Printing in Plastic: Build Your Own 3D Printer (Technology in Action)

✍ Scribed by Patrick Hood-Daniel, James Floyd Kelly

• Publisher: Apress
• Year: 2011
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 466
• Series: Technology in Action
• Edition: 1
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

Printing in Plastic: Build Your Own 3D Printer is your gateway into the exciting world of personal fabrication. The “printer” that you’ll build from this book is a personal fabricator capable of creating small parts and other objects from drops of molten plastic. Design a part using a modeling tool such as Google SketchUp. Then, watch while the fabricator head sweeps back and forth and upwards, depositing plastic in all the right places. You can build anything from a replacement tab to hold a bookshelf in place, to a small art project, to a bashguard for your bicycle. If you can conceive it and design it, you can build it, and you’ll have fun doing it!  Printing in Plastic is aimed at creative people comfortable using power tools such as a table saw, circular saw, and drill press. Authors James Kelly and Patrick Hood-Daniel lead you through building a personal fabrication machine based upon a set of blueprints downloaded from their website. Example projects get you started in designing and fabricating your own parts. Bring your handyman skills, and apply patience during the build process. You too can be the proud owner of a personal fabricator—a three-dimensional printer.       Leads you through building a personal fabrication machine capable of creating small parts and objects from plastic      Provides example projects to get you started on the road to designing and fabricating your own parts      Provides an excellent parent/child, or small group project            What you’ll learn     How to assemble your own 3D printer      The ins and outs of design software      How to design and produce three-dimensional parts made from plastic      How to replace small plastic parts in household objects      How to create art objects   Who this book is for           Printing in Plastic is aimed at creative people comfortable using power tools, such as a table saw, circular saw, drill press, and so forth. The book is aimed at those who want to create and fabricate tangible objects from plastic. Crafters, carpenters, electronics hobbyists, and others comfortable working with their hands will find the instructions easy to follow and the projects rewarding.            Table of Contents     What to Expect      Hardware and Tools      Tips & Advice      Cutting the Parts I      Cutting the Parts II      Advanced Cuts and Drilling I      Advanced Cuts and Drilling II      Advanced Cuts and Drilling III      Advanced Cuts and Drilling IV      Beginning Assembly      Sub-Assembly Work      Adding Structure      Motors and Movement      The Extruder      The Filament Feeding Mechanism      Mounting Electronics      Final Assembly Check      Software I      Software II      Trial Run I      Trial Run II      Self-Replication      Troubleshooting

✦ Table of Contents

Cover......Page 454
Contents at a Glance......Page 3
Contents......Page 457
About the Authors......Page 464
About the Technical Reviewers......Page 465
Acknowledgments......Page 466
What Exactly Do I Get?......Page 5
Welcome to the Future!......Page 6
What is a 3D Printer?......Page 8
Videos, Building Instructions, and Parts......Page 11
We Want to Hear from You......Page 12
Hardware and Tools......Page 14
The Power Tools......Page 15
Some Hand Tools......Page 26
Drill Bits and Counterbore Holes......Page 27
Summary......Page 33
Read the Entire Book First......Page 34
Examine the Plans......Page 35
Print the Plans at Actual Size......Page 37
Verify All Measurements......Page 38
Label the Parts......Page 40
Summary......Page 41
Before You Begin......Page 42
Lower Structural Sides – Parts A and B......Page 43
Table – Part C......Page 47
ZY Plate – Part D......Page 48
X-Axis Motor Mount – Part E......Page 51
Upper Structural Sides – Parts F and G......Page 52
Summary......Page 55
Y-Axis Rail Support – Part H......Page 56
Table Bearing Supports – Parts I and J......Page 58
Z-Axis Rail Support – Part K......Page 60
Z-Axis Bearing Support – Part L......Page 62
Z-Axis Motor Mount – Part M......Page 64
Z-Axis Nut Mount – Part N......Page 66
Machine Back – Part O......Page 68
Extruder Bearing Hinge I – Part P......Page 70
Extruder Bearing Hinge II – Part Q......Page 72
Summary......Page 74
Z-Axis Nut Mount – Part N......Page 76
Z-Axis Motor Mount – Part M......Page 83
Summary......Page 93
Z-Axis Bearing Support – Part L......Page 94
Y-Axis Rail Support – Part H......Page 97
Machine Back – Part O......Page 104
Lower Structural Side – Part A and B......Page 107
X-Axis Motor Mount – Part E......Page 116
Summary......Page 124
Upper Structural Sides – Parts F and G......Page 126
ZY Plate – Part D......Page 131
Y-Axis Motor Mount – Part R......Page 133
Table Bearing Supports – Parts I and J......Page 136
Summary......Page 141
Extruder Bearing Hinge 1 – Part P......Page 142
Extruder Bearing Hinge 2 – Part Q......Page 146
Table – Part C......Page 151
Z-Axis Rail Support – Part K......Page 155
Summary......Page 160
Required Hardware and Parts Summary......Page 162
Extruder Placeholder and Z-Axis Rails......Page 163
Attach the Z-Axis Bearing Support......Page 169
Attach V-Groove Bearings to ZY Plate......Page 171
Attach Z-Axis Nut Mount......Page 178
Summary......Page 180
Preparing the Y-Axis Rail Support......Page 182
Attaching the Upper Structural Sides......Page 187
Preparing the Tabletop......Page 190
Summary......Page 194
Required Hardware and Parts Summary......Page 196
Adding the Z-Axis Lead Screw......Page 197
Assemble Table Bearing Supports......Page 204
Add Bearing Supports to Lower Structural Sides......Page 208
Attach Lower Structural Sides......Page 212
Summary......Page 215
Required Hardware and Parts Summary......Page 216
Adding the X-Axis Motor and Motor Mount......Page 217
Adding the Z-Axis Motor and Motor Mount......Page 226
Adding the Y-Axis Motor and Motor Mount......Page 231
Adding Tension Rods and the Table......Page 235
Adding Belts to X and Y Axes......Page 238
Summary......Page 245
Required Hardware and Parts Summary......Page 246
Prepare the Extruder......Page 247
Soldering the PTFE Wire......Page 256
Add the Thermocouple......Page 263
Add Ceramic Tape and Wrap......Page 265
Summary......Page 273
Required Parts Summary......Page 274
Attach Extruder Bearing Hinges I and II......Page 275
Add the Stepper Motor......Page 278
Attach the Filament Feed Components......Page 280
Attaching the Extruder......Page 284
Attach the Filament Feed Mechanism and the Extruder to the 3D Printer......Page 288
Summary......Page 291
Attach Arduino Mega and Motherboard......Page 292
Attach the X-Axis Stepper Motor Driver......Page 299
Attach the Y-Axis and Z-Axis Stepper Motor Drivers......Page 300
Attach the Extruder Stepper Motor Driver......Page 304
Attach the Extruder Controller......Page 306
Summary......Page 307
Connect X-Axis Motor Driver to Motherboard......Page 308
Connect Yand Z-Axis Motor Drivers to Motherboard......Page 316
Connect the Thermocouple Wire......Page 319
Connect the Power Resistor Wires......Page 321
Connect Extruder Motor Driver and Controller......Page 322
Summary......Page 327
Connect Motors to Motor Drivers......Page 328
Connect Power to Components......Page 334
Adding the Endstops......Page 346
Axis Naming Conventions......Page 355
Summary......Page 357
Download Required Software......Page 358
Add or Update Firmware to Motherboard......Page 364
Install Motherboard Firmware......Page 367
Install Extruder Controller Firmware......Page 377
Summary......Page 381
Configure the 3D Printer......Page 382
Checking the Axes for Proper Movement......Page 386
Homing the Machine......Page 390
Prepare Skeinforge......Page 393
Time to Print......Page 397
whiteAnt Logo......Page 403
Summary......Page 404
Prepare Extruder Mounting Base......Page 406
Attach Extruder to Filament Feed Mechanism......Page 413
Modify Z-Axis Rail to Hold Extruder Mechanism......Page 419
Hardware List......Page 424
Converting to a CNC Machine......Page 428
CNC variation of whiteAnt:......Page 430
Content......Page 431
Other Resources......Page 432
A......Page 434
B
......Page 435
C......Page 436
D......Page 437
E......Page 438
F......Page 439
H......Page 440
L......Page 441
M......Page 442
N......Page 444
P......Page 445
S......Page 447
T......Page 450
W......Page 451
Y......Page 452
Z......Page 453