Adding 3D print head to my 10 year old scratch built CNC

I built my CNC machine 10 years ago and it has served me well. Gecko individual drivers, CandCNC controller, heave extruded aluminum, big linerar bearings, and Y axis running on .750” ball screws, and the Z and X axis on 10 pitch screws.
Have never had an electrical failure with any of the components. However I just recently had bothe the Y axis homemade couplers made out of aluminum and cutting board material, I was lucky enough to have turned down the ends of the ball screws to a standard size, so it was an easy and cheap to replace the couplers with standard aluminum spiral cut couplers, these things are so cheap now. Enough rambling.

Using Mach3, Vectric VcarvePro 8.5

I want to add a 3D print head to my system, and need some advice as to the pros and cons of the project, don’t think I want to build a dedicated 3D printer, but I could using my CNC that is if I get the bug.

If you could point me to some links of people that have done this I would appreciate it.

Thanks, this forum has really grown since I joined so many years ago.


HH

I don't think it is a good idea at all. 3D printers have different requirements compared to CNC. 3D printers demand very high speed and acceleration and CNC machines are not capable of that for several reasons, one is the far too heavy gantry and Z axis. Your machine will be ripped apart pretty fast if you start running it as a 3D printer, so I think it is better to buy a dedicated printer.

I had similar ideas but after some tests I decided not to continue with the plans of making my CNC into a CNC/3D printer combo, and after having used my printer for several months now, I think that was the right decision. 3D printing is a very time consuming process, even with fast printers, so already this is a good enough reason because to run the CNC for several days is not a good option. While both machines use the same principles of motion, they are not the same, so making a universal machine is in my opinion not a good idea. Doable, but not optimal.

I agree.
For $400-$600, you can buy a good quality printer these days, that will easily outperform your current machine, modified for printing.

Thanks for the comments but as a DIY’er I’ll add a print head to my existing CNC and make the parts I need to build a 3D printer.

You mention that the 3D printers are faster, not the ones I have seen run they are really slow compared to some of the speeds i run on some projects.

Mostly I’m wondering about the control and could it be done with my existing electronice?

Thanks for the comments

I'm a tightwad and a pathological DIY'er so I get where you're coming from. And went through the same thought processes years ago.

You can physically do it and, indeed, there are a few kickstarter style projects out there which boast an interchangeable milling spindle / laser / 3d print head. The mechanics run the same g-code (for moving the head around and controlling the extrusion on eg the A axis) so, even though the toolpath window in Mach3 would look stupid, that would probably work. The temperature control for bed and hot end will be a different story, though - AFAIK Mach3 has no support for them so they'd have to be some kind of self contained processor. For that kind of work in getting it up and running it starts looking like maybe a Smoothieboard or Duet or rAmbo or any of those dedicated print controllers is worth considering - they pretty much replace your controller, BOB and Mach3 and do it pretty cheap. Or knock together a PID controller with an Arduino with a high current output and power supply and user interface to set temperatures manually.

So it's doable. Kinda. But just because you can doesn't mean you should. After agonising about it for some time, I ended up just getting a separate printer and I'm glad I did. Three easy reasons (and there are more):
- 3D printers for most of the good materials require heated beds and very tight calibration of the bed surface. Sure, easy to do on a CNC but it's a PITA and at least on the dedicated printer you don't have to swap back and forth between jobs.
- 3D printers make a lot less noise and mess. I'm happy to run mine in the study, no way I'd run a CNC in there.
- Speed/load. As already mentioned, the machines are quite different with 3D printers being very low load, high speed and CNC routers being more able to withstand deflection under cutting loads. My 3D printer, for example, runs 650mm/second (that's 1500IPM) rapids with 200mm/s2 acceleration and most of its lay-down work happens at 150-200IPM. I seriously doubt Mach3 could keep up with that let alone my CNC machine which seems to max out its rapids at 250IPM.

Seriously, spend an hour watching some of the Makers Muse videos on youtube - he reviews some surprisingly good printers that will run only a couple hundred bucks. You're going to have enough time banging your head against the wall learning about the devilish details of getting the printing working as it is. Even the simplest conversion is going to cost you about the same as a cheap printer delivered to your door. That conversion is going to take you forever to get working. Once it is working, the only thing about it that won't be a bitter disappointment is your ability to say "fvck the haters. I made this myself." And you'll have plenty of opportunity to say that because of how long even the simplest print will take.

Buy one that works, spend the DIY time you would have thrown away tinkering with your CNC making cool stuff with the working printer!

There are more to use about 3d printing as you can imagine. And you can use various mesh models for doing it, even some weird pixel-art schemes from diamond paintin - you just load it and you get completed art work, it's pale tho and you have to paint it by yourself, but if CNC works with coloring, it could be done automatic as well.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mr.Chips

Thanks for the comments but as a DIY’er I’ll add a print head to my existing CNC and make the parts I need to build a 3D printer.

You mention that the 3D printers are faster, not the ones I have seen run they are really slow compared to some of the speeds i run on some projects.

Mostly I’m wondering about the control and could it be done with my existing electronice?

Thanks for the comments

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Hi Mister Chips,

I'm finding this thread and jumping in a bit late to see if you got anywhere. Im in the same neighborhood in my think, just on a different street.
I think this is quite doable. I too like to work through the process by building something and learn how it all works (let alone, the money involved).

I have a small Chinese 3020 router that I'm hell bent to extrude 3D printing on. In my case, I want to do this without heat to extrude softened clay or paper mache clay into objects. Last night I completed testing my cold extruder that is currently operating independently from my 3 axis machine, which will require me to turn on and off and adjust the flow manually, but for a simple test print, its ok.
Here is a pic of my extruder:
https://www.cnczone.com/forums/attac...d=434510&stc=1


Here is a youtube clip of what I'm after with clay.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHzZiUiN5v8

I'm now trying to figure out how to get this into UCCNC if I can. I am sort of familiar with slicing software but do not know how to use the 3d print plugin in UCCNC to run the sliced file.
If I can't do that, I will buy the arduino boards and use them to drive the machine.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mr.Chips

Thanks for the comments but as a DIY’er I’ll add a print head to my existing CNC and make the parts I need to build a 3D printer.

You mention that the 3D printers are faster, not the ones I have seen run they are really slow compared to some of the speeds i run on some projects.

Mostly I’m wondering about the control and could it be done with my existing electronice?

Thanks for the comments

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Having 3 home made printers of different style..you can add hotend to CNC..dont worry it will work..

You might read our wiki article on converting a KFLOP CNC to 3D Printer. You might find some of the links useful.