Hello from a not so sunny South Shields today . I bought an Ender 3 last June during the first lockdown here in the UK, and as I have spent more time upgrading/fettling/testing it than just printing with it, which I have thoroughly enjoyed (in between pulling my already thinning hair out). So I have decided to have a go at building my own 3D printer, which has brought me here, and am pretty sure I will start a build thread in due course. So to my question, which is one about starting the design of the frame/mechanics. Where is the best place to start this part? I may have put the cart before the horse, but I have already decided on a lot of the parts I want to use and pretty much the style I want to build. Would you start with the build plate size, footprint/volume overall, etc? Rather than jumping in and potentially wasting time, I thought I might as well ask those with more experience. Thanks in advance .
Thanks, I have spent quite a lot of time looking through there, I have pretty much decided on a cantilever/crane style cartesian printer. I want something with small footprint, and that wont be too complicated to design and build, due to space constraints as well as my experience. I was assuming that staring with the build plate is the way to go, but not sure if this is the best way to start or best practice, if you see what I mean.
If I were starting a printer build from scratch, the first thing I'd do is determine the build plate size. Since what matters is the bit between the nozzle and the bed, it's the natural place to startAssuming moving Y axis plate (like the Ender), that gives you an approximate base depth, and to some extent an X axis gantry length. Depending on how you connect the X gantry to the base gives you your base width and possibly any additional X length, and your total build height (and the rigidity of your column) sets the length of your Z axis parts. Then you start adding motors, screws, belts, etc and build out from there. Some things might have to move or flip depending on what's physically possible, some things might have to be enlarged or reinforced if you want to do something that a component can't achieve by itself. If you have space constraints some things might have to shrink, maybe you lose build volume. It's an iterative process but unless you're designing to an existing structure or space limitation, I would avoid designing outside-in.
