{"id":1931,"date":"2014-08-28T21:54:41","date_gmt":"2014-08-29T04:54:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digitalnigel.com\/wordpress\/?p=1931"},"modified":"2014-08-28T21:55:01","modified_gmt":"2014-08-29T04:55:01","slug":"3d-printer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/digitalnigel.com\/wordpress\/?p=1931","title":{"rendered":"3D Printer"},"content":{"rendered":"

Recently a friend of mine sent me a number of parts he had laying around to get me started on building a 3D printer. The parts he sent, plus some time, and a few parts I could buy would combine into a machine for making objects out of rolls of plastic.<\/p>\n

Once his shipment arrived, it was time for me to construct the frame, which everything else would attach to. I ended up building the frame from some finish plywood I picked up at the local Home Depot. After which came the measuring and cutting. Of course, I had my puppy helper to distract me.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_0862\"<\/a><\/p>\n

After the panels were cut, I grabbed the iPad for directions, and my finish nail gun to tack the whole thing together.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_0868\"<\/a><\/p>\n

And with the magic of the finish nail gun, nearly instantaneously a frame appeared before my eyes.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_0872\"<\/a><\/p>\n

After the frame was built, it was time to start attaching parts to it. First to come was the X axis and carriage, and the Z axis that supports it.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_0907\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Next came the Y axis which has the bed, and moves back and forth underneath the X axis.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_0913\"<\/a>Then, through the magic of not taking pictures, all the electronics get installed and the printer is complete!<\/p>\n

\"IMG_1074\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Then it came down to fiddling all the settings, and tuning things here and there, and calibration, and repeating everything, and etc, etc, until finally you get something printed!<\/p>\n

\"IMG_0968\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Hey! Look at that! It’s a box! Also, for the heck of it, I put my magnifier on the box. Oooooh 60X magnification!<\/p>\n

\"IMG_0972\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Anyway, after all the initial calibration is done, you can start doing fancy parts, like this freaking awesome gear bearing I printed!<\/p>\n