Am a newbie that needs help

Hi Folks my name is Dave I live in Belfast northern ireland, am a big petrol head but want to build my own 3d printer after reading about them for the past couple of years.

Ok so am sure there are a lot of these posts, but we all have to start somewhere and this is me starting here.

I know a bit about reprap, am very interested in 3d printing and i think it's an amazing technology with masses of potential, but with the reprap it brings it to the hobbiest and developer alike.

I would be a hobbiest.

Although I am mechanically minded, my electronics knowledge is poor, but i can solder and fix car wiring looms, I just want something to start making those tricky plastic bits of the cars i love, that tend to be old, snap easily and are no longer freely available.

Also as my knowledge grows I hope to be able to help and give back.

But where do I start?

Looking at all the designs I can gather, i have made some progress, but it's the Steppers, Stepper controllers, Electronics, extruder's, etc.

Every time I read an article it links to another, and another and before I know it am lost, confused, frustrated and annoyed at myself for not being able to make sense of this.

So I joined the forum because I want to start

I can wire and I can solder, so .

Is there a simple complete guide start to finish build guide and parts list?

I would like large build area, modern design.

I know i need steppers, and think i have figured them out.

But it's the other electronics, the controllers, the heater, power supply that i need guidance with,
which one is the best
can i build it myself
where can i buy the components from?

I have seen several different versions on ebay but i just need a starting point.
I have bought plastic parts for a Prusa Mendal, and think i have all the parts for the frame.
Is there a better version than this?

Sorry for the long post but I want to get started, I want to get involved, I want to build.

Lets Build! Prusa Mendel 3D Printer Timelapse

Reprap Buyer Guide

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Custom all metal CoreXY
- Duet 2 Wifi w/ PanelDue 7i
- 330mm x 360mm x 500mm
- 750w Silicon heater

Custom Mendel90
(Backup printer - Old reliable!) - Sold

Welcome Ottoni!

We were all beginners at one point!

I can understand your confusion about the electronics part of the project, but don't worry - people here are very helpful.

Have you seen the reprap.org wiki page for RAMPS 1.4? It will show you how to solder up the entire board if you wish to do so, but more than likely you'll buy one pre-soldered (it's much easier). Near the bottom of the page there is a schematic showing you the wiring connections that need to be made.

Pretty straight-forward. The trickiest part is uploading the firmware, but that becomes trivial after your first upload to the board. But if you decide to go with another electronics package it isn't like the logical connections are all that different - just in different places.

Don't get me wrong - there are errors that you will make in the construction. But things are rarely irreparably damaged in this hobby. Even breaking a part is not catastrophic - just print another.

I would suggest you look into trying to get together with a local RUG (reprap user group) in Ireland or the UK. You are fairly well placed to get into the hobby - there are quite a few users between the two countries. You'll get some of the best advice and guidance from those folks, and you can see what machines they built.

Another great source of info is the reprap IRC channel. Lots of people on there will help, usually at the drop of a hat.

Just remember - the only stupid question is the one that goes unasked!

Good luck!

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- akhlut

Just remember - Iterate, Iterate, Iterate!

[myhomelessmind.blogspot.com]