New to all this, many questions!

Hello all!

I am a student working towards a Physics degree (with an emphasis in electrical engineering and minor in computer science). I have been wanting to build a 3D printer for a long time but I don't have much experience in building anything really. The kits that have been sold for other 3D printers are expensive. RepRap seems like a good way to get into the world of 3D/CNC machines but I have so many questions.

Firstly, how much is the average RepRap? I know it varies a lot depending on your needs, but how much did yours cost you? And how big of a piece can you create? I am looking to use this machine to print pieces for other projects and I would (obviously) like to get the maximum possibility out of it. I also want it to be precise when making objects, i saw this video which really turned me off to 3D printing, as you can see the teeth on his gears are pretty warped and inaccurate.

What kind of material is used to create pieces? I always see this long tube of resin-like material, but what do most RepRaps use and how is it applied? What device do you have to mount onto the gantry system to lay down the material?

What kind of software do you use to print and how does the computer know how to control the RepRap? Obviously you can't just plug the thing into your computer and expect it to work, is there some sort of standardized firmware that most people use to configure and calibrate the device to be used with your software? And what software is capable of printing 3D pieces? I have seen (and very briefly) worked with software such as SolidWorks and AutoCad Inventor, but i have never seen someone print directly from there. I feel that the proprietary file types makes it hard to print these pieces.

I have some experience with arduinos which this page says is useful for making most RepRaps but thats basically as far as my knowledge goes. I don't know where to go to buy parts, how strong my motors need to be, how to assemble the RepRap to get X specification met, etc etc etc.

Why aren't Rack and Pinion linear movement mentioned on this page? It says RepRaps use either belt-driven or threaded screw design. Are Rack and Pinions just too expensive/industrial for most people?
What is some advice you would give to a beginner?

Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 07/01/2014 01:41PM by Silman.

Define expensive? It's 3D printing. Industrial printers can run for millions upon millions and require other specialized equipment to get the product out and clean. 3D printer prices are continually reaching lower and lower prices. Take a kit and start looking up each component. Add up their prices. Likely going to cost you more simply because they have purchased in bulk to lower price per kit, unless you repstrap [highly do not recommend for first timer, especially first timer in building something real].

RepRaps are only as good as they're made and tuned. People can get amazing results with an i3, but most of the prints I see I would normally trash. That video is of someone who hasn't spent a large amount of time tuning their printer. Considering they're printing spare parts it's safe to assume he just got it up and running.

Most common materials are ABS and PLA plastics. Just look up printing filament. Such a plethora of specialty filaments that I won't even start naming them. The plastic is layed down by the extruder, consisting of the cold-end [motor and mechanism to move the plastic] and hot-end [heating element and nozzle].

There is the firmware on the printer board and the controller host on the computer [unless you print via SD card] for making the printer move. Then there is the slicer. The slicer takes the model and creates GCode, the commands that tell the printer how to move. The controller host then sends these commands to the printer boards, where the firmware translates each one into movements, temperatures to be reached, etc. There are plenty of these firmwares, hosts, and slicers.

Sadly, there is no standard place of information that is easy for beginners to find and understand without some previous base of knowledge or skill. It's largely left for people to research and discover on their own. That's why there aren't printers in every place you go, along with cost per effective use.

---

Realizer- One who realizes dreams by making them a reality either by possibility or by completion. Also creating or renewing hopes of dreams.
"keep in mind, even the best printer can not print with the best filament if the user is the problem." -Ohmarinus

Quote
MrDoctorDIV
Define expensive? It's 3D printing. Industrial printers can run for millions upon millions and require other specialized equipment to get the product out and clean. 3D printer prices are continually reaching lower and lower prices. Take a kit and start looking up each component. Add up their prices. Likely going to cost you more simply because they have purchased in bulk to lower price per kit, unless you repstrap [highly do not recommend for first timer, especially first timer in building something real].

I understand, thats why i asked how much your RepRap cost, to get a poll of data for myself. And if people could reply with what model of RepRap they used that would be greatly appreciated

Quote
MrDoctorDIV
RepRaps are only as good as they're made and tuned. People can get amazing results with an i3, but most of the prints I see I would normally trash. That video is of someone who hasn't spent a large amount of time tuning their printer. Considering they're printing spare parts it's safe to assume he just got it up and running.

Once again, i understand that it must be made and tuned well to work well, but all machine parts have their physical limitations.I was just asking this to get a comparison RepRaps accuracy and precision compared to other 3D printer kits

Quote
MrDoctorDIV
Most common materials are ABS and PLA plastics. Just look up printing filament. Such a plethora of specialty filaments that I won't even start naming them. The plastic is layed down by the extruder, consisting of the cold-end [motor and mechanism to move the plastic] and hot-end [heating element and nozzle].

