Introduction: Creating a 3D Printing Pen

3D printing pens are newly on the market, and they seem to be very expensive. so I have decided to make one out of the bits I have at home and a few standard components found online. I will try and budget, at below £30 pounds. Though this will not include the components at home. This can also be use on GRBL CNC as they lack a third access, meaning that more people will be able to 3D print. The pen will require no coding but will require an understanding of electricity and potential dividers . (sorry this is my first indestructible, I may get a few things wrong, if I do I will adjust the Gide or add them in the comments)

Step 1: Materials and Tools

Tools:

  • Soldering iron
  • Wire cutters
  • Wire strippers
  • Flex and solder
  • Scissors
  • Craft knife
  • Hot glue gun, glue sticks. or filament
  • Screwdrivers.
  • Connection to the internet
  • Cutting mat
  • Glue (supper glue or UHO)

Materials:

  • Corrugated cardboard (5mm thick)
  • Board (or 2mm thick paper)
  • Electrical wire
  • Push button switch
  • Insulating tape (able to withstand a high temperature)
  • 6 volt motor
  • Small drive cog
  • 20mm inside width plastic tube.
  • Motor mount
  • 12V battery pack. (small with a low current, can be got from any shop as they are normal house hold battery)
  • 3D printer extruder , or glue gun heater with nozzle. (mine is about 12V)
  • Thermoristore (can be included in 3d printer hot end)
  • Variable resistor
  • Slide switch
  • Transistor

Step 2: Creating the Structure

Tools:

  1. Craft knife

  2. Scissors

  3. Glue
  4. Hole punch
  5. Clamps

Materials:

  1. Cardboard
  2. Hot end

Creating the peaces:

  1. Draw out the peaces from the picture above. By first creating a circle of 35.8mm in radius ( for the small one) and (for the larger one) 37.8mm.
  2. Draw in then alcoves in the circle by using the drawings, with adding circles of the same size overlapping the edge so that they create a grip for a finger. As well put a hole in the middle of 20mm wide(A)
  3. Draw out another circle ( the same as the fist one) and create two indents in it.
  4. Cut out the rectangle of 243mm by 75 (B)

putting the structure together:

  1. With one of the A peace spread glue around the perimeter of the peace and then with the lower part of the side, paste the rectangle C around the edge and then clamp so that it is able to set in shape. Then with the gap along the length of the shape glue that together so that the whole thing is complete.
  2. Next put the remaining A peaces on the hot end at the top. Then add the B peaces to the hot end. These act as heat sinks to take away some of the heat from the hot end.
  3. Add the cylindrical tube to the top, but the area with the least heat as it will house all of the electrical components.
  4. You have now finished the structure.

Attachments

Step 3: Electronics

What you need:

tools:

  1. Wire clippers
  2. Wire strippers
  3. Electrical tape
  4. Soldering iron and flex
  5. Multi meter to check Resistance

  6. Scissors

Materials:

  1. Wire
  2. Hot end

  3. Thermoresistor

  4. Battery with battery pack of up to 12V, do not connect the mains as you could get zapped, as there is a chance of the bare metal conducting electricity to you.
  5. Variable resistor
  6. Transistor
  7. Push button
  8. Switch
  9. Motor
  10. Small battery pack for 2 aa battery's.

Heat sensor:

  1. Following the weir drawing attach the battery or power pack to the switch on the positive side. then connect the opposite wire from the slider switch to the thermoresistor and continue to the wire on to the top left hand side of the transistor to create a parallel circuit. From the middle connection of the transistor attach that back down to the thermoresistor so it creates a parallel circuit.
  2. Add a wire to the variable resistor, from the thermoresistor.
  3. With the transistor attach a wire to the right hand side of the transistor and attach this to the hot end. Then add the following side of the hot end to the adjustable pin for the variable restore.
  4. Connect the remaining variable resistor pin to the - side of the power or battery pack

Motor Driver:

  1. Connect the push switch to the battery pack. And then connect the opposite side to the motor.
  2. On the other side of the motor connects back to the battery pack so that the circuit is complete
  3. Use wiring diagram ( see one with motor on it).

Step 4: Putting It Together

Tools:

  1. Electric tape
  2. Glue
  3. Weir cutters

Materials:

  1. Heat sensor circuit
  2. Motor driver circuit.
  3. Motor holder
  4. Cog
  5. Structure with hot end in it.
  6. Semi rigid insulated wire (only if using a glue gun hot end, the thermoresistor should be attached to the hot end if it is a 3D printer hot end)

Instructions:

  1. Glue on the push button on the lower part of the structure. Make sure that one finger can reach the button (placing it in an indent is ideal), and make sure that the pen is easy to use when the button is being compresses.
  2. In the main compartment glue in the motor holder so that the motor and cog can get friction on the filament.
  3. Place the cog on the motor and make sure it is a tight fit.
  4. Thread the wires from the button up through the structure and place the battery pack and motor in the compartment. With the motor in the motor holder.
  5. (only for the glue gun hot end) Next place the hot end next to the hot end and fix in place with where that goes to the holes in the structure and tie it of to there.
  6. Thread the thermoresistor wires and hot end wires up through the structure and through the main compartment and then up through the lid.
  7. Put the heat sensor circuit in a box to keep it safe and out of the way.
  8. Put in the battery of both the circuits and move on to the testing.

Step 5: Testing and Evaluation (thing's I Have Found That You Need to Add for Your Project)

Testing:

  1. Heater took a long time to warm up, and used to much power, I also could not get it hot enough.
  2. Wires could get in the way.
  3. The nozzle was not that detailed as I used a glue gun nozzle
  4. Thermoresistor got in the way.

Solutions:

  1. Use a low powered hot end about 12V a 3D printing hot end would solve the problem as well as the precision of the nozzle and the models created.
  2. Use a longer wire for the connection to the control box/power.
  3. For your design install a fan as it can get very hot. I used a external fan.
  4. 3D print the structure. The structure is designed for the 3D printer hot end.
  5. Buy a hot end with a thermoresistor in it.

Please read this before you make the inscrutable as, this will improve the design.

The project cost less than £15 pounds, though with the introducing of the 3D printing hot end, which would come with the thermoresistor and heater would come to £25-30 pound.

Thank you fore reading my inscrutable, and I hope this helps you to make it.