Hey all!
After many days spent on it, the Makerfarm Prusa i3 8" 3D Printer which I found at the tip shop for $20 now works. I tore it down, cleaned all the motion components and stiffened up the frame where I could using aluminium U sections. Beyond a small amount of hardware and a new thermistor, I didn't use any new components to get it back up and running. In fact, it's still running the ancient stock firmware! I was only comfortable doing this because it had thermal runaway protection enabled. Nonetheless, there were many set backs along the way which I'll be sharing shortly in the full video.
Unfortunately the hot end is completely garbage and cannot handle retractions without jamming. I can only imagine how frustrated the original owner must have been and can see why it ended up at the dump!
Thanks for supporting Maker's Muse! I hope you have more success with your 3D Printers than I did with this one :)
Angus
Ben Hoover
Angus Deveson
Todd Moore
Angus Deveson
Alvin Frederiksen
So I was very pleasantly surprised to see a video about this printer on Youtube.
So I simply had to join this community, in order to possibly talk more about this piece of 3D printer history.
And now I see there are even more videos about this printer. Super! I love it.
Awesome stuff 👍
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Did you ever find useable design files?
Do you have a link to the ones that were glitchy?
And would it be possible to iron out the glitches?
I would love to give it a go, to see if I could bring those files to a functional state. As I think this re-cycle find warrants some effort, to future proof the beginning of your 3D Retro museum pieces.
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As a side note, I have the worlds first Rep-strapped RepRap Mendel 3D printer sitting on a shelf in my living room.
I did not make this printer my self, my friend Kulitorum is the creator. But he has kindly agreed to let me be the caretaker of this printer. This Mendel 3D printer made its first prints in the spring of 2010.
I also have a couple of old Ultimaker Original (UMO) 3D printers stacked by using a couple of "Ultimaker Spacers", sitting next to the Reprap Mendel.
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Either way, I love these Retro 3D printers.
And I can't wait to see what you might come up with next, in order to get your old Retro 3D printer to be able to make some prints..... where retraction also works 😲
Alvin Frederiksen
Because I have nothing to compare with, this issue never entered my mind, but it makes a lot of sense.
If you are able to measure some sections somewhere on the printer, I will be happy to try to apply the appropriate scaling to the files.
Once the pieces are organized on sheets, in Corel Draw, then scaling is likely to be an easy task to do.
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And yes, some of those gaps are likely to originate from an time optimized cutting path.
Or might even come from a choice of keeping all the pieces still lightly hooked together after the cutting process, for ease of packaging and shipping..
Alvin Frederiksen
Incidentally, for some years now, I have been dabbling with designing a RAMPS version that would make it easier to use TMC2130 (SPI) or TMC2209 (Rx/Tx) stepper drivers. Easier, as in, possibly fewer wires on top of the RAMPS board.
But then again, part of the 2013 Retro experience, would be needing to deal with all of those extra wires.
So I am curious to see what you think might be an okay Retro way, to improve the noise level of that old wooden 3D printer.
Either way, after a couple of versions of RAMPS boards, where feature-creep snuck in, and made them either bigger shields, or so compact and fiddley, that it became mostly impractical to use, I think I have a version that is simple, small, and yet, has just enough extra features to make it slightly more useable for the quieter TMC stepper drivers.
And inspired by your recent Youtube video, I did some finishing touches on the PCB, and sent for a prototype PCB production just yesterday, I expect to see some PCBs in about two weeks.
Alvin Frederiksen
Upgrading better printers, rather than this Reto printer does make good sense.
Shival Wolf
Its a topic i have not seen around much but upcycling old 3d printer. What to do with an old/broken 3d printer? what could the parts be used for? is there anything that could be done with all these parts that don't involve putting them into another printer
Angus Deveson