Wood choice

I want to make a 3D printer with wood. Which wood is the best choice??

I would use MDF but not sure how stable it is compared to plywood.

Hi guys,

MDF should be the best choice, because it does not vibre too much compares to plywood.
But a quality birch plywood can be great too. Some have phenolic film.
Anyways, don't be cheap, choose 19mm 3/4" thick sheet material.
Use dadoes/rabbets construction.

++JM

I've been thinking about this and I'm planning to use MDF as well. FWIW I've been a wood worker long before I ever got into 3D printers. Baltic birch ply is nice stuff but I cant see justifying the cost for some marginal benefits that could be met just as well with MDF if the frame is designed properly. I agree with J-Max that you should look at 19mm material as the price difference is small and this stuff is already cheap as it is and the extra mass will help. You won't need to use dados or rabbets for strength for what we are doing though they do help tremendously with alignment during construction. Glued and clamped butt joints are lots strong enough. Also after you are done be to seal the frame.... paint or what ever.

Hi guys,

Dadoes and rabbets are not only for strenght, they helps a lot for squaring the whole thing up

++JM

I used MDF for mine. for getting square, I cut some extra mdf pieces the same width to use as guides for clamping. Once clamped, I drilled holes and countersinks and screwed the 4 flat sides together. It is perfectly square.

Hi,

I realy don't trust screws on MDF, you can split boards and it don't last a lot.

++JM

sorry, wood glue also. but also, if you use the right screws with large bite, and pre drill the holes to the right sizes, you don't get splitting. i used some stainless screws that have very narrow center shafts with big teeth, but wallboard screws would work nicely too. in a 4 sided box, the screws all triangulate against each other too, making everything even more rigid.

My frame is stronger than the small aluminum pieces used in other parts of the construction and definately stronger than the plastic pieces.

Hi,

That's true, MDF is a material we should consider more often.
It does not transmit or react with vibrations a lot too.

Even with pre-drill holes, you don't want to add screws too close to the corner of the boards.
MDF splits pretty fast, then, it's to late.

++JM

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/04/2015 09:33AM by J-Max.

yep. center your drill holes in edges, for sure!!!! most MDF is pressed together in layers, so holes through the flat side are easy, and holes in the edges tent to split.

Another advantage for MDF frames in the USA. You can have Home Depot and Lowes cut FREE for you if you are careful. Just make sure their saw is maintained enough to cut square (the employees do not really care if the machine cuts square, so check it!!) Also be careful to cut pieces that need an exact similar width measure from the same long piece.

Details can be cut with a router very easily too. I do not have room for a table saw in my NYC apartment, but I can set up my plunge router on my fire escape. sorry neigbor - ok not really because you play your music too loud.

It is a very nice, cheap material to work with frankly. I also built a subwoofer with it.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/04/2015 12:02PM by patrickrio.

Another good choice is "MDO plywood", which stands for Medium Density Overlay.
This has a smooth paper-like laminate on the outside (it's harder than paper), and is used for industrial purposes where that smooth surface is beneficial. It is very stable.
It costs a bit more, however it will finish very nicely and will almost look like metal (people think my printer is metal.)


Regards

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My printer: Raptosaur - Large Format Delta - [www.paulwanamaker.wordpress.com]
Can you answer questions about Calibration, Printing issues, Mechanics? Write it up and improve the Wiki!

Where I live making anything with precision out of wood a bit of a adventure because the air humidity shifting over the seasons. Wood can easily change 0.5 - 1% in size.

Hi guys,

No problem SlowFoot, just joint it dry with PU glue, then apply some varnish (preferabily PU too ) and it won't expand/contract any more.

++JM

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/11/2015 11:35AM by J-Max.

I used whatever scrap I had lying around in the garage, but I'm a renowned cheapskate, and I had a lot of scrap. Mostly panels from dead Ikea furniture.