Questions about Part List

GridBot
1

Hi, I am going to try to build my first ever 3D printer and I decided to use this build, mainly because of its elegance.

However, I am now cross-checking the CAD model with the Part List, partly to decide which parts to buy and where (Europe) but also to get an understanding of how a 3D Printer fit together.

Right now I have examined the frame profile fully and I have a few questions about it:

  1. The alu profile seems to be standard 2020 but in Part List and in CAD it’s referenced as 1010, why is that? The link to amazon seems to be to a 2020 still.

  2. Using angled brackets to tighten the alu frames requires tee nuts, right? I wonder because none are mentioned either in the CAD model or the Part List.

  3. Some parts are fully custom, e.g. corner plates, how would a person like myself (without access to a 3D printer) acquire these? Does anyone here sell em? Can I place custom 3D print orders? Remember I am still new to this 3D business so I am not quite sure about this.

Thanks for sharing this amazing build btw, best wishes from Sweden.

2

Hi @Will_I_am344 and welcome. Check this forum for all the updates to the printer. There is a v2.5 that I’ve posted updated models for. 90%-95% of the parts are the same.

  1. some places it’s referred to as 1010 (imperial units thing). but it’s really 20mm x 20mm

  2. yes, you need T-slot nuts and bolts – I recommend M5 – I don’t have an accurate count by length. various lengths from 8mm - 20mm are needed. this is a fair amount of work (updated BOM) I haven’t gotten around to.

  3. I have made them several different ways. 3D printing, laser cut acrylic, laser cut aluminum, cnc

there are services that can fabricate them given part models. for the XY rail mounts, I recommend aluminum if you can get that for rigidity.

3

Thank you for quick and helpful answer. I will check out V2.5 then. Would you recommend building that over V2?

4

There are trade-offs in both directions. The original GridBot is simple and elegant. I wanted the ability to test a more diverse set of heads and add more cooling. That evolved into the 2.5 design. It’s been about a year since I had time to work on the design. But I’m starting to test again and plan a few more updates in the coming months. Mechanically, the parts are going to be mostly the same. At least the bulk of the expensive stuff like rails, rods, belts, extrusion, power, and control systems. Once you have a printer, you can start to print upgrades.

5

You’re gonna need more t-nuts than you think, so buy a lot. You can also print t-nuts, but I’d only use them for non critical parts.
If you need any help with prints or where to buy parts, just send me a message(also from Sweden).
God place to start is here: 3D printers store | Store Hobby-Store.pl
Good luck!

6

I will give a maybe weird advice, but anyway : buy a complete kit if it’s your first printer. For example a prusa mini which is not that expensive. This will be your first printer and will teach you a lot. With this printer, later on, you will be able to print the parts for a gridbot :slight_smile:

My 2 cents

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