How did you get started?

Hi All

I'm new to the forum and have just started on the road to building my first printer - Prusa i3 and wonder how people got started did you buy a kit or got all the parts one by one? Posted here as I live in Leeds and curious about UK RepRap builders.

As money is tight, I've tried to buy the components one by one so I can spread the cost over many months. (many, many - but not too many months! )

So far I've bought the following bits ...

• RAMPS 1.4
• RAMPS 1.4 -LCD
• Atmega 2560
• Various Bolts / Washers / Nuts - M3 & M4
• RAMPS 1.4 -LCD

and have a few more things on order - Pulleys, LM8UU and tepper motor drivers. Hopefully I can get the printed parts and rods next month and the frame the month after.

Has any one else gone down this road and are there anything pitfalls to this approach.

Kentish

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/20/2014 08:58AM by Kentish.

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Kentish

Starting out with the first build of a Prusa i3, Work in progress ... slowly....

I started by buying a cheap Chinese diy kit from ebay and upgrading things each month still works out cheaper than most printers.

Have been running a 'Prusa' P3 Steel for the last 2 years. The P3 Steel frame was a great investment, so rigid and well made. Changed stepper motors a few times, definitely worth getting the most powerful versions that you can afford, my first ones were only 400mA rated and gave a few problems driving the Z screws properly.
RAMPS board has been reliable as long as cooling is applied to the DRV8825 stepper drivers. Regularly run for 4 hour+ prints weekly and still gives great results. Buy the bits from wherever suits your pocket.

Not a kit but separates mainly from Chinese sites.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/14/2017 02:55PM by FunBogMan.