Where should I start?

I am new to this stuff, been reading around this site for a while, but am overwhelmed!
I would like to know where to start, I have been thinking of building a prusa i3, but do
not know where is a good place to start or where to get the parts needed. I have a cnc
and would like to cut my own parts, but nowhere can I find the plans for all the parts, I
am even willing to purchase a kit if available.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/09/2015 03:41PM by Michaelj.

I recommend a kit. By the time you shop around for all of the parts, You will spend more on gas and postage than you will save by buying one piece at a time. I recently bought A Worldnet A602 on ebay. ($430 including shipping). (It may be cheaper on Alibaba). Even though it is from china, I received it in less than two weeks. It is a complete kit including most of the tools required to assemble it. The assembly instructions are adequate. The mother board is already programmed. So by the end of the second day of assembly barring any wiring mistakes, you should be up and running.
Down load several slicer programs to see which one you like the best. I prefer Craftware.

I bought mine on eBay for around $100 less, from the US. Currently $319 >> Search for Folger i3

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-David

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Check out my FolgerTech Prusa i3 (plexi) at MindRealm.net

My advice : don't buy Folger's kit. Same price is possible folowing a BOM, with aluminium frame, bigger motors, Rework plastic parts, better extruder and hotend. Or prefer a better kit. Buy a good maker's kit, not a seller's price.

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Collective intelligence emerges when a group of people work together effectively. Prusa i3 Folger (A lot of the parts are wrong, boring !)

Michalej, I suggest you buy a good kit to start with. When you have built it, you may use it and your CNC machine to make parts to improve it, or to build another one.

You haven't said where you live, so I don't know what recommendations would be suitable. But you may find my comparison of two kits here [miscsolutions.wordpress.com] helpful.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/10/2015 02:26PM by dc42.

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Large delta printer [miscsolutions.wordpress.com], E3D tool changer, Robotdigg SCARA printer, Crane Quad and Ormerod

Disclosure: I design Duet electronics and work on RepRapFirmware, [duet3d.com].

I'd have to agree with billober33974, get a good kit it'll save you loads of hassle.

I'm in the slow progress of building a prusa i3 rework and its taking ages, buying parts month by month mostly to spread the cost! Not good at saving!

I'm located near on Long Island, near New York City. Are there any kits that you raccomend?

Prusa i3 kit from 3D Printer Czar seems to be a well packaged kit for $499 with free shipping world wide, though I went with their Rostock Mini Pro kit rather than the Prusa i3, so other than packaging I can't say how good or bad it is.

The alternative I would have started with a year ago when I bought the Rostock would have been their i3 or the wooden $350 PrintrBot Simple. Buying it from Adafruit I could have gotten 10% off and free shipping.

Not sure how big New York is and how close everything is, but I was thinking that PrintrBot was based in Brooklyn, Adafruit resells a lot of 3D printers now and is based in New York, and I believe there is also a Makerbot store in New York. You might be able to do some leg work to investigate your options in person.