Is This System the NEXT STEP in 3D Printing? 

Has this idea potential, or shall I ditch it altogether and move on with the next project?

I don’t know if it will work but the process is amazing. If you are enjoying the challenge, go for it. It’s not about it being perfect right away it’s about innovating and making it better.

Everything that set us closer to a fully 3d printable 3d printer is to be considered big innovation for 3d printing. Great work!!

I think this system has enormous potential, would love to see how far you can push this

I’m skeptical of the new system though if you push forward you’ll learn stuff that will enable you to make a better thing so it may be worth it anyway if you enjoy it. It definitely looks good!

Now, this might not be the fast printing revolution - but it could bring us closer to a stable and economic 3d printed 3d-printer frame, which I'm all for. I'd love to see you pursue this idea further!

Is it 100% the only solution? No, not even close, but it is pushing design and a new approach. I think it is incredibly interesting and think there is a ton of potential here. I would say keep working on it until you hit a dead end. It is a great way to work those engineering muscles and shares a new perspective approach with the community! Great work!

Even if this doesn't work as parts for a high-speed 3D printer, I can see this being useful as a structural component for building things like boxes and enclosures. I could see this making for a very interesting looking PC case, or as a replacement for those expensive aluminum extrusions you see on some printers (less cutting and drilling).

Just found your channel, man this frame looks SO sick. It’s not a failure it’s a start of something great!

Hi, this is a great idea. Here in my country (Paraguay), it's really difficult to buy v-slot to make 3d printers, then you only can laser cut mdf or something like that. This idea can really have a great potential for smaller countries to promote building stuff. I would really love to see a full 3d printer frame made with this idea.

Great idea! The tetrahedron is the most rigid structure from geometric principles. However exploring the unknown means that a few failures are to be expected and this is part of the learning process. They usually allow to generate new ideas. Two things though: - for smooth movements you need smooth surfaces. - things that assemble will be heavier than something in one part as you need to generate extra loads to keep the parts together. I'm eagerly awaiting next episode.🤩

I think this is a great idea. You could build a "3d printed 3d printer" with this concept. And yeah, it looks freaking cool. Just imagine a printer built out of those. You just have to figure out a way to put a belt in there for xy and for z.... Well, you just put 4 of those rails vertical. Nice job man!

it's awesome to see someone finally utilize the triange. i just cannot for my life find out why everyone use square tubes and stuff, when the triangle has the best strength of every simple geometry.. but i'd make it simpler, less modular, and i'd make it with only 2 smoothrods at 2 edges along the triangle. also i'd print it in one piece so you don't have to tighten the modules together. can't wait to see how you'll advance with this project

If you went with the hollow tubing, you could thread it on the inside to provide extra support at the ends.

12:30 You look completely thrilled there! And I understand you completely: There's a satisfaction looking at your idea as something real, something you can touch, something you can use... No words for it 😁👌🏼

That little chuckle at 12:30 is exactly the reason I still keep making stuff. Things break, designs don't work out, unexpected problems out the wazoo, smacking my head at the wall for hours, days, weeks. But at the end i have something that give me that little chuckle and suddenly the whole journey doesn't seem that bad after all.

Your tenacity with these designs is completely insane... and sincerely inspiring. Plus yes, I would love to see you make a printer out of this system, or at least a working gantry.

Definitely should try a carbon fiber tube on a micro-sized track roller. I love the direction this is heading in as a concept. Sure it's not the most rigid frame in the world, but it's definitely a cool exploration!

So right off the bat I said to myself... Stainless Hypo-tubes instead of threaded rods. For reference, I've been a design engineer in the medical device space for the past 30+ years. As for lightening... Maybe a triangular beam that is not skeletonized but has gyroid infill, printed with one side on the build plate. That'll already make it as flat as the built plate, if it doesn't warp. I like this subject and I think you're on point thinking about the next step in 3D printing. As always, Awesome work! Thanks for sharing.

Keep going with this idea, smooth hollow rods (carbon fiber, titanium or similar) with smooth bearing would make all the difference

How can I "...throw more Input Shaper on it..." - I want that, I need that, I love round corners :-D

This is a win win for everyone. It's entertaining, there is much to be learned through this iterative design process, and it's inspiring for everyone to see someone think differently and to approach problems in this manner. I highly recommend you continue.

Yes, please, continue! When you ditch the thread, the printed wheels with pressed bearings should be enough for it to run smoothly. This could very well be the next iteration of reprap project. Just use 6x1mm ALU tube and tap for internal thread, and you're golden 🙂 The beauty of it lies in the minimal required tools - just tubing cutter, sandpaper and tap. This way you can eliminate the need for any saw or dremel with cutting disc...

Yes! Watching your thought process and progression will be excellent!

