There are many DIY 3D printer designs available on the internet.  While there are dozens of designs out there, almost all of them require precision rails/bearings.  Most printers require two precision rails and at least three linear bearings per axis, for a total of 6 rails and 9-12 bearings.  Even so called “delta” printers tend to actually be linear-delta machines, requiring just as many rails/bearings.  It’s these precision components that really drive the trade between price and precision in a DIY printer.

Many DIY designs require 3D printed parts.  It’s pretty cool that you can build parts for a 3D printer on a 3D printer, but what if you don’t have a 3D printer in the first place?

This is our solution.

Design details to come... The printer has been our workhorse at Tropical Labs for over a year now.  We feel that it is time to document the design.