Opinions: Which frame do you think is the current best?

Does anyone have an opinion on which frame is currently the best? Or best within a category? Such as best for a budget, best for a beginner, or best print quality (but may cost more or be more complicated).

I actually have most of the electronic parts (stepper motors, Sanguinololu board, hotend, etc), and I'm trying to figure out a good frame to use that will be relatively simple to build on a budget, with adequate performance. Reason I have all these parts is I supported kickstarter from a dishonest person, which turned out to flawed design, and also it arrived damaged. Hoping to cut my losses and abandon the damaged frame, and use the electronics for something better.

I think it really depends on what you want out of it, and what tools you have at your disposal.

For instance: how big of a print volume you want (and can achieve with your steppers, heatbed, PSU, etc.), how portable you want it to be, how professional/finished you want it to look, how sturdy/rigid you want it to be, etc.

As far as tools at your disposal: do you have a 3d printer to print parts? Do you have a laser cutter or CNC to cut parts? Do you need to be able to buy a complete hardware kit?

I personally think the Prusa i3 (sheet version) and the Lulzbot TAZ are the best all-around designs (I went with the TAZ).

I would say Ingentis since it has a bed that only moves in Z and all machines with a bed that move in X or Y have the same issues so it makes not difference which one of them you choose.

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Thanks for the reply. Heres more details to some of the points you mentioned, or what I'm looking for.

Portability is not important, it will sit on a workbench. Finished look, not a big concern, I care more about function than looks. I do want it to be sturdy and rigid, this is important, I just don't want to deal with anything flimsy. As far as print volume, obviously bigger is better just in case I want to print something big, but I don't have any initial plans for big parts. I'm sure 8x8 would be plenty.

As far as tools at my disposal, I do not have any access to a 3d printer, laser cutter, cnc, or anything fancy. But I do have a full selection of hand tools, dremel, drills, power saws of various types, welder, soldering iron, etc.

I'd pretty much hope to be able to purchase a hardware kit to get up and going quickly, but hopefully still be budget friendly.

I do like the look of the i3. The taz from what I can tell seems really expensive and somewhat dedicated, I didn't really see many kit options. I'm hoping to keep everything as true to the open source and readily available parts nature as possible.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/11/2014 02:06PM by scubaguy.

In your situation then, the Prusa i3 wood frame seems like it would be perfect. You could build it with what you have, and will be able to use a lot of the parts you already have.

As far as the TAZ, they only sell a built one right now (although they're coming out with a kit soon). But it's open source, so you can DIY it. That's what I did, total build cost was about $750. But you'd have to buy the printed parts.

Best frames? Mantis and Mendel90. The former is rarely used, but unmatched in its simplicity. Sheets of wood are about the best affordable material you can use to build frames.

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IMO: Use some form of wood to get running. Once you can print (even lower quality) you can find an open-source design to print the parts to upgrade to extruded aluminum. Wood is easy to manipulate to get started, but does not hold its shape over time and heat. Extruded aluminum is still easy to work with but much better frame stiffness than most other designs, and cost is not as bad it seems.

Or skip the wood, I am sure there are enough places (and Ebay) that sell aluminum frame only kits for cheap.

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I'm partial to extrusion..I have been using it for years for all types machines.

I did buy all the flatwork from MM because my guy who does waterjet is booked for the next month.
The extrusion is 20mm

But which design can give you the best performance and features?

I'd like a design which would allow me to load up on all the best features for producing the best quality parts possible.


I'd like the heated bed, I'd like an all-metal hot end to allow me to print in high-end materials like polycarbonate, etc.
I'd like multiple extrusion heads to do multiple materials simultaneously, I'd like both the fat diameter nozzle and fine-diameter nozzle, in order speed up printing while also allowing finer detail.

I guess if I want to print in higher-temperature materials, then I need sidewalls to keep the heat in and prevent warping/cracking/etc.


Hmm, what else should I want?

Say, has anybody made one of these OpenSLS machines? I hear they're expensive, but since the patents are expiring, I'd imagine they'd be the next big thing, as well as the most versatile, and producing the best quality parts.

Thanks so much for all the advice. I debated between the i3 and the Mendel90, and think I will be going with the mendel90 (they seem quite similar though). I have plenty of woodworking experience, and it seems very simple, and very solid, and I have most of the parts already, so I can probably just buy the $80 plastic parts kit I see on ebay, along with a few other misc parts, and start building.

I am still a little curious about the extruded aluminum options people mentioned. Where do you find it, what is the price, and what is a good extruded aluminum based printer? I searched ebay for extruded aluminum and t-slot bar, but didn't really find much that was the right size or affordable.

There is a whole section of the forum dedicated to extruded aluminium models a bit further down the page :-) The ob1.4 looks good to me. I have a Mendel90 myself and am very happy with it.

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sanman
But which design can give you the best performance and features?

If there was an answer to that question there wouldn't be a need for this website and forum. There would just be "The Design" and everyone would use it, it would make perfect prints of any size every time out of all materials. We'd have world peace. Cats and mice would live in harmony. And I'd finally get to nail Jennifer Aniston. Sadly, none of those things, particularly the last one, have happend. But I'm still holding out hope.

There is no "best performance" or "best features". All complete printers as well as individual sub assemblies make design decisions that are trade offs with one aspect or another. Even if you eliminate asesthetic decisions, only consider functional decisions, and money was no object, theres give and take with every choice.