That’s the question that [Michael Lundwall] set out to answer when he decided on a whim to design his 3D printer. His DIY 3D printer on Thingiverse holds two filament spools, has an extruder based on RepRap and is controlled by the ubiquitous Arduino Mega 2560. It even prints PLA, doesn’t require exotic rods or bearings, and was built for about €600.
The only problem with building another 3D printer is that you need another 3D printer to make it! That was what seemed to be holding up [Lundwall]’s progress until he realized that there are 3D models for just about everything. Then, after designing some-cut parts, buying more rods, wires, and electronics for his build, [Lundwall] was able to get his 3D printer up and printing.
The idea of designing parts for 3D printers with a 3D printer is nothing new. We’ve seen it done before with RepRaps themselves, so the fact that [Lundwall]’s 3D printer printed PLA isn’t exactly surprising; what’s novel about this design is its ease of construction. Anyone can assemble RepRap machines without too much hassle, but setting them up correctly is still an involved process that requires some know-how. With [Lundwall]’s simple (and cheap) design requiring only rods and bearings in addition to the RepRap itself, it brings us ever closer to a self-replicating machine.
There’s no doubt that [Lundwall]’s printer is smaller than the average RepRap, but as far as we know, it could be used as a base for any number of larger designs. If you decide to give his plan a try, consider uploading your files so those in need can use them and help move us one step closer to 3D printers that can print themselves.
If that isn’t enough proof of concept for you, check out this recently uploaded Thingiverse project: A 3D model of itself! The description states: “I was bored and decided it would be cool if I could make another version of this slicer…so I made the thing that makes the thing.”
And then: “This is a version of Cura (which I like to use) called…Cura1 – I’m not sure what to call it. Anyways, this is another version of cure, but it’s made in cura.”
What is the brutal truth about owning a 3D printer?
If you don’t have your 3D printer, then you can’t make another one (or at least it’s way more complex, and the results are generally worse because hand-measurement isn’t as accurate).
The next time you see someone asking if they can print their Replicator, laugh in their face. This is the age of self-replicating machines; we hold the capability to build anything by ourselves in our hands. But it might as well not exist if there aren’t any building instructions for it on Thingiverse or Youmagine. It’s not impossible that someday this will be an irreplaceable skill that only a few dedicated hobbyists share secretly via closed forums. If that day comes, then the age of self-replicating machines will be over.
What is the best place to get a 3D printer?
If you have the money, the best place to get a 3D printer is Shapeways. Their printers are excellent, and when it comes to getting prints done on every material, they are hands down one of the best places in the world. You can buy your machine from them but keep in mind that at $30000-$50000, they are costly. If you’re not planning on buying a 3D printer anytime soon, I’d say go for this option! It’s convenient, and they will be able to produce excellent results with whatever you feed their machines.
The second best way is to order locally if someone nearby has a 3d printing shop or something similar. All these services have been multiplying in recent years, and there’s a lot of people who want to get into this.
If you don’t have the money and you’re not planning on getting one anytime soon, I’d say go for an online printing service like Shapeways or materialize. Just don’t spend too much on parts unless you know exactly what you’re doing! The reason is that once your 3D printer is working (assuming it does work), then materials become very cheap for you because instead of paying $100 every time to print something small, you can buy a pound of ABS plastic, and it will be super cheap.
Can you buy a 3D printer online?
To some degree, yes. There are many places where you can buy your 3D printer, but keep in mind that the more requirements the machine has, the higher the price. For example, some people buy their printers from Amazon with a nice discount for Prime members. This is usually not a bad idea but make sure to check reviews before buying anything! I’ve heard many stories of people getting ripped off when it came to 3d printers simply because they didn’t know what they were buying, and it turned out not to be excellent quality. So if you’re looking for one of these machines, try to do your research first before any purchase.
and lastly-
What is the most inexpensive way?
This depends on what precisely you mean by the most inexpensive way. You can get used 3d printers for really cheap from websites like Shoppok, but keep in mind that it might be one of those machines which are only good with specific materials, so you’ll have to do a bit more research on each model before buying it.
3D printing has become the hot new thing in the technology sector over the past few years. So many people talk about their fantastic success stories regarding using them nowadays, whether they’re engineers at NASA, scientists working on cancer research, or just regular “Joe Schmoes” using them to design fun little devices or toys for themselves and their children. Wanting is not necessarily needed though, as I found out after buying myself a $700 3D printer from China, and now I’m sitting here wondering what all the fuss is about (This page tells you more).
Sure, it’s cool to be able to print my little knickknacks as cell phone cases or guitar picks out of some god-awful-looking pink filament that cost me an arm and a leg for. Still, I’ve yet to find any practical value in printing anything based on free designs off of Thingiverse or some other website, as there are so many caveats involved with this process.
