Adding 3D printer ability to my CNC / advice needed please

[dudz]

Cost of all parts to put 3D printing ability on my cnc, around 530 euros plus connectors / time / waiting for parts and shipping costs

Cost of a He3D RepRap Prusa i3 - 3D Printer Kit With LCD around 370 euros

Is it worth the extra cost ??

[Boyan Silyavski]

How did you calculate that 530 euros? Double head setup? 1 head setup is around 250 shipped to you. Look below. I suggest powering the bed and the hot end 220V via cheap ceramic elements the right size ~5 euro at ebay and using separate cheap PID control, look 2nd snip below. Thats much cheaper than dedicated board which needs 12VDc or 24VDC. The only thing thats left from my calc is the driver.

But you are absolutely right, 2 head setup will be that money. The suggested setup we were speaking above is Top notch, full metal heads and reliable extruders. I believe, yes its worth it if you will use it.

My line of thought is this. If you prototype or produce something with strange shape from plastic, it would pay on the second job. Imagine making something bulky from solid plastic, wow, it will be very expensive. Imagine then making it where necessary and only surface machine it later. Thats where the 3d printing will shine, though most of the guys are unaware of that cause they don't have CNC routers.


But if you want to play around and make a couple of parts, just prepare 2 head setup but buy one head, so if you need later just buy the second head.

[dudz]

No single.
Well that's certainly cheaper than what i looked at thanks.
The driver I am looking at is around 29 pounds, and I have to get a 4 axis Bob as mine is a 3 axis (has to be USB controlled 200khz as I have no printer port = 65 pounds)
To get a double head setup.....buy two extruders and 2x nozzles ??

I guess the bed on ebay is "slightly better" as it comes complete, but then there is an added post charge. Does nobody make larger heated beds ? I'd like one the same size as my cutting bed 500x300

Apart from all the parts above and a custom made Z plate adapter for all of it, is there any other hardware needed (apart from cable/connectors) ?

[dudz]

I wonder if these are any good

Extruder double ; http://sunhokeytech.en.alibaba.com/product/1961767180-222203505/Galvanic_couple_dual_extruder_3d_printer.html




http://ly3dtech.en.alibaba.com/product/1914798959-220596218/Reprap_3D_Printser_used_Heatbed_MK2a_300mm.html

[Boyan Silyavski]

yeah, the bed you can get from aliexpress . Here are the guys that actually make them , so they can make one for your exact machine but first check cause they have many sizes

I would rather start with only 1 good extruder and hot end than 2 bad ones. And build piece by piece the system if i dont have the cash to buy it right now.
I know its hard but you have to take the bullet if you want to sleep well in the future.

The better the system the better will look the final product and more precise.

[dudz]

Are the better beds the ones heated by the silicone type or the ones with copper strips ? ........

Ah Ha.... The silicone ones give better "all over" heat Transfer

I can't see how the silicone ones would mount to the top glass build plate

Now I know..... Silicone pad goes on metal plate, covered by Glass build plate

[dudz]

Ok, Im in the oozest shopping cart. What filament size should I be starting with do you think ?
If I am using the bulldog extruder, I think it is 12V, so 12V PSU.

[Boyan Silyavski]

depends what size you will get cheaper. i would start with the thinner one b ut as i think it over 3mm will be better choice. cause later if you need some modification or whatever it can spit faster material. 12v PSU ATx from old pc is best then

[dudz]

I'm curious to know "after putting everything together" how much setting up and calibrating should I expect to do, to get the system running properly ?

[Neale]

I'm curious to know "after putting everything together" how much setting up and calibrating should I expect to do, to get the system running properly ?

If you think that there is a bit of black magic about getting speeds, feeds and depths of cut right with a router or mill, then you ain't seen nothing yet... There is probably as much art as science in the current 3D printing technology. Admittedly, you will probably have better chance of success in using a commercial hot-end on the extruder (mine is all home-made) but there is a whole set of parameters to tweak, from hot-end temperature to layer height, from printing speed to nozzle calibration. Have you seen how many parameters there are in something like Slic3r, which is a popular slicing package? (That is, the 3D equivalent of CAM and toolpath generation). It's a lot of fun, but I'm not sure that fused-filament 3D printing is quite as straightforward as the current hype suggests. I built my printer about 2 years ago and even though I've printed a fair bit of useful stuff on it, I'm still learning.