Inspired by Joules and the other guys with their 3D printers , I have decided to see if I can modify a machine I built toward the end of the last millennium into a 3D printer.
The machine was knocked up in the 80's (many many mods) from bits of an old Repro-Graphic camera and just about anything I had laying around, with only a drill press and a x-vice. I had initially hoped it could do light milling but it was only really capable of rather slow engraving.
I'll have to re-jig the X & Y axes : ATM they are driven by M8 screws in backlash free PTFE nuts and will be far too slow for a printer. Although I have a length of 4mm pitch lead-screw which would be a simple fix . I think I'll just spin the motors around and use timing belts
I'll have to build a new Z axis but I've plenty of bits that I can use .
The electronics are housed in an old 5 1/4" external drive box (the modules were originally mounted in a PC AT desktop case. With great foresight, I added four stepper drivers.
I have a PC configured with LinuxCNC to drive the thing (the first version ran on DOS based DANCAM ). I think a move to an arduino based REPRAP controller would be the best option , (but are they configurable for step/mm acceleration etc. ?)