Wood is very cheap. Wood is easy to obtain. Wood is easy to work with and many shaping technologies are available. It comes in many forms with different properties from flexibility to strength. It is renewable resource. It can be easily recycled.
There were entire generations of printers like Ultimaker based on laser cut plywood, but full wood was never in fashion. probably because it is not high-tech and not self-replicating.
I would like to see more projects with wooden parts. I like the texture and natural aesthetics of wood contrasted to technology.
Here are some designs that use wooden parts, some are fully functional, some are under development:
Wood frame Mendel90
Mendel90 is great design and it is often built with wooden frame. One of the great success stories with wooden parts. Design is custimizable based on your input and generates paper printable cutting and drilling guides for the frame.
Adapto 3d printer
It can have aluminum beams and low cost wood frame.
http://diy3dprinting.blogspot.com/2013/11/adapto-diy-3d-printer.htmlIkea RepRap
While surfing around I found this reprap with wooden / particleboard frame (maybe made from Ikea furniture). Further information is unavailable. Let me know if you have any additional information about this printer.
http://aeons.phrenzy.org/~berserk/reprap/printer/Gunstrap
Source: RepRap wiki
The Gunstrap is a plywood repstrap that is based on the Mantis CNC design. It has a build area of 200x200x100mm (comparable to the Mendel) and is employs a heated build platform and a heated build chamber. Unlike other wood based repstrap's, no ball bearings are required for its construction, excluding the extruder and all parts can be obtained from scrapped printers and scanners. In addition, its build chamber can be heated up to 100 degrees Celsius as most stepper motors are contained out side of the build chamber and no thermoplastic is used in its construction. The only stepper motor within the build chamber is the extruder stepper motor which is actively cooled using a peltier.
- Has a very low build cost (around $50USD), excluding the cost of the electronics.
- Does not require any bearings apart from the extruder.
- Can be constructed with only a hack saw, drill, screwdriver and epoxy resin adhesive.
- Has a larger build area as compared to the Mantis 9.1
- Due to its fold open construction it is easy to access for cleaning and changing tool heads.
- Uses a heated build chamber which has been seen to improve the quality of prints for large objects.
Disadvantages
- Requires active thermal management in order to keep the extruder stepper motor at a safe operating temperature as its located in the heated build chamber.
- Due to the use of stainless steel sleeves instead of ball bearings, this design will ware slightly with time.
- Due to the design of the zaxis the gunstrap may not be able to achieve the same resolution as a Mendel.
- This design requires more parts to be fabricated than the original [[Mantis 9.1] in order to accommodated the heated build chamber.
- Requires the procurement of stainless steel shafts, stepper motors, belts, ect from old printers and scanners.
- Can not currently print any of its own parts.
http://reprap.org/wiki/GunstrapWoodRap
http://reprap.org/wiki/WoodRaphttp://repraprock.blogspot.com/
RepStrap
Many bootstraped RepStraps are made from wood:
http://diy3dprinting.blogspot.com/2013/10/repstrap-bootstrapped-3d-printer.htmlThere is well documented Wolfstrap from Germany.
http://reprap.org/wiki/WolfStrapThere are several other designs at:
http://reprap.org/wiki/Category:WoodWorld needs YOU to use more wood in 3d printing!
Update:
Links to other DIY 3d printer projects made from wood:
Here are some new Delta printers with wooden frames:
DeltaTrix with detailed build instructions:
http://diy3dprinting.blogspot.com/2013/12/deltatrix-3d-printer-with-detailed.htmlCustom Delta made from Ikea furniture pieces:
http://diy3dprinting.blogspot.com/2013/12/custom-delta-3d-printer-built-from-ikea.htmlWood A-frame Mendel with very detailed construction guide:
http://diy3dprinting.blogspot.com/2014/02/wood-framed-mendel-detailed.htmlKiwi Remix delta:
http://diy3dprinting.blogspot.com/2014/03/kiwi-remix-delta-3d-printer.htmlDelta Twister, 400 USD low cost delta with no CNC or printed parts:
http://diy3dprinting.blogspot.com/2014/03/delta-twister-ultra-low-cost-diy-3d.htmlMSF is ultra low cots wooden Repstrap that can be made for 100 USD:
http://diy3dprinting.blogspot.com/2014/10/msf-3d-printer-is-work-of-repstrap.htmlVery simple Repstrap with timber pieces and plywood frame, with only 3d printed extruder:
http://diy3dprinting.blogspot.com/2014/10/repstrap-3d-printer-that-is-easy-and.htmlBYQ if Polish design of 3d printer made fully out of 8mm plywood with no 3d printed parts:
http://diy3dprinting.blogspot.com/2014/01/extruder-made-from-plywood-by-pawel.htmlYou can also make
3d printer enclosures from wood:
http://diy3dprinting.blogspot.com/2014/12/how-to-design-and-cnc-cut-wooden.htmlQirky Bot has plywood base:
http://diy3dprinting.blogspot.com/2014/12/quirky-bot-is-simple-diy-3d-printer.html
IcePick is a delta 3d printer that could theoretically also be
pick-and-place robot for home manufacturing. It is make with
no metal liner bearings or rods.
http://diy3dprinting.blogspot.com/2014/12/icepick-delta-3d-printer-made-with-no.html Steampunk style suitcase 3d printer based on Printrbot Go, with analogue gauges, handles and mechanical switches.
http://diy3dprinting.blogspot.com/2015/02/steampunk-style-diy-3d-printer-based-on.htmlSmartCore simple, easy to make 3d printer with
wood box frame:http://diy3dprinting.blogspot.com/2015/02/smartcore-low-cost-wooden-box-3d-printer.htmlTRINT plywood 3d printer (two different models):http://diy3dprinting.blogspot.com/2015/06/loww-cost-plywood-diy-3d-printer-by.htmlInstructables guide on how to design wood frame 3d printer:
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Design-a-3D-Printer/?ALLSTEPS
IKEA footstool made into a 3d printed based on Prusa i3:http://diy3dprinting.blogspot.com/2016/05/ikea-footstool-hacked-into-3d-printer.html