If you're building a printer you designed yourself, awesome.

If you're building a printer someone else designed, good luck ;)

If you're building a kit you purchased, don't be shy about bothering the manufacturer.

If your printer is already fully assembled and ready to go it's still a good idea to skim through here as an educational thing.

General construction
  • Read the instructions all the way through before starting
  • Keep good notes
  • Measure twice, cut once
  • Don't take risks with your eyes and hands
  • Respect the danger of things that get hot, power tools, and fumes in confined spaces
General printers
  • The linear motion elements must be rigid (no flex), consistent (same dimension everywhere), and tough (high wear resistance)
  • all moving parts must be properly lubricated
  • all fasteners must be properly tightened
  • all wires must be secured so that they do not catch on moving parts, rub on edges, or bend too sharply
  • anything that heats up must be isolated (distance, active cooling or insulation)
  • anything that heats up must be allowed to expand and contract
Thermoplastic printers
  • anything that comes in contact with molten plastic will wear out sooner or later
Cartesian printers
  • The X, Y and Z axis must be perfectly aligned
    • If there are two linear controls for one axis they must be parallel
    • Each axis must be perpendicular
references

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