How to Make a Concrete 3D Printer

Muhleman developed a concrete powder bed 3d printer that uses hacked Shapeoko CNC router mechanism.

It uses sand and cement mixture and a liquid soil hardener called polypavement as binding agent. Powder bed is loaded manually :-) but a mechanism could be developed in the futre.
Printed objects are rough but the concept is interesting for artistic purposes and concrete furniture where you can get more complex organic forms.

Full construction guide with plans and operational instructions can be found at:

http://www.instructables.com/id/Concrete-3D-Printer/?ALLSTEPS


Here is a video of it in action:

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Space Weaver 3d prints ultra lightweight woven structures from carbon and fiberglass

Space Weaver isa DIY 3d printer that makes woven 3d structures from carbon fiber and fiberglass. The machine is based on hacked Shapeoko CNC and custom design gantry. It produces very light intricate structures that don't have any purpose now, but I could see than as ultralight antenna poles, decorative elements or even plant support. Area of carbon fiber and fiberglass DIY projects is just emerging and we could see much more practical applications and projects in the future.

  

From project description:

Space Weaver is a student-designed 3D weaving machine created by Prerna Auplish, Evan Bowman, and Ryan Chen at the California College of the Arts in San Francisco. The machine was created in the Digital Craft Lab (http://digitalcraft.cca.edu/) Creative Architecture Machines Advanced Studio with instructors Michael Shiloh and Jason Kelly Johnson of Future Cities Lab (http://www.future-cities-lab.net/).

Space Weaver is designed to create ultra-lightweight woven structures with fibrous materials. Using a 3-axis gantry system, woven forms are created in a similar process as most 3D printers, except they produce a significantly higher strength-to-weight ratio, result in zero waste, and require no support material. In short, Space Weaver is a seven foot tall 3D printer that uses carbon fiber and fiberglass to print five foot tall woven structures.
The project has been divided into three categories and their major components. These categories are:

• Machine: frame and build plate, mechanical components, CNC gantry, electronics, and spools

• Programming: TinyG and Grasshopper/Firefly scripts

• Material Research: resin and fiber experiments 

• Frame dimensions: 84” x 32” x 28”

• Build plate dimensions: 17 ½” x 19 ½”

• The majority of the frame was welded out of 60’ of 1” x 1” square tube carbon steel, with 1” flat bar mounting tabs. A steel frame is not necessary, however rigidity is very important for ensuring CNC accuracy. This machine has a relatively large Z-height (5’), and an exposed build plate (print bed). The exposed design of the build plate is based on the desire to emphasize the importance of the printed objects, as well as to provide ease of serviceability.

• The build plate has its own smaller steel frame, with two routed ½” birch plywood sheets to hold a sheet of glass.

All the technical details, files, software and instructions to make this weaver yourself can be found at:

http://www.instructables.com/id/Space-Weaver-A-Seven-Foot-Tall-3D-Weaving-Machine/?ALLSTEPS

You can se video of Space Weaver weaving a structure here:

http://www.instructables.com/file/FCMKYZRI3PRHPB1/

For a professional desktop carbon fiber and fiberglass 3d printer look at Mark One.

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Shapeoko 3 handheld CNC announcement

... ok, and today is? ...

April fools day

BTW:

something similar exists FOR REAL:

http://diy3dprinting.blogspot.com/2013/11/update-video-on-freed-handheld-router.html

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Easel CNC web based CAD software for your desktop CNC mill

Presentation of new web based CAD software which would simplify work with desktop CNC machines like Shapeoko. It is still in beta and the website takes mailing list notifications sign-up.

http://www.easelcnc.com/ (domain not working anymore)

new Easel homepage:

http://www.easel.com/

Here is Easel by Inventables:




Overview of easel interface:

Update:

Here is a tutorial on how to use Easel with raspberry Pi:

http://diy3dprinting.blogspot.com/2014/11/how-to-run-easel-cad-on-raspberry-pi.html

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Shapeoko 2 desktop CNC machine

Shapeoko 2 is a simple, low cost, open source CNC milling machine kits that can be built over a weekend. Assembly is required before you can use it.
This is version 2 of the fastest selling CNC machine in the history of the world. The machine has been under development for the last five years. Edward Ford has been designing, redesigning, and building what he hoped would be a CNC machine that anyone can build. This machine is by far his best one yet.
Note: There is also further information about the machine, kits, kit contents and other things on this blog post.Updated features:
Larger work area
Dual motors on the Y axis, standard
Dual Maker Slide on the X gantry improves stiffness
Completely redesigned Z axis makes changing bits easier and improves stiffness
Open front and back for larger materials.
Easier to expand
Easier to assemble
Improved belt design keeps dust out of teeth
Mechanical Kit – $299
The Mechanical kit is designed for experts that are interested in adding their own electronics or making serious modifications to suit their needs. After assembly of the Mechanical Kit, the Shapeoko will not be functional.
Full Kit – $649 – $685
This kit includes the mechanical components, motors, controller, power supply, wiring, pulleys, belts, stepper cable, tools for assembly, and a spindle.

https://www.inventables.com/technologies/desktop-cnc-mill-kits-shapeoko-2


Update:

Here is a video of aluminum milling process:

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