As the owner if a 350mm diameter delta, I feel I should make a few comments here. Basically the concerns already raised by other posters are very valid. Belt stretch is a nightmare, I now run 15mm GT3, GT2 was terrible. Resolution is not as good near the edge of the build area, you really need to use different motors with a gear reduction on a big delta. Also massively long bowden tubes are also a pain. If I was to build another printer this size I would not pick a delta configuration.
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GT3/15mm wow! How tall is your printer? How long are your arms?
Could you please share us some pictures of this beauty, I would love to see it.
Did you tried to hang the extruder above the platform with a counterweight(flying extruder mod)? It can solve the long bowden issue.
![0zNnNo7[1].gif](https://www.3dhubs.com/talk/uploads/db5060/original/3X/2/a/2af824ca07e15538f0e3aec451c316a7337c053e.gif)
I agree 100%. Just spend the extra money on getting a decent printer, instead of buying an awful quality one, upgrading it, and then having to deal with things like flex in the frame, belt stretch, low quality bearings etc.
By the time you have transformed the He3d into a decent machine that will work well, you will have spent nearly as much as the Rostock anyway. Plus, the Rostock is a GREAT printer, and has a large community to back up the fact that it is a good, high quality machine.
I originally looked at getting a rostock max V2, in fact they quoted me on an increased sized one which came out to about 1300. I know rostocks are AMAZING printers but I was looking into either building my own or buying a cheaper one and applying upgrades.
This is my FIRST printer i will be buying…and i know i should probably just buy a reputable kit.This is my current pick: Duet 3D 4
However, i would really like a printer with an increased build platform. As much as i would like to print smaller objects and little figures. I would love to print more functional things. So i knew Deltas were the way i wanted to go because as far as my research has gotten me…they’re faster, print finer details, and typically having bigger print volumes than cartesians. So a big Delta is what i’m after.
Perhaps the best move is to build my own, though this being my first printer i’m afraid i’ll miss something important.
My budget is 700 and below.
Ok so look for 15mm GT3, got it. Thanks for the input. What other printers for big build volume would you go for over your delta?
I do not have a blog unfortunately and this is my first printer so i’m learning as i go. I will however after this project post all parts i get and links to where they can be bought.
I’ll look into getting the power expander if i can’t find a silicon heat pad like the above user had recommended. Thank you
I do not need a big Delta, though i would really prefer one. For reasons explained in a above reply.
I do not know how Delta Kinematics work.
So get Aluminum corners, get GT3 15mm belts instead of GT2, and buy a silicone heating pad ( how does this one look: http://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/Round-350MM-12V-270W-Silicone-Heater-Bed-For-Kossel-Pro-3D-Printer-Install-wih-100K-Thermistor/709519\_1982367067.html ? ) as opposed to a kapton heater.
I would definitely like to buy the printer in parts, and i’ve seen some BOM but i don’t know what to change or what will NEED to change from making my upgrades.
Which sites would you recommend for buying such parts?
Its a bit of a mess at the moment, perpetual work in progress and all that. To be honest I wouldn’t recommend GT3 15mm belts either, it was just an example of how things change when you stretch a delta. If your belts get too big you need bigger diameter pulleys, as your pulleys get bigger you lose your positional accuracy which you need even more as your print area gets bigger. There’s tradeoffs and compromises everywhere. My best results were probably with T2.5 10mm with urethane + steel belts, but my Chinese pulleys weren’t very round and that created other issues. My GT3 doesn’t stretch at all but my pulleys are a bit under size for steel reinforced belt, its not as flexible as nylon or Kevlar reinforced belt. I have not tried a suspended extruder, though I like the idea. I have a massive triple extruder for a diamond hot end and I wouldn’t want to try and suspend that…
I think that the general feel around this (and feel free to correct me if I’m wrong) is that, unless you are prepared to do a whole lot of upgrades, and spend a whole lot more money, the HE3d is really not a good idea. My personal opinion is that as a beginner, you should not go with a complex kit at all.
However I looks like you are pretty convinced about getting a BIG delta. So here is my advice: Stay way from low quality, no-name kits. With tat kind of price range, almost everything that you will be looking at will be a kit. Kits with low quality parts, little community support, or little documentation will just lead you to a path of never-ending print troubles and shabby upgrades. ESPECIALLY when you are talking about a machine as big and complex as a delta like that, the three above-mentioned points are so important.
Also (once again, just my opinion) I think that building your own is a VERY BAD idea. Unless you have a lot of experience in 3D printing, or at least a similar industry, building a complex machine, sourcing parts, understanding instructions, all of it can be nightmarish. You entioned that you are a beginner, and that would be a very steep learning curve to try and take.
So, my suggestion is a Kossel. It’s pretty comparable to the Rostock, has a similarly large community, and can be bought cheaply. Try not to go with a no-name one though. Something like a Folger Tech Kossel 2020? I’ve heard that they are great quality, and seem to print pretty well. Here’s a link: https://folgertech.com/products/folger-tech-kossel-2020-full-3d-printer-kit 3
Thats actually a really good point I should have mentioned too. If you are new to printing, just learning about printing is a huge task. There is much to learn just about the process without throwing a difficult new printer into the mix too.
What do you think of this printer? Duet 3D
I like the Rostock but it’s a bit expensive.
Its a bit expensive and still have printed parts. This is the normal Kossel version, the print volume is not as big as you originally wanted.
I really suggest this kit:
It have linear rails, these make a big difference for a smooth motion.
Electronics maybe need to replaced, but will be fine for the beginning (Delta kinematics uses 100% of the Arduino MEGA CPU power, so can have small stops during the print witch leave small blobs on the print, but using a 20x4 LCD (2004 LCD) and reducing the LCD refresh time can help, also reducing the delta segments from 200 to 120-140 will help).
After you get familiar with how a delta work, you can make some upgrades for it.
T.
ive looked for weeks for printers and i’ve never seen one with those parts for so cheap…i thought mine was the best i’d found but your pick looks even better for the price. Thank you
Yeah, I nearly bought a Rostock, but like you said, it’s a bit expensive.
So that Kossel mini looks pretty good, as long as you don’t mind that the bed is pretty small. It has a E3D V6 hotend though, which is widely considered to be the best hotend (within reason) that you can get. I’ve used low quality hotends, and rightnow, I’ve got a Prusa i3 with a E3D Lite6, and the print quality jump is amazing. The hotend/nozzle/extruder can make a HUGE difference. ALWAYS go with E3D if you can.
The dimensions are reasonable, so you shouldn’t have too much trouble with things like belt stretch. Does it come with pre-loaded firmware though? The Duet is a great control board, but it would be a huge pain to get all the firmware setup for a delta.
Have you considered a full size Kossel? It has a much larger print volume. I know that Folger Tech sells a pretty good one for $325. It has an aluminium extrusion frame, which allows for very high rigidity (which is super important). You may need to upgrade the control board if you want a screen though.
But, if you like the Think3DPrint3D Kossel mini, by all means, go for it. It looks like a pretty good printer 
Awesome, thanks so much for all of your help. I’ll post back here when i get my printer.