reccomendations

hello. im interested in building a reprap, but im really impatient. so im looking for a printer with the minimum amount of parts, and maximal printed : nonprinted parts ratio. and i want relative ease of assembly, but i have no issue with tinkering. and speed and print quality isnt of great importance. any reccomendations.

this is also my first message, so hello reprap community .

Hi!

Sounds like the Snappy RepRap is the perfect match for you:
Snappy 3 RepRap
It's one of the most 3d printed 3d printers I know of.

Alternatively you can also take another design such as the i3 and print as much as possible, e. g. I did that back in the days with the frame thickened and I then filled with concrete - the Prusa i3 mk2 low cost variant was quieter than an Mk3 and has double the mass... . So... with enough tinkering you have a lot of options.

Best regards,
Demo

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/19/2024 11:20PM by Demolux_D1.

i am actually currently working on the start of a snappy. so its seems we agree, i'll continue.

Cool! I would love to see the finished build. Good luck and have fun

can you print a snappy in pla? like i do have petg but not a lot, and i have to print it quite slowly. my kobra 2 pro doesnt have an enclosed chamber so i cant print much more than pla and petg. but if you know any hacks or other filaments for printers without an enclosed chamber, let me know. thx in advance

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/24/2024 06:19AM by logic_roar.

You can use PLA yeah. It's quite good actually because it is comparably stiff. There are PLA/CF variants you can also use but you should make sure to use one with long fibers, so stay with some brands there. I personally would prefer PLA however, I mean, we are talking about a Snappy here which has its advantages in low cost and printability not in high rigidity and precision.

You can use PVB because you can "weld" or smooth it with Isopropanol and it has a higher tensile strength and not that much pricier. Its highly transparent if not coloured unlike PLA and warps even less, which most people don't know.
It is more hygroskopic and has less resistance against UV and some chemicals (such as Isopropanol). Otherwise its quite similar to PLA, also regarding its temperature resistance.

If you want to try filaments which enclosed and heated build volumes are designed for you can go for their fiber-filled counterparts as they warp less. You can also change your print parameters for a higher layer adhesion, especially considering the layer pressure and temperature: E. g. you can choose a 0.4 mm nozzle but a 0.6 mm extrusion width and 260 °C instead of 255° for ABS - and use a fiber-filled ABS would be even better. Keep it small and high/voluminous or large and flat, pay attention to a high bed adhesion and a high and most importantly consistent ambient temperature and I would assume you can get decent prints. Last but not least you can change the part geometry, e. g. add slots to release tension for less warping or round some sharp edges where possible.

Honestly, PLA or PVB would be one of the best options after all because stiffness is what matters most on the majority of the Snappy's parts - and surprisingly, the stiffness of PLA is only surpassed by some more exotic filaments such as PC, PPS(U) and upwards considering the ladder of technical polymers (or by fibre-reinforced materials). ABS, PETG, PA - they are all more flexible. So.... use PLA and keep the printer cold

Lust but not least: I would maybe give PMMA (acrylic) a try. It is in fact stiffer than PLA and is very heat resistant as well as unassailable by UV rays. It can also be easily glued (and stronly, with a special acrylic glue such as 0192). It's more brittle however and has a smaller impact resistance, it's also more difficult to find a supplier but should only be slightly more expensive. Oh and it warps. So.... keep it small or flat or round and apply the other tips above.

So... I guess you have some options now I'd go for PVB if smoothing/welding/precision(less warping) matters, PLA if not and PMMA where heat resistance or rigidity matters.

Edited 5 time(s). Last edit at 03/24/2024 06:43PM by Demolux_D1.