Build of a RepRap Prusa Mendel 3D Printer
See my website and click on images for full size pictures, and for readable BOM and Time to Build Spreadsheets.
11-7-2012
I ordered the complete kit (on sale) from Makerfarm, which included all the major parts except the drill rod and threaded rod, which I ordered from McMaster-Carr on 11-9. Makerfarm has a good reputation, and has a great set of build instructions and videos. See the web site for the BOM.
Makerfarm also sells them on Ebay. It will look like below when done, and also a picture of the kit:
My planned toolchain is 123D, Slic3r, Pronterface(Printrun), and Marlin.
11-12-2012 and 11-13-2012
Rods arrive, and next day I cut them.
11-14-2012
Kit arrives, everything was very well packaged. Framework started.
11-15-2012
Framework almost complete. Refined X spacing to match electronics mounting plate and linear bearings on printing surface. Finished Y axis, X and Z axis started.
11-16-2012
X and Z finished. All temporary wired except for Z steppers. Hot end connector wrong, no instructions on how to parallel two z steppers to one connector. Serial port driver won't work on Win8.
11-17-2012
Installed printer driver inf file on another PC (Win7), installed Pronterface and Slic3r, played around and made a movie of FIRST MOVES!
It's ALIVE!
And of course, the first movement video!
11-17-2012 continued
Neater temporary routing of wires. Paralleled the Z steppers. Plugged it all back in, and getting a pronterface error that hotpoint temp is at 298, over the max temp, and process is killed. Used up 3 hours and problem not solved. Tomorrow is another day.
11-18-2012
Fixed the reversed wire (stupid me), changed the tie-down location for the extruder wires to give more room for the filament to feed. Extruder goes forward and reverse OK, and feeds filament. Still noise in Y axis, and homing works strangely (Z goes up to home), need to figure out, then fix, then calibrate.
11-18-2012 continued
Decided instead to slice a model. Here is the Prontrface picture. Forgot I had to figure out the axis directions, so no movie yet.
11-19-2012
X,Y,Z all moving and homing OK. Changed pulley diameter and belt teeth to correct values for 2.5mm pulleys (16 and 2.5mm) and everything is done except for using some real cable ties and some wire loom to neaten everything up. A few pictures and a video of printing the Hollow Cube (Mine ain't!) from the supplied file. I need to tighten belts, got some slippage as seen in the closeup.
And of course the first printing video!
Cost to build a Makerfarm Prusa Mendel
Material Source Cost
Threaded Rods 5/16 18 feet McMaster-Carr 15.69
Drill Rods 5/16 9 feet McMaster-Carr 40.68
Kapton Tape McMaster-Carr 4.21
Shipping McMaster-Carr 19.83
Total 80.41
ATX Power Supply Amazon 23.99
Shipping Amazon 0.00
Total 23.99
V2 Linear Prusa Kit - Deluxe Version 5/16 Makerfarm 499.95
Printrboard upgrade from Gen6 Makerfarm 19.00
Aluminum T2.5 Gears & T2.5 Belt upgrade Makerfarm 9.00
Heated Bed kit (Included) Makerfarm 0.00
.35mm Heated Nozzle Kit (Included) Makerfarm 0.00
2.2lb (1kg) 3mm Orange PLA Filament Makerfarm 39.00
Shipping Makerfarm 28.05
Total 595.00
Grand Total 699.40
Time to build a Prusa Mendel
Date Work Completed Start Time End Time Hours
11-13-2012 Cut rods 2:00 PM 3:00 PM 1
11-14-2012 Framework started 6:00 PM 10:00 PM 4
11-15-2012 Framework almost complete, Y axis finished, X and Z started 1:00 PM 9:00 PM 8
11-16-2012 X and Z finished. All temporary wired except for Z steppers. 7:00 AM 8:00 PM 13
11-17-2012 Installed software and played 5:00 AM 7:00 AM 2
11-17-2012 Paralleled the Z steppers. Trouble shot problem. 9:00 AM 2:00 PM 5
11-18-2012 Fixed some stuff 7:00 AM 9:00 AM 2
11-18-2012 Working on reversed movements on Z axis 12:00 PM 1:00 PM 1
11-19-2012 X,Y,Z all moving and homing OK. Calibrated for 2.5mm pulleys 7:00 AM 2:00 PM 7
Total Hours 43
11-20-2012
Some nice wireloom on my baby to pretty her up. Belts are tightened, looking at Thingiverse.com for something neat to make.