Printing in Plastic Build Your Own 3D Printer H i in * Patrick HoodDaniel James Floyd Kelly
About the Authors About the Technical Reviewers Acknowledgments Introduction xiii xiv xv xvi Chapter 1: Before You Begin 1 What is a 3D Printer? 1 Questions and Build Help 4 The 3D Printer is Evolving 4 Videos, Building Instructions, and s 4 We Want to Hear from You 5 Chapter 2: Hardware and Tools 7 The Power Tools 8 Table Saw 8 Bandsaw or Scroll saw 11 Drill Press 16 Some Hand Tools 19 Rulers 19 Clamps 20 Squares 20 Screwdrivers and Wrenches 20 vi
s s a! CONTENTS Drill Bits and Counterbore Holes 20 Summary 26 Chapter 3: Tips and Advice 27 Read the Entire Book First 27 Examine the Plans 28 Print the Plans at Actual Size 30 Verity AH Measurements 31 Label the s 33 Head to the Discussion Forums 34 Summary 34 Chapter 4: Cutting the s 1 35 Before You Begin 35 Lower Structural Sides s A and B 36 Tablee 40 ZY Plate D 41 XAxis Motor Mount E 44 Upper Structural Sides F and G 45 Summary 48 Chapter 5: Cutting the s II 49 YAxis Rail Support H 49 Table Bearing Supports ZAxis Rail Support I and J 51 K 53 ZAxis Bearing Support L 55 ZAxis Motor Mount M 57 ZAxis Nut Mount N 59 Machine Back 0 61 vii
CONTENTS s s Extruder Bearing Hinge I P 63 Extruder Bearing Hinge II Q 65 Summary 67 Chapter 6: Advanced Cuts and Drilling 1 69 ZAxis Nut Mount N 69 ZAxis Motor Mount M 76 Summary 86 Chapter 7: Advanced Cuts and Drilling II 87 ZAxis Bearing Support L 87 YAxis Rail Support H 90 Machine Back 0 97 Lower Structural Side A and B 100 XAxis Motor Mount E 109 Summary 117 Chapter 8: Advanced Cuts and Drilling III 119 Upper Structural Sides F and G 119 ZY Plate D 124 YAxis Motor Mount R 126 Table Bearing Supports I and J 129 Summary 134 Chapter 9: Advanced Cuts and Drilling IV 135 Extruder Bearing Hinge 1 Extruder Bearing Hinge 2 P 135 Q 139 Tablee 144 ZAxis Rail Support K 148 Summary 153 viii
m CONTENTS Chapter 10: Beginning Assembly 155 Required Hardware and s Summary 155 Extruder Placeholder and ZAxis Rails 156 Attach the ZAxis Bearing Support 162 Attach VGroove Bearings to ZY Plate 164 Attach ZAxis Nut Mount 171 Summary 173 Chapter 11: SubAssembly Work 175 Required Hardware and s Summary 175 Preparing the YAxis Rail Support 175 Attaching the Upper Structural Sides 180 Preparing the Tabletop 183 Summary 187 Chapter 12: Adding Structure 189 Required Hardware and s Summary 189 Adding the ZAxis Lead Screw 190 Assemble Table Bearing Supports 197 Add Bearing Supports to Lower Structural Sides 201 Attach Lower Structural Sides 205 Summary 208 Chapter 13: Motors and Movement 209 Required Hardware and s Summary 209 Adding the XAxis Motor and Motor Mount 210 Adding the ZAxis Motor and Motor Mount 219 Adding the YAxis Motor and Motor Mount 224 Adding Tension Rods and the Table 228
,< CONTENTS Adding Belts to X and Y Axes 231 Summary 238 Chapter 14: The Extruder 239 Required Hardware and s Summary 239 Some Soldering Required 240 Prepare the Extruder 240 Soldering the PTFE Wire 249 Add the Thermocouple 256 Add Ceramic Tape and Wrap 258 Summary 266 Chapter 15: The Filament Feeding Mechanism 267 Required s Summary 267 Attach Extruder Bearing Hinges I and II 268 Add the Stepper Motor 271 Attach the Filament Feed Components 273 Attaching the Extruder 277 Attach the Filament Feed Mechanism and the Extruder to the 3D Printer 281 Summary 284 Chapter 16: Mounting Electronics 285 Required s Summary 285 Attach Arduino Mega and Motherboard 285 Attach the XAxis Stepper Motor Driver 292 Attach the YAxis and ZAxis Stepper Motor Drivers 293 Attach the Extruder Stepper Motor Driver 297 Attach the Extruder Controller 299 Summary 300 X
82 CONTENTS Chapter 17: Wiring 1 301 Required s Summary 301 Connect XAxis Motor Driver to Motherboard 301 Connect Y and ZAxis Motor Drivers to Motherboard 309 Connect the Thermocouple Wire 312 Connect the Power Resistor Wires 314 Connect Extruder Motor Driver and Controller 315 Summary 320 Chapter 18: Wiring II 321 Required s Summary 321 Connect Motors to Motor Drivers 321 Connect Power to Components 327 Adding the Endstops 339 Axis Naming Conventions 348 Summary 350 Chapter 19: The Software 351 Required Hardware Summary 351 Download Required Software 351 ReplicatorG 352 Java 353 Python 354 Configuration Files 356 Add or Update Firmware to Motherboard 357 Install Motherboard Firmware 360 Install Extruder Controller Firmware 370 Summary 374
CONTENTS Chapter 20: Testing and Printing 375 Configure the 3D Printer 375 Checking the Axes for Proper Movement 379 Homing the Machine 383 Prepare Skeinforge 386 Time to Print 390 whiteantlogo 396 Summary 397 Chapter 21: Addendum 399 Required s Summary 399 Prepare Extruder Mounting Base 399 Attach Extruder to Filament Feed Mechanism 406 Modify ZAxis Rail to Hold Extruder Mechanism 412 Appendix A: Hardware List 417 Appendix B: Converting to a CNC Machine 421 Appendix C: Resources 423 BuildYourCNC.com Website Resources: 423 CNC variation of whiteant: 423 Hardware 424 Software 424 Content 424 Other Resources 425 Index 427 xii