Build Suggestions.

Hello all! I'm new to the RepRap community as I don't have a 3D printer to begin with. I'm quite interested in building my very own RapRap and have been looking into 3D printers for some time now. Put simply: I don't know where to start. I've read the Wiki page and am still wondering what I should do. As a newly graduated high school kid money isn't exactly easy to some by so I'm wondering just what kind of build I am capable of doing with the cash I have. If at all possible I was looking at the possibility of recycling some old ink jet printers I have lying around and scavenging some motors or belts depending on what it has to offer. Where do I get parts? Any suggestions?

Building a 3D printer is a serious project. I guess I could sum it up below;
- you must be a handyman and have the basic tools. Cutting threaded rods and filing the ends to put the nuts.
- you must know basic electronics and have the tools. You will solder wires and crimp molex pins.
- you will use a voltmeter to measure ohms and volts.
- you have to be patient. There will be lots of frustrations.
- you need to search the internet for information and READ A LOT.
- It's better to buy a kit and have the vendor support you in building it. Make sure you ask the vendor
what is required to build their kit. What tools are needed? Some kits are plug and play.
Some are DIY kits and you still do a lot.
- It's better to get the bigger printer if you can afford it.
- 3D Printing is still in development. Printing 3D is an art that may need tweaking at times.
- There is a lot of 3D models you can print out there but making a 3D model is another challenge.
- Making a model out of FREE Google SketchUp is okay but not accurate and limited in tools. To print
accurate measurements, you may need a real 3D software.
- All of it needs a lot of time and money.
- There is a lot of video in youtube like introduction to 3D printing.

Find someone near you who have a 3D printer and see if you can watch him print a 3D model.
Then you can decide if you want to do it.

Cheers!
Manny

Thanks for the response! I understand that there is a lot to building one of these and am willing to take a few chances. I have quite an apt mechanical understanding and love tinkering. I currently have a home built rc car and a soda can Stirling engine sitting in front of me if that's any indication. I tend to be patient with my builds and I know my way around a soldering iron. I've been researching and looking for some easy kits since this is my first build, do you have any specific model suggestions?

If you are looking for a kit, it seems that the prusa style has a large installed user base, which means easiest access to answers. Or the mendelmax has a frame that is a bit easier to assemble. You can build from scratch, as I am, if you want to do something specific that the available kits do not, but it will cost at least as much, and take a lot longer.