Thanks for the info, i didn't know ABS could be melted and laid down so easily.

Quote
MrDoctorDIV
There is the firmware on the printer board and the controller host on the computer [unless you print via SD card] for making the printer move. Then there is the slicer. The slicer takes the model and creates GCode, the commands that tell the printer how to move. The controller host then sends these commands to the printer boards, where the firmware translates each one into movements, temperatures to be reached, etc. There are plenty of these firmwares, hosts, and slicers.

Can you explain this a little more? The firmware is on the printer board (such as the arduino)? And the controller host (what is this) on the computer? What slicer options do i have? If i worked in AutoDesk Inventor would that be wise? Or can that not be translated to GCode?
Where can i go to find a list of available hosts/firmware/slicers?

The price of a Reprap varies with your skill and the model of printer, however, it's safe to say $500-$1000 will build you something nice. It can run a bit higher or lower depending on your skills, what's available to you, how fast you want it, and where you live.

I didn't buy a RepRap originally, but I am in the process of designing and building my own. Total cost is looking to be around $2000. i3's run anywhere between $600-$1000. Stay away from the cheap ones and make sure they have good rails. Bad parts are more common in kits than good ones. Do your research research research before you buy a specific kit. One good kit doesn't make a good company, and vice versa.

I wouldn't call ABS easy.. it's actually notorious. Once you get it figured out, though, it works like a charm.

Firmware is on the example Arduino, yes. Unless you get something like a Sanguinololu or Megtronics that are all in one boards [my favorite type]. It's not too different from a firmware that would run a CNC machine. People have created CNC machines from printers and others the other way around. A few have even created switchable 2-in-1's. Most common controler host is Repetier [I think, not too recognized with the others] and Cura. Cura also has a slicer, and Repetier Host is packaged with Slic3r [adivse to stay away from that nasty, buggy thing]. Most will advise KISSlicer. To me it is more diffficult to use than Slic3r, it's also currently lacking features but quickly catching up, but it will yield much greater results and works much faster. I hear there are good results from Cura's slicer, but I've got no knowledge from that myself. AutoDesk will work, so long as you can export STL you should be able to use pretty much any CAD program. Some have issues exporting their STL's, but those can be fixed with NetFabb.
The wiki could probably answer just about any question, but I can't find an index nor do I think it is easy to navigate/edit/etc. I don't find it to be user friendly. But it does have lists of firmwares, slicers, and hosts. Although, those pages look a little dated.

---

Realizer- One who realizes dreams by making them a reality either by possibility or by completion. Also creating or renewing hopes of dreams.
"keep in mind, even the best printer can not print with the best filament if the user is the problem." -Ohmarinus

Still new to 3D printing myself. I started with a Rostock Mini Pro from 3D Czar for $460 with free shipping that I am still playing with after three months. While I believe the Rostock was easier to put together than an i3 variant, I think the i3 is easier to get calibrated and running in the long run, so I wouldn't recommend the Rostock for a first printer.

As for printer prices, I think the PrintrBot Simple would make a good starting point for most beginners, and would go that route if I had to do things over. Although it is limited to a 4" cube (100 mm), the kit starts out at $350 with a lot of online sources for ways to expand the build surface and upgrade the printer. Plus, you can get a code from Ask an Engineer on Wednesday nights for 10% off the printer when ordering from Adafruit, plus free shipping and a toy (changes from month to month).

Their are a lot of i3 printer kits also available from various suppliers. As MrDoctorDIV mentioned, a $350 to $600 kit might not always source the best components, though they should be on par with what you would source for yourself if you choose to forgo a completed kit. Kits in the $600 - $1000 range should be higher quality, but from what I have read, there biggest selling points are the instruction manuals and service after the sale. Again, due diligence is key before forking over your cash.

At this point in time, if money wasn't an issue, I would probably go with a LULZBOT 4, for a few grand. It looks really simple to get printing right out of the box, has a "huge" build volume, and even ships with a sample print created on your printer before it was packaged and shipped.

My first piece of advice to you is to see if your school's library has or can get "3D Printers for Dummies." One of the co-authors is RichRap here, and the book will provide a lot of background about printer types, software options, etc.....

Do some research? Some surfing?
All will not be handed to you!!!!

See
[www.3ders.org]
for a giant list of printers

Beware many are vaporware --- 6 years for shipping

Go out to the reprap wikis look at 3D printers!

Check out the 3D printer forums.

[3dprintboard.com]

[www.3dprinting-forums.com]

[www.popular3dprinters.com]

I did an Ordbot Hadron kit not a RepRap
--- but to really reprap you have to have a printer to print the parts -- or find someone to print them for you $$$$

Your school doesn't have a 3D printer?