Do you have a few old DVD drives taking up space in your home? If so, you’re in luck! Instructables user wootin24 has come up with a design that upcycles those old drives into a 3D printer with just a few dabs of hot glue.
For those who have the required parts, but feel your mechanical skills are lacking, don’t give up. This project is truly for all skill levels. The author designed this printer to be easy enough for anyone with basic fabricating skills to assemble.
He even starts off the instructable with a modest disclosure: “I am a 17 year old with no training on CAD at all and this shows how advanced 3D design has become, and how accessible it is to anybody.”
All of the mechanical parts are 3D printed, and the author’s STL files are available in the Instructable. The only other parts needed are three motors, metal rods from DVD drives, a ribbon cable, RAMPS electronics, and a board to mount the whole system on. The tool list is simply composed of a screwdriver, hot glue gun, and 3D printer. If you don’t have access to a 3D printer, then there are always services like 3DHubs and Shapeways out there to help you out.
The entire assembly process requires only five steps, and is extremely easy to follow. After the final step, it’s up to you to decide the machine’s function. To make it a 3D printer, add on an extruder and hotend, or you could add a router to transform it into a CNC router. This design can be adapted to do nearly any function that requires 3-axis movement and packs a lot of possibilities into a small package!
Now, go ahead and upcycle those old DVD drives!
