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[backlog] September 30, 2021

A project log for The Trash Printer - Version 3

An open-source, low-cost, large-format 3D printer that can print directly from shredded plastic trash instead of filament

sam-smithSam Smith 10/07/2022 at 22:510 Comments

[ Backlog - This log was adapted from my Patreon, to fill in the details about how this project has developed over the years. Check the link for the full post, and if you appreciate this project, consider supporting it! ]

I spent the last part of this month rebuilding the Trash Printer, which has been out of commission and in storage since the beginning of the pandemic. 

It's been collecting dust for over a year!

The wiring was a mess, and the table I was using was too big to be practical. The plastic bed isn't level enough to take advantage of the full travel, so it doesn't really make sense to have a 6' bed, though I was really hoping to be able to print 5+' parts. So I had to take it all apart, transfer it to a smaller table, replace the Z motors, and mess with it for hours, but I finally got it printing again!

The Trash Printer, it turns out, when printing, takes about 160 watts on average. That means with a small solar generator, it can print using just the direct output of a single 300 watt solar panel! 

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