Complete beginner looking for advice

I want to build a RepRap, and am looking for advice on which model(s) are easiest, cheapest, nicest, etc. The information on the main site seems rather confusing - there are a lot of different options to choose from! Ideally, I'd like to spend under £100 on materials, since I'm but a poor student.

I have some advantages that others may not have, materials-wise - I have free access to a laser-cutter at my school, so could cut acrylic, plywood etc easily. Also, my dad teaches an electrical engineering course, so I could borrow some components from his workplace, such as a microcontroller board that could work as equivalent to an Arduino/Sanguino.

I'm just leaving school and have good maths and physics skills, but have never undertaken a practical project like this before.

I'd like to know where to start, what model would be best to build, and any other useful advice you can think of. Thanks!

P.S. Apologies if this topic is in the wrong forum, wasn't sure quite where to put it.

laser-cutter is good : check out the ponoko and BitsFromBytes designs, which are a full reprap made from laser-cut parts.

Also, if you've got access to a lathe, there are several parts that are easier: e.g drilled out bolts - that'll help with making the extruder.

You'll still need several electronic parts, and a few circuit boards. Ask around at school - there might be facilities to make or etch PCBs.

As to design: the RepRap is the 'main' machine to aim at. Depending on which parts you've got around, and what you can beg/borrow/scavenge, there are several 'RepStrap' designs that are capable of printing the parts for a full RepRap, usually using the same electronics and motors, but capable of being built out of scrap and easily obtainable parts.

I'd suggest you look towards building a full reprap from laser-cut parts.

Costs will vary considerably, depending on how much you need to obtain.

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Reprapping blog and other rants: [renoirsrants.blogspot.com]
My Reprap: [sites.google.com]

Thanks for the advice, and blog link, which should be very helpful!

So, I should go with one of the two designs that uses laser-cut acrylic. ie [www.reprap.org]
or [www.reprap.org] (Which has the most instructions, templates etc? I'm going to need a lot of step-by-step instructions!)

Hopefully I can scavenge many of the parts, which should reduce the cost.

The 'Ponoko' RepRap, and RepRaps in general, have more support and instructions. There's a lot of detail on the wikis and as they are standardised, many more users have a version of a RepRap.

The RepStraps tend to be much more variable, and require some problem-solving to fit the general design to what you've got. They're generally a bit slower than the belt-driven reprap as they use a lead screw drive for the platform. I've built a RepRap from the BitsFromBytes kit, but not a RepStrap.

I'd suggest the RepRap is going to be the easiest path for you: however, 'easy' is a relative term. It's quite a lot of work to build and tune a reprap, and there's a lot of learning. I've learnt a lot since I've started. Also, if you're scavenging parts, it'll probably take longer and a few minor changes to fit your parts into the design - but don't be afraid of experimenting and changing the design.

Good luck, and think about 'blogging' your progress. It's a great way to keep yourself motivated, and makes it easier to ask for help or comments. Also, ask anything you like on the forums - there is help around.

Access to a lasercutter and the typical school workshops is a huge benefit: cutting the acrylic or plywood/mdf parts yourself is a huge cost saver.

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Reprapping blog and other rants: [renoirsrants.blogspot.com]
My Reprap: [sites.google.com]

I'll try building an acrylic Ponoko-type RepRap, then ... will blog progress to let people know how it goes! I've got exams at moment, so will start building probably in early July.