I own a Shapeoko 3 from a few years ago. I would like to also use it as a 3D printer (a RepStrapOko). I have a way to get 3D printed parts, so I’m not worried on building a hotend mount that I can attach to the Shapeoko carriage. However, I will need a controller with support for additional axis for the extruders.
Does any one known which alternative electronics I could use to controller the stock steppers of the Shapeoko (Models STEP200S et STEP200L from Carbide 3D, 2.0A(U) 1.8deg/step) ? Would a Ramps 1.4 with DRV8825 works?
As the person who wrote: https://wiki.shapeoko.com/index.php/RepStrapOko — I’d caution against this — it’s a lot of effort, for not as much return as one would wish. Better to use the router to build a second machine.
I have a minigerbil running a laser and it has been flawless, I can only assume the super gerbil is a similar bit of kit.
My two cents though: the Shapeoko gantry is very heavy for a 3d printer… it’s a lot of mass to be moving around. Unless you need to create a large flat object (which comes with its own issues of warping and adhesion to beds) then I would buy a Creality CR10-S or Creality Ender 3 Pro… the Ender 3 costs not much more than the electronics you’re looking at would, has a heated bed and has been getting good reviews with pretty great print quality for something in that pricerange.
If you just wanna do it because you can, then I have heard good things about the Duet Wifi board, it has built in wifi and up to 2.8A per driver, and PWM control, and has the option for a touch screen
What Stuart said. Tempting as it is to build an allmighty Shapeoko that can do everything, there are capable 3D printers in the ~250euros ballpark now (I bought an AnyCubic Kossel), and I’m pretty sure it would end up costing more than this to convert the Shapeoko into a 3D printer. But then again, maybe you want to do it for the fun of it! The SuperGerbil is probably what I would look at if I were to do this.