My Super Ghetto RepRap

Hey Guys,

I'm an undergrad Electrical and Electronic Engineering student at the university of Stellenbosch, and I've recently become obsessed with the RepRap. I've decided I want one of my own, and I was thinking definitely a Prusa i3 or some adaptation thereof, but that's easier said than done - buying all the parts is kind of way beyond my student-level budgetary constraints.

SO, in the name of developmental engineering, I've decided to take on the project anyway, at as low a cost as I can manage it. I've talked to my departments head electronician (if that's a word - trust me, the afrikaans sounds classier) and he's given me some old stepper motors and an (relatively new, but broken) printer/scanner combo and I'm examining them for viabilty for use in my reprap.

I'm hoping to do this whole thing for under R1000. The one thing I probably will buy outright is an extruder/hotend combo - that seems a bit beyond me. I do have a few things going for me, in terms of what my faculty can provide - I can get most of the mechanical components fairly easily (bearings, steel rods, that sort of thing) The workshop will provide me with belts (and has already provided me with the stepper motors and the printer) and we have a fully fledged PCB lab that will let me make one board at a time. Not to mention an easy and endless supply and variety of resistors and capicitors. I also *MAY* have access to a 3D printer for the 3D printed parts.

What I need help with is the following:
1) Stepper Motors -
At around R200 a pop, for 5, the official stepper motors are WAY out of budget for me. I've got some, but I don't know how powerful/useful they'll be. Any help with stepper motors would be appreciated -
An offer to donate some would be great (and I would try to reciprocate however I could - with PCB's, Resistors, Caps - all within reason of course. I'd even be happy to help people try and figure out things for their own reprap, once I've done some of this)
Alternatively (and, perhaps, more realistically) I would like to know if anyone knows of a whole bunch of dot-matrix printers that are lying around in the Winelands/Cape Town area. I hear they have great stepper motors and are strong enough for the reprap.

2) Electronics -
This, luckily, is not that big a request. I have an Arduino Uno and I'm thinking of buying a couple of these PWM stepper motor drivers (http://www.mantech.co.za/ProductInfo.aspx?Item=35M4914) and putting something together with that. I'd like someone to talk to about this, who's worked with PWM's and stepper motors before. Also, if you know of a post/article on someone who's done this (preferably specifically in the context of a RepRap controller), please tell me. Also discussion of firmware would be welcome, because I haven't really thought of that yet.

3) Sustainability - Let this not contradict me wanting kind, kind (ridiculously kind) people to donate 5 stepper motors to me - frankly, I could use the time I'd otherwise spend on stripping printers - One of my goals in this is a RepRap that's made out of E-waste and a few cheap parts, because that makes this RepRap idea just that much more democratic. It would be kind of nice to make the Hermit Crab of RepRap printers - one that's still an organism capable of procreating (the printed parts) but needs other parts from another dead animal (in this case, the old 2D printer). I know mine won't be that - I'm short on time, lucky with resources, and kind of into how my printer would look.

I'll be keeping track here of any progress (or lack thereof) I make with my RepRap. I may make a blog later, with pics, but until I've got something to show, it'll be here.

I can help you with some prints, some homebrewed ABS filament and other smaller items that you may need.

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You only learn when you change your mind.
[www.deltaprinter.co.za]