C3D-Rom Drive Printer

thingiverse

Mini 3D Printer Built from Recycled CD-Rom Drives and Spare Parts This DIY project showcases a compact 3D printer built using three recycled CD-Rom drives, a few additional components, and some creativity. The printer boasts a printable area of approximately 40 x 40 x 40 mm. You can witness the printer in action by visiting https://youtu.be/u6P5-a8fF3A. The design is inspired by the eWaste-60 3D Printer Instructables project and further enhanced with modifications found on Thingiverse at https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3625715. Warning: This printer may not operate as reliably as a standard 3D printer due to the weak stepper motors in the CD-Rom drives, which can burn out when subjected to high currents or excessive hotend movement. Even at low currents, these motors tend to overheat and lose steps. Additional Components Required: - E3D V6 Hotend (or clone) - Bowden tube (30-40cm) - Normal stepper motor for the extruder - 3D printer mainboard (Anet A8 used here; modify the stepper current as instructed at https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4328203) - Endstops (normal endstops work fine, but switches from CD-Rom drives can be used) - Aluminum print-bed plate (70x70x3mm) with 3 pre-drilled holes - Springs for the print-bed (found in CD-Rom drives) - Various lengths of 3mm screws and nuts - Cables for stepper motors (old IDE cables, but not recommended due to stiffness) - Power supply (12V, around 5A; an old ATX power supply works fine) Tools Needed: - Soldering iron - Saw and drill - Crimp tool Building Instructions: 1. Disassemble the CD-Rom drives and inspect the steppers and linear rods. 2. The steppers should have approximately 5cm of lead-screw, while the linear rods must be at least 7.5cm long to fit within the axis-base. 3. Collect as many screws as possible from the CD-Rom drives for use throughout the project. 4. Obtain springs and switches if desired. All axes employ the same design (axis-base, axis-carriage, lead-screw-nut), with slight variations visible in the pictures due to modifications made without reprinting parts. Begin by printing and assembling the three axes. - The linear rods are secured using 2mm screws on one side and 3mm screws on the other, allowing for different lengths while preventing slippage. - Tighten the 3mm screws carefully to avoid bending the printed axis-base. - Find small 2mm screws in the CD-Rom drives for this purpose. For the Y-axis, attach the print-bed-mount and the print-bed itself. For the X-axis, mount the Z-axis. The Z-axis is completed by attaching the hotend-mount. Don't forget to install the 3mm screws for endstops on the axis-carriages. After assembling the axes, move on to printing and assembling the frame, consulting the pictures or attached FreeCAD file for part placement and requirements. Firmware Adjustments: This printer uses Marlin firmware with the following settings: - x,y,z DEFAULT_AXIS_STEPS_PER_UNIT: 110 - x,y,z DEFAULT_MAX_FEEDRATE: 20 - x,y,z DEFAULT_MAX_ACCELERATION: 100 - DEFAULT_XJERK: 3.0 - DEFAULT_YJERK: 3.0 Additional adjustments specific to the mainboard and display used can be found in a branch on GitHub at https://github.com/b3n3d1k7/Marlin/tree/1.1.x_Anet_A8_CDROM_Printer. If you encounter any issues, please report them so that these instructions can be improved over time. If you have specific questions, feel free to ask, and I'll do my best to provide answers as soon as possible.