://goo.gl/75usKm
Basic Building Material (wood, metal, etc.)
Step 3: Start Building!
Hopefully you have a design in mind.
Once you have that design, draw it out on paper. (this will help you find out where to put everything)
Design the parts that you need for each axis (X, Y, Z, and Extruder)
Make those parts out of cardboard as a reference size to work with.
Well that's as much advice that I can Give you, so Your Welcome!
Have fun Building!!
I will have a wiring guide and arduino guide coming soon!
Step 4: Here's How Mine Functions!
Here is a Video of a square being drawn!
I am missing a few extruder parts but I will Update it when I get them.
Here is a video of It drawing Gears!
26 Comments
2 years ago on Step 4
Too many people use this site just to show people the project they did. We shouldn't have to be imagining what it looks like with the extruder, you should have just waited until you got the parts to finish your video. proof you just want to show your thing off.
6 years ago
I really like this project and want to make my own. Do you think you could share some sketches of your design and how the pieces fit together? Thank you in advance.
7 years ago
1-It's not less than 100 dollars
2-It's not a 3d printer, even not a 2d printer
Reply 7 years ago
It's a TEST run. You don't have to do the mechanical test run with the extruder. By doing it with a pen you can see if the printer works in performing the desired shapes without wasting plastic material.
Reply 7 years ago
I think it would be better if you use a 3d printing pen instead of the pen. But great job!
Reply 7 years ago
lol true
Reply 7 years ago
lol true
7 years ago
Hi, I've added your project to the "Top DIY 3D Printers for Your Budget" Collection
This is the link If you are interested:
https://www.instructables.com/id/Top-DIY-3D-Printer...
7 years ago
Hello, I have built all the hardware: physical structure, and have completed in entering the GRBLtoArduino and all the software. I have used the Universal GCodeSender and has successfully interpreted the software for is says " Grbl 0.8c ['$' for help] ". I've soldered the stepper motors (for I'm using steppers from dvd roms) to some salvages wire from a printer I took apart. I installed some female sockets in order to connect to the male pins on the CNC Shield ver. 2.01 . The orange light from the arduino flashes and in the Universal GCodeSender ver. 0.8 completes the operation b/c is says " ok " . I have no idea whats wrong. I know the steppers work b/c ive used a 9v battery to pulse the motors and they do indeed pulse. Ive used a multimeter to check its resistance and it works. I've checked the current on the motors once connected to the cnc shield and there's current. I have tested if the drivers are in fact getting power and they are. I've attempted the code " x=100 " , " $7=225 " but no motor movement. Can ANYONE help me ?
Reply 7 years ago on Introduction
Are your stepper motors configured right (for instance is it a 4-pole when its supposed to be a 2-pole)?
7 years ago on Introduction
you wrote 3d printer for less then 100$ but only the motors are 135$+30$for shipping?
7 years ago
are you serious? thats it just have a good one and hope you figure it out looking up reprap vids???
7 years ago on Introduction
My impression of this 'ible - "Look things up. Design it yourself. Buy the parts you need. Build it. Done." Not all that helpful, really. You need to put more details, lots more. More pictures, maybe the plans you used, loads more information is needed to be useful.
7 years ago on Introduction
Could use some design plans, measurements, code, math, assembly details, etc. to make it really useful to folks wanting to build.
7 years ago on Introduction
Noober62, great build! I have been looking around also for a low cost 3D printer, great for anyone on a limited or fixed income, this one looks great. I can see a variation that would make this even more versatile. As I see, from reading your Instructable, you have the 3D Printer setup as a plotter due to other parts have yet to arrive. If you make the base plate of the y-axis, where you now have the pen, into a "quick disconnect clip" you can switch between various heads i.e., plotter pens even 3 different color pens for more complicated drawings, a 3D extruder head, and laser cutter/etching head. Keep up the great work.
Remember nothing happens unless you try.
7 years ago on Introduction
This isn't a 3d printer, this is a 2d colorer, you can replace the marker with the 3d pen, hook it up to something like sketchup, and add some code to make it 3d. You could also add an extruder, with sketchup and code.
7 years ago
Hey what can I print in this
7 years ago on Introduction
This looks cool! Whats the biggest part you've printed?
Reply 7 years ago on Introduction
Explained above, responded so you'll get a notification as well.
7 years ago
Replace marker with 3d pen?