SLA Project built with (mostly) recycled/salvaged parts.
Posted: Sat Jan 04, 2014 3:53 pm
Hello everybody,
Let me start by thanking Steve for putting together such a wonderful piece of software.
I want to share my handiwork with all of you. Initially my only intention was to build a machine completely from scratch, you know, buying the steppers, gears, aluminum extrusion, etc.. but then I came up with a better idea.
I work in electronics and computers recycling and it's amazing the amount and variety of stuff that goes through my hands. I knew that eventually would get together all the parts I needed with as little expense as possible.
A couple of months ago I had been experimenting with a CNC mill and I had some leftovers that I have been able to use as well.
So, here's my list of components and the places I have gotten them from:
• First, the Z axis. This one I bought already made on eBay, I paid 249.00 bucks with free shipping. I don't know much about it but looks pretty solid and seems to have enough torque.
• The wooden box was obtained from a discarded sub-woofer enclosure. It has plenty of room for a projector. All the cabling and controllers will be placed inside for a more professional look. To prevent skewing, or tilting of the z-axis, it is reinforced with recycled aluminum plates on the bottom.
• The acrylic frame that will surround the vat was found inside a discarded LCD monitor, it is 3/8" thick and it is very strong, too bad it is not transparent so it could be used to build the vat as well.
• The build platform is made of black anodized aluminum and was the heat sink for an old computer processor
• The stepper driver was a leftover from the CNC project I mentioned above, I have another left and I'm planning on using it for the tilt mechanism.
• The piece of fused glass I bought on eBay, the seller took a bit longer than I expected to ship, but to compensate, he sent me another piece along with the most transparent pieces of glass I have ever seen. I'll probably have those etched with laser with a logo or something and place them on the finished machine.
• The arduino was bought on eBat also, it is loaded with GRBL.
• The power supply for the stepper driver came form a discarded printer.
As you can see, my expenses so far have been around 300.00. I know this means nothing if the machine turns out not to be functional, but I am taking all the possible steps to make this machine something I am really proud of.
Let me start by thanking Steve for putting together such a wonderful piece of software.
I want to share my handiwork with all of you. Initially my only intention was to build a machine completely from scratch, you know, buying the steppers, gears, aluminum extrusion, etc.. but then I came up with a better idea.
I work in electronics and computers recycling and it's amazing the amount and variety of stuff that goes through my hands. I knew that eventually would get together all the parts I needed with as little expense as possible.
A couple of months ago I had been experimenting with a CNC mill and I had some leftovers that I have been able to use as well.
So, here's my list of components and the places I have gotten them from:
• First, the Z axis. This one I bought already made on eBay, I paid 249.00 bucks with free shipping. I don't know much about it but looks pretty solid and seems to have enough torque.
• The wooden box was obtained from a discarded sub-woofer enclosure. It has plenty of room for a projector. All the cabling and controllers will be placed inside for a more professional look. To prevent skewing, or tilting of the z-axis, it is reinforced with recycled aluminum plates on the bottom.
• The acrylic frame that will surround the vat was found inside a discarded LCD monitor, it is 3/8" thick and it is very strong, too bad it is not transparent so it could be used to build the vat as well.
• The build platform is made of black anodized aluminum and was the heat sink for an old computer processor
• The stepper driver was a leftover from the CNC project I mentioned above, I have another left and I'm planning on using it for the tilt mechanism.
• The piece of fused glass I bought on eBay, the seller took a bit longer than I expected to ship, but to compensate, he sent me another piece along with the most transparent pieces of glass I have ever seen. I'll probably have those etched with laser with a logo or something and place them on the finished machine.
• The arduino was bought on eBat also, it is loaded with GRBL.
• The power supply for the stepper driver came form a discarded printer.
As you can see, my expenses so far have been around 300.00. I know this means nothing if the machine turns out not to be functional, but I am taking all the possible steps to make this machine something I am really proud of.