I am getting into hobby robotics, and I am finding that I more and more am in need of the ability to create custom parts.

What would be a good 3D printer to buy (couple grand max cost), for creating parts such as: chassis, wheels, servo armatures and holders, gears, etc.

For me one of the most important things to be able to make would be my own custom gear trains.

What would be a good 3D printer, precise enough and using tough enough materials to great gears for robots on the size scale of a cat. Such as differential wheeled, hexapod, and quadrapod platforms?

Thanks,

-Ryan

Hey Ender.

You've been on GameDev for a long time, longer than most of us. I find it somewhat perplexing you're asking a question on robotics and 3D printing on a website that focuses mainly on software, art, and a little hardware. This is probably not a good place to get recommendations for a 3D printer, as very few (if any) among us use them.

That said, the Form 2 might be your best bet in terms of engineering parts. Many engineers trust this printer, and it has parts that are usually used in much more expensive 3D printers. If you want to go for something cheaper, the Makerbot Replicator may work. The LulzBot TAZ 5 also seems like a solid choice, as it can accept filament from many companies.

It might be better to go to a website geared towards 3D printing, like this, or this for better opinions.

Good luck with your search!

I still think 3D printing is not really mature and mostly for hobby projects especially with low end printers. (apart from quick spare parts requirements)

So I'd rather consider micro milling machines ( like http://www.pocketnc.com/ ) instead.

Can't one just buy stock gears and wheels? Maybe not, I'm not sure, but I would definitely go for stock parts instead of machining for myself. Maybe you could even utilize toll manufacturing as a private individual. I can imagine that small companies would do that even in case of small volumes. A decent 3D printer would still be much expensive.

There are sub $500 3d printers now, e.g. micro3d, New Matter MOD-t, XYZ da vinci jr.

In addition to cost, you may want to look at materials. Cheapest material to print is probably PLA, but it is also the least strong. Although 'least strong' is a relative term, PLA is still pretty durable for prototyping depending on shape of your model, thickness, infill pattern etc. I have seen 3d printed parts out of PLA strong enough it can kill people.

If you will be building tiny gears, look for higher accuracy, industrial-grade 3d printers.

If your parts are normally bigger than 2cm, cheaper printers with PLA should be just fine.

I still think 3D printing is not really mature and mostly for hobby projects especially with low end printers. (apart from quick spare parts requirements)

So I'd rather consider micro milling machines ( like http://www.pocketnc.com/ ) instead.

Second that. 3D printing -- at least the one you can afford -- is piss poor. A CNC router or micro milling machine will allow you to make precise parts from a wide variety of no-piss materials (including a variety of plastics of course, but also aluminium or titan if you want). That, and it's faster, too.

(Note that 5-axis is actually not needed, unless you want to sculpt a woman's torso or such, you can do just fine with 3-axis. Gears and most other stuff doesn't need 5-axis.)

If you want to be posh, get a CNC laser instead. That's even faster and more precise, but of course a bit more expensive, too.

You might be inclined to say "for a toy it really doesn't matter", and you might be right. But having properly made quality-material parts is a lot less trouble, both for assembling and mid-term/long-term durability and maintenance.

It's a lot cheaper on the long run, too. 3d printer filament is at least 3-5 times more expensive than the equivalent (e.g. POM) sheet ware.

3D printers are useful for things like shells and modelling, but not very useful for things like gears. A small lathe, mill, and gear cutting machine would let you do far more for that kind of thing than a 3D printer will.

Some bad advice above. 3D printing is a perfect compliment to a robotics hobby. You can do gears just fine, and its great for all those oddly shaped brackets necessary for a robot. They may not produce the most beautiful parts, but they will be perfectly functional.

A CNC is a great suggestion, but a 3D printer is just a more versatile tool. In an ideal world, you would have both plus a laser cutter to boot. But if you can only get one, get the 3d printer. https://www.reddit.com/r/3Dprinting/ is a great place to get advice, opinions on which printer to get are very subjective.

Disclaimer: I have 3d printed quadrotors and robotic arms.

hey.

I also would like to add, that you could also build a small furnace and melt aluminium cans and do some casting, youtube is good for examples.

I too wish I had a 3D printer. you could also build one from old printers they have some good parts in them. and down at the dump for scrap electronic parts.

I'll try to find the websites but I remember 2 sites that made custom parts for its customers. It think it was geared towards robotics and similar hobbies. Or maybe that is what you're trying to get away from?