Since the RepRap Project was unveiled, there are many who, following its models, have tried to build their own 3D printer and even more those who want to customize it and create something of their own to offer to the Community and the World. This is what the named user has done William (W1ll14m) who has built a 3D printer out of Lego bricks.
The printer itself does not create impressive pieces but it is interesting since its design is totally ecological, to the point that it does not need materials like PLA or anything like that. William launched a first model of this 3D printer a few months ago, but the printing it made was very imprecise and the objects it gave were barely discernible.
After this first attempt, William got down to work and began to improve the design, obtaining the Lego printer that we see in the images and that we can download the plans of here.
To build this printer we will only need Lego blocks, preferably a crane (its bearings and rubbers are very good), a servo motor to print and an electronics. In addition we will also need a glue gun.
Lego's printer still prints basic things like blocks
Most of all this we have at home and both the electronics and the motor are easy components to acquire. This second model is more precise when it comes to printing but it still does not print with total accuracy, we are going to print a block, like the materials from which it is built. This is partly because the vibrations caused by the motor are spread throughout the entire structure, something unavoidable if we use Lego pieces, but that does not mean that we cannot have a nice and cheap 3D printer.
William is aware of all this and continues to work on improving all of this, something that I have no doubt that he will achieve since from the first design to the second, time was short and the improvement very substantial. We will keep you posted on the improvements, but while we can 'build a printer' right?