Poor Man's 3D Printer

My goal was to build a cheap and inexpensive 3D Printer for less than 100 Dollar/Euro

What are the features of the Poor Man's 3D Printer ?

- Fused deposition modeling ABS/PLA

- Heat bed

- use of open source firmware, modified version of Tonokip

- free host software, Repetier-Host

- bowden-extruder

- max. build size 40mm x 40mm x 40mm

- resolution 0.08mm

Step 1: Parts

Parts i bought:

- Arduino Board Mega 2560 (on ebay from china): 10 Euro

- 2 pcs. Stackable Motor Driver Shield L293D 6 Euro

- Hotend MK7 MK8 noozle 0,4mm+thermistor+cartridge 20 Euro

- PTFE Tube 4 x 2mm & 2 pcs. 1/8" BSP 6 Euro

- Fan 30mm x 30mm 2 Euro

- MOSFETs,resistors,caps,LEDs,thermistor 5 Euro

Recyled PC/printer part:

- 4 pcs. DVD/Blu-ray drives, with stepper motors ! old cd drives can't be used because they work with dc-motors

- old PC power supply, 12V/5A and 5V/2A are required

- stepper motor nema17-like from old printer for extruder

- i use a modified gear (see pictures) from an old hp printer for the bowden-extruder, optional you could get an airtripper extruder for about 25 Euro

Things that every hobbyist has in his garage :-)

- many screws, nuts and washers M3,M4,M5

- lots of wires

- aluminium-sheet for the frame, you can also use wood

- some alu/metal profiles, see pictures

Step 2: Pictures From Building the Chassis

Step 3: Endstops

use endstops from dvd drive !

Step 4: Counterweights

I had to made counterweights for the z-axis because the x- dvd drive + Hotend are too heavy for the small steppers

The counterweight is simply connected through a cord and a pulley with the drive.

The weight of one counterweight = weight of (x drive + hotend) /2

Step 5: Extruder

The Extruder was build of a gear of an old hp printer deskjet 300. I remove the original stepper (too weak) and

replace it with a bigger one, i find two of them in an epson stylus color 600.

The shaft was shorten and milled grooves with a dremel, then a metal gearwheel was placed near the shaft.

The gearwheel has one groove too.

Step 6: Hotend

The Hotend is a MK7/MK8 i found on ebay.

i cut some aluminium plates for a better cooling and place a small fan beside

the bigger alu plate above separates the hotend from the BSP fitting via two small screws

Step 7: Heat Bed

the bed is heated by two parallel resistors 22R/7W/axial and reaches 110°C

Step 8: Schematic

I uploaded a hand drawn schematic, feel free to comment/ask questions.

In the picture you can see how to modify the second shield, cut the connector pins D12 and D7,

bridge D12 with D13 and D2 with D7, now the mega can talk with the shields separatly

Step 9: Firmware/Software

I use Tonokip in a modified version and added Adafruit Motor shield library also modified to use 2 shields.

The Software i use is Repetier Host

See Settings.zip for Repetier-Host and slic3r settings

Step 10: Results

here you can see the first results before/after calibration and some final changes in the firmware, the cube was printed with 1.75mm ABS filament, the edge length in the gcode is 10mm the final result 10.06mm !!!

Step 11: First Update

I change the driver board to ramps 1.4 with A4988 Stepper driver because they have become very cheap on ebay.

( board + 4 stepper drivers about 20$ incl. shipping)

I have supplied the x/y/z steppers with 8 Volt, 12 Volt is to much for those tiny things, with only 5 Volt the drivers won't work. i also limit the current to 300mA (with the poti at drivers)

Here are my results with using Marlin as Firmware.

I uploaded my configuration file from Marlin and also the slicr settings.

Step 12: Photos From Printing

Step 13: Update 2

Because of the great demand, I have uploaded a drawing from the ground frame.

Comments

[cliffyd]

pretty awesome. looks like a frankenstein printer but thats what this site is all about. make from what you have. some of these guys spend $1000 on making one of these when you probably made it with $40. good job

[Dinesh crazy]

I will connect dvd stepper motor and i connect 3d printer software and start run motor did not run but vibrate at 11v
5v stepper does not run

[Gelstronic]

12V is too much, i use 8V

[Dinesh crazy]

But also did not run i will get vibrate pluse .but l use l298
What is pin mode for motor

[EricK13]

wired wrong...

[Nova13]

can you send me a right wire map pls :)))))

[e-mail] <3

[Dinesh crazy]

8v 1a

[Dinesh crazy]

Kindly send circuit diagram

[Gabriel EmanuelC]

Hi buddy , I gt a problem with my 3 CD ROM steppers because I don`t have any data of those.I think to drive them by A4988 Pololu drivers and is necessay to know the correct current value to be able to calibrate the current by these drivers.How do I find out this current value?.

[ggraikousis]

The current version of marlin does not recognize your
configuration.h file. can you upload your version of marlin or the conf
for current version ????

please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Dinesh crazy]

Hi sir i want pin assignment coding for arduino due model pls you want help me thos was finally year project in my college...

[Gelstronic]

The arduino due uses a totally other processor, (ARM 32bit instead of an AtMega 8 bit). I don't now how/if this will working.

[asamad90]

Hi Gelstronic,

Awesome work Gelstronic,would you please let me know the connections diagram for the Arduino Uno and L298P Motor R3 sheild?,and if possible, Is there any change in the programming or library sides?

[Gelstronic]

Hi asamad,

look at the pdf in "Step 8: Schematic".
You'll find all the wirings/connection there.

[weese75]

this is a great write up, my only question is on the heat bed and where to find the resistors and how to wire them in parallel. if you could clear that up that would be awesome.

[Gelstronic]

like i discribe in step 7:

the bed is heated by two parallel resistors 22R/7W/axial and reaches 110°C

Resistors have: 22 Ohm / 7 Watt

look here

[JeffrylleP]

Hey gelstronic,can you give me more detailed schematic...because im so confused about the schematic that you posted..

[AKIREEV]

Guys, how did you solve the problem of non-matching motors?
All that I can to find differ from each other.

Their screws have different threading, so their travel distance doesn't match and since Z axis uses two motors this is a problem.

Please advice.

[LazyH]

You'll just have to adjust steps per inch or steps per cm in the software, any good CNC software should allow this. I use grbl with mine and you can program it directly to the board through a serial terminal like in the arduino ide.

[AKIREEV]

Ramps 1.4 (that's what I've got and what I intend to use) has Z-steppers connected in parallel (see here - http://reprap.org/mediawiki/images/f/f6/RAMPS1.4sc... - Z-MOT and Z-MOT1), which means there's no way they can be controlled separately.

You can't change steps per mm on one without changing it on the other.

Anyway, I went with a different design already, I'm making a counterweight for my single Z motor at the moment.