This is a video of the project that was part of my decision to study engineering: a custom-built 3D printer I made in highschool. It has a print area of 20 by 20 by 19 centimeters, a heated bed, and room to expand for dual extruders. I conceptualized everything on paper, and then digitized it in AutoCAD and Inventor. It uses an AMSMZ mini control board running SmoothieWare. It does not run perfectly, but it does run (see the video below).

It was the first large project I ever took up, and I learned quite a bit in the process of getting it up and running. After this project I had a newfound respect for tooling/finger space, the width of wires, machining tolerances, and the flexibility of plywood.

When I have more time someday, I hope to address the following with this project:

• Second extruder
• Better bed levelling
• Sturdier print bed

I also hope to build an even larger printer one day with the lessons learned from this build.

Demo Video: