Building my first 3D printer.

Hi all,

I want to start building my first 3D printer. After looking in a lot of places on the internet I couldn't buy a kit that was close enough to what I want to make. So I decide to buy the parts separately and put it together myself.

I am not afraid for metal, plastic, wood works. ( Build big model aircraft )
I design my own electronic and software. ( not for the 3D printer, yet :-) )

So I decide to start building my printer with the following configuration.
- P3steel 2.5 DXL frame with printed parts : ebay seller in Lithuanian
- 5 times 17HS19-2004S: 59 N·cm, 2.8 V, 1.8° ( I want in the future also have speed )
- Genuino MEGA 2560 + Ramps 1.4 ( maybe RAMPS 1.4 sb ) with drv8825
- Direct drive extruder, with an 24V E3D v6 hotend ,complete kit 1,75 mm, 400 degree
- 220V, 500W aluminum Heatbed.
- I want to use cable chains to guide the wires

What I already figured out:
- The 2.5 DXL frame doesn't come with build tensioners, so after build I need to upgrade that.
- I need to have forced cooling for the drivers. I will raise the drivers so that I can have cooling underneath. I will use 19mm SIL for that.
- I need to cut all the 8mm smooth rods and M5 threaded rod my self.
- for using the 220V heatbed, I need to us a SSR , have them already, this will reduce the power through the ramps with a bout 5 to 6 A.
- I want to run the drivers and the hot end from 24V, So I need to adapt the ramp to provide 8 to 12V to the Arduino.

What I don't really know :-)
- How can I best/easy make the Heatbed that has the 220V heater that comes with double sided sticky tape.
- I Think I need to make some brackets after printer is working for the cable chains.
- Is this doable for a novice guy in the 3D printing world.

After all this is working the next step will be dual extruder.

Bart,

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/11/2016 08:25AM by amigob.

To me, I would recommend to go for a kit, unless you got a friend whose good in 3d printing world, then you refer to him

Almost done, had some problems with the Z axe,
I couldn't get the speed of the Z axe high then 5mm/s, but it seems to be that I had to high expectations :-)

Waiting for the glass bed and the bed heater to arrive .

P3Steel 2.5 DXL

That 5mm/s is not at all bad for the Z axe

Increase the z speed by using 2 separate drivers for the two z steppers to 12 mm/s
Installed the E3D v6 hotend. Still waiting for the bed heater en glass plate.
I think I am going to install a aluminum plate temperately.

Have a problem with the Thermistors. The temperature readings are way of. they where far below 0 c.
Tried a lot of different thermistors in Repetier an on the Due, none worked.

But after a good night sleep I think I know what is going on.
The reference voltage on the Due is wrong. I have read something about a jumper that was not done with a 0 ohm resistor.
Need to check tonight.

Hope that this is the problem.

So reprap.me claims that this Due is not a genuine Due, but fully compatible.
I find it strange that he can sell it like this, because they have exactly the same look as the real Due, but are not fully compatible.
I need to remove the 10k resistor en short out the the to pins.

But, Temperature is working,Next step printing :-)
Oh no I can't find the small PTFE tube for the hot end :-(

This steel frame looks better, sturdier than the Geetech Al, I assembled recently.

So I made the first attempt to print the 2x2x1 cm block and this is what I got :-)
On a scrap metaal, not flat, tweaked, non heated aluminium plate.



I think I have chosen the correct part, I spend a total something of 600 Euro's.



I think for the first print it could not be better.
A lot of thanks to Repetier , because they made this start reasonable easy.

By the way I didn't use
- MEGA 2560 + Ramps 1.4
directly went for Due + RADDS + RAPS128
- i didn't do direct drive, and I probable will never do :-)
I used Wade's extruder, I think it is a good choice, looking at the result
- I am not on 24 Now,
I am on 12V upgrade will follow
- the 220V headbed and glassplate are somewhere between china and the Netherlands :-)

video