Building a Prusa

I would like to build a Prusa Mendel 3d printer that has a large printing bed with large scale capabilities. What changes must I make to my build in order to create a printing surface, area of 3'x4', to accommodate my needs?

a different printer... search for some of the other Large Format printer topics for answers.

3 feet by 4 feet is HUGE. Not sure anything that big exists or how well it would even print.

Hi,

from my point of view the biggest problem will be the rigidity of the structure, and the weight:
You can fix the rigidity (if really needed) by using strongest rod and replacing 3D-printed parts by wooden ones. have a look at the grader i3. You will also be able to reduce the wobbling by reducing the print speed.
To resolve problem caused by excessive weight, you will probably need stronger motors. One problem that may occurs is that the pololu are limited to 2A, só if the motors need more than 2A, you'll need to find another stepper driver.
If I were you I'll check the CNC as they uses motors more powerful than those used for the printers.

For the bed, you will be able to create a heated bed using copper wires and this calculation.

If you use Marlin software, the configuration is quite easy: just set the X and Y dimension. in configuration.h. The rest will be the same as a normal printer.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/08/2015 02:07PM by Ray.

^ Maybe instead of a stronger stepper motor it could be a solution to have a stepper motor with a gearing, that will make is possible to pulle the bed without to much ampere needed, this will make it go slower for sure, but it is a cheaper solution than a much stronger stepper.