The world of 3D printing is constantly evolving. Many of the patents on 3D printers have run out. This has allowed many startups to build their own 3D printers. Searching funding web sites, such as Kickstarter, Indiegogo etc., will return numerous 3D printers that the startups are trying to produce. Some of the 3D printers look as though they are ready for production while others look as though they still need more development . There is a vast array of 3D printers for every need and budget.

Not so long ago, any 3D printer required a sizable investment even for a small printer. Many 3D printers still cost well into the six figure range. This is for larger 3D printers with larger build volumes. They can also print in materials other than plastic (such as several types of metal and ceramics to name a few.

But a “do-it-yourselfer” can obtain plans for printers that can cost them under one hundred dollars. Browsing the internet, you will find hundreds of plans for 3D printers. Printer plans need to be checked carefully. Some plans look fairly straight forward while others look rather involved. The majority of the plans that I have seen are for Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) printers. FDM printers use a plastic filament to lay down layers of plastic to build the object. There are also plans for Stereolithographic (SLA) printers that use a laser to cure a thin layer of liquid resin to build the object. In addition, there are plans for Digital Light Processing (DLP) printers. DLP printers are very similar to SLA printers; the difference between them is that DLP printers use a focused beam of light to cure the resin while SLA printers use a laser. The cost of building a SLA or DLP printer is about the same as building a FDM printer. However plastic filament is less expensive than liquid resin. There is a larger variety of plastics available for FDM printers.

Some of the “do-it-yourself” 3D printer plans call for framework to be made of wood. This requires at least an understanding of precision woodworking. Just nailing some boards together is not enough. Other printer plans call for a metal framework. Again, a knowledge of metalworking is required for a precision build. Many of the printer plans call for plastic parts to be made on a 3D printer. In most cases the parts are available for sale.

For those who are interested in building their own 3D printer but don’t have the skills or equipment to make the precision parts there are kits. The prices can vary, and generally depends on the quality of the kit. The more expensive kits will generally have higher quality components. The high priced kits are also expected to produce high quality pieces. This is not always the case, so a good bit of research is required before a kit is decided upon.

Production 3D printers are sometimes less expensive than many kits. However, the old axiom that says “you get what you pay for” often still holds true. Research is the best way to find the device that is the best fit, which can be rather tedious. There are sites, such as this one, that have done some of that research. These sites will have reviews of some of the equipment intended to help in the decision process. We will be doing as many reviews as we can. Unfortunately, the time required to build the 3D printers and make all the adjustments, does not allow us time to review them.

We would like to hear from people who have built their own scanners and printers. Please send us an email describing which plans or kit you used, and what your results were.