I would definitely like to see you pursue this idea/concept as this has great potential. It may ultimately prove to not be suited for fast 3d printing, but it will drive innovation in the industry and others that rely on motion systems.

Well done. buddy. The result is impressive. Really modular and very interesting, just like you told me earlier =)

Don’t get discouraged! There is no innovation without frustration. I personally enjoy watching your progress.

Yes, please continue. This work is inspiring.

I like the design! If it doesn't work out as a linear rail, I think this has potential for robotics as a frame. Similar to the currently often used aluminium extrusions. As you already suggested, tubes instead of threaded rods might be a good alternative. If the wall thickness of the tube is thick enough, an inner thread instead of an outer thread could be used to tension the stacked modules. This has the benefit of using a smaller thread than one would need for an outer thread. (Hope this makes sense) However, the tubes then need to be shorter as the stacked modules.

This is my first comment ever. I think there might be a misunderstanding with light as possible. The static parts should be as heavy as possible. Different materials should help with dampening the vibration. Only the moving parts should be light and stiff.

Yes! For sure don't stop this project!!👍👍👍

it is amazing how fast you have grown! Congrats! you earned it! Keep the cool projects coming!!!

Id love to see this scaled up. Doesnt seem like the best option for going fast but still could make building large printers much cheaper. For example a 500mm sized printer, would be great to see.

Love, how it looks like! Thanks for the video!

Great video from real and honest development. Thank you!

Holy yes please continue the build it looks awsome

You had my curiosity, now you have my attention. Keep up the work!

I love it! Please continue with this idea!

I always get so pumped when I see you have a new video out!!! 🤘

I absolutely want to see this entire process to completion! Keep going. That's a cool system!

Looks cool, I like that it's modular Ideas, use the hollow steel tube: 1) at the end use a long screw and glue with J-B Weld original(or your glue of choise) 2) use one of those ball joints used in RC for the stearing, insert the side of the ball into the tube, form the tube ends to make them hug the ball, add glue if posible. The threaded side should stick out and allow you to apply tension, you can choose from steel, brass or alum.

Really cool idea, the customizable frame design seems like it'd be really useful for things like enclosures, hope you keep iterating to see where you can go with it. Another idea would be instead of trying to start from scratch and designing your own linear rail system, maybe you could look at an existing linear rail and see what the bare minimum that you could add to it to turn it into a gantry, combining the best of both worlds (a proven effective rail design and a cheap yet lightweight extrusion to attach it to).

Criminally underated CHANEL!!!!!😢 keep up to good work.I love your content❤

I would love to see you go further with this! Take this as far as you can.

I like this idea, but I don't think that printing them in small segments makes much sense. The printed pieces are probably heavier and less stiff as a result of being small segments. I would recommend that you create a parametric CAD version that generates some unit length printed truss (if you haven't already). I also think that using advanced vase-mode techniques can get you maximum strength to weight ratio. I recently released some advanced vase-mode cylinders on printables for model rocketry that have built-in strengthening ribs as part of the CAD model and are printed purely in vase-mode. I can't post the link here unfortunately but the model name is "Advanced Vase-Mode Hollow Cylinders (model rocketry related)" if you search it should come up.

It is with great admiration that I indulge in the captivating content of your videos. Your thought processes and intricate designs are a true inspiration. As a future hobbyist, I intend to procure a 3-D printer to pursue similar creative endeavors. Therefore, I urge you to persist in your efforts, as the knowledge that you impart through your experiments will undoubtedly bear fruit in the long run. Moreover, I must add that your channel is highly entertaining, and I have subscribed with great anticipation for the forthcoming videos.

I like the way you think completely out of the box, and try before the project dies. please don't give up

I would love to see you go on with this project! Well done as always.

Try designing the segments to use 1 threaded rod through the center. Make the end segments a little more stout or a plate of some kind to allow more torque from the single rod and connecting points for the joint. For the corners, make them interlocking and completely round or what ever mating shape you want the rollers to be. OR 2 corners interlocking and 1 corner designed to hold a hollow tube for the linear rail.

Yes I want to see more of this!! The best youtube videos are where the creator has expended the maximum amount of effort into a design, that ends up being a regression and worse off in every measurable way compared with an existing product! This isn't sarcasm, I enjoyed every minute of this video, and love the design despite its flaws.

I love how your brain works and the determination.

I might suggest rather than an enclosed triangle ⛛ , an equilateral Y shape. Tubular roller shafts (rather than threaded) should give a better weight to strength ratio; the receiving cups could be much smaller, and use CA glue for bonding lengthways. Have the wide of triangle down on flat surface, apply CA to upwards facing leg 'cup', drop in tube, which could be held down with a milled jig to ensure straightness and uniformity of pressure while curing. Ends of tubes can be tapped as needed. Not sure about the rest since I am only a lowly Ender 3 V2 use, but fascinating to watch your design progression.

