3D Printing FAQ

Or... everything you wanted to know about 3D printing, but were afraid to ask.

What is a 3D printer? It is a machine that you convert your ideas from a CAD file on your PC into plastic reality. It consists of a Hot End, which melts and deposits a line of plastic, an Extruder (or Cold End) which pushed plastic filament into the hot end at a specific rate, a Printbed which is the surface that the plastic is deposited on, and the Frame, with motors and electronics that move things around to produce your object. Below, a Mendel Tricolour from RepRapPro.com, a representative home-built 3D printer.

It looks a little complicated, and it is. But a reasonably intelligent person with a lot of attention to detail can build one. Kits for 3D printers can range from $300 to $1500 (or more).Many people opt to buy a printer from a manufacturer, which means that after uncrating it, you do some calibration and you are ready to print in short order. This costs about 2-4 times what an equivalent kit costs, but in return, it is ready to go and you get support from the manufacturer should something go wrong. Kit manufacturers may or may not offer support; it's best to do some advance research on a company that you're planning to buy from, whether you are seeking a kit or a ready-to-run machine.

More to be added soon!

 

The estimable Mr. Jenks suggested that I add the following:

How the printing process works: Fused filament fabrication - RepRapWiki
The basics:RepRap Options - RepRapWiki
Picking a Machine: RepRap Machines - RepRapWiki and Category:Mechanical arrangement - RepRapWiki
Electronics details: List of electronics - RepRapWiki
Firmware details: List of Firmware - RepRapWiki
And the CAM tool chain: CAM Toolchains - RepRapWiki

Mark also suggested: if you want a kit machine with a lot of community support, is to pick a machine that has a very active forum. The top machine forums are Mendel and Prusa Mendel, Mendel 90, and Ormerod.

I agree, and I haunt the RepRap forums frequently; it's a good place to see problems that people have posted, and the suggestions/fixes they receive from experienced users.