YES! More Videos!! You are on the right track, for the scale look at how to make the trusses with hollow tube without becoming breakable. I believe you are on the right direction by making them like Lighting trusses.

I think the Lego 3d printer concept is really interesting and definitely worth it. Maybe you won't get the fastest or lightest or even the most precise 3D printer out there, but I think that the best of Lego is their capacity of give a lot of freedom of creation coupled with great practicality. I think you should aim at that.

Love your content Jon. Always looking for a new Vid from you. Wish you would do more but always worth the wait for the gold. This again is exceptional in always, especially your offbeat humour. Fav 3d print channel, cheers from Tasmania

I think your design is awesome! Would love to see this go further!

I love new designs whether it works or not. Amazing video.

Love it! Very cool idea, and it would be awesome to see this concept progress into the full project you were hinting at! I wonder if a single rod down the middle would provide the necessary compression and stiffness with the 3D printed trusses providing the tension. Although, it might not allow for the smoothest of tracks for the bearings. I'd like to see your ideas for improving on this though.

Yes keep going, love this channel and like your methodology.

I would do this as a drop in replacement for a voron gantry. That way people can scale it up or down depending on their printers needs. I think a hollow steel tube would be best as you can then tap them and screw in standoffs. Keep going and make this a full build

YES!!!! Please continue to developed this :D

This is an awesome idea with excellent implementation. I think instead of buying 100% threaded rod we should try to find some smooth steel rods(think Prusa style linear rods) that can easily be threaded with a DIE. Ideally sizes that can threaded directly or by just removing the surface finish/chrome with a file/grinder/belt sander. I'm picturing some sort of bearing harness that allows you to rotate it easily to get an even finish for threading with the DIE. If it catches on I'm sure China will eventually sell cheap pre-threaded rods but until then I personally would prefer stronger smooth rods over 100% threaded. They would likely be more concentric as well.

Keep going. The design looks great.

Definitely would love to see more.

Definitely has potential! I would love to see your version of a mostly 3D printed 3D printer. I know the Mulbot and some others already exist but your design skill is just on another level

Anything you do is super interesting. Just keep making videos!!!!

I love how the title of this vid is not clickbait at all

I think even if it doesn't turn out to be any better, it's still a really cool modular building system. what I would personally do is not prioritize weight, and try to focus more on improving modularity and ease of use. modular systems are jack of all trades, unless extremely specific condition, a purpose-built system at equal cost will always perform better. if you want to make it lighter you might want to look into topology optimization for your 3D printed segments.

Please continue this! I'd absolutely love to learn from what u end up doing so that I could maybe make a whole printer that's light and easy to bring around someday! Also, it might be interesting to integrate the threaded rods for tool head movement. If you did that though I'm almost certain that you'd lose the core xy system that the voron has

Yeah dude, keep runnin' with this!

Off course we want to see the full build!!!

Very cool. Would for sure like to see more.

I would love to see you take this further,

I'd love to see how far this project can go. The original open source concept for 3D printers was to make a machine that make more machines. I think you're on the right track. It's super cool what you're doing, even if it's not the lightest setup, weight is not the only factor for printing well and with speed. Consider using carbon fiber rods. Cheaply available online.

this is without a doubt the most interesting idea ive seen in a very long time

I would watch at least one more video on these trusses. They just look so cool!

looks great, would like to see more on this project

This is amazing man

Great video Jon! I would love to see how far you could get with this.

Do it. Speed of one isn't important. Just do one, print the next one with it, boom double speed. Have two nozzles on the same gantry, have two gantries with two nozzles, check their combined speed. Have 1+2. Use 0.6 for filling, 0.2 for outer shell plus a 0.2 water soluable. Lower the number of corner kinds by using a square. Make the interconnecting plastic parts lighter (no extra holes) and longer (less work to assemble). Have a version of interconnecting parts that don't expose the rods - only the gantry needs that, and would make the rest stiffer. Awesome project!

Nice! I’ve been thinking about something with a similar form factor but larger for long and rigid DIY CNC rails.

Please continue investigating this design. It is really cool.

Good sir, I'm just here for the ride, I will appreciate watching whatever you explore. I personally won't probably make anything you do directly but things you discover along the way could be incorporated into what I do.

That’s without a doubt the coolest thing I’ve seen today! Please continue with your research since I don’t have the time for it. 😢

Some ideas: -use fiber reinforced polypropylene for stiffness and light weight. -use stainless steel tubes and a thread former (not cutter) for the tention threads. you can also still make your design smaller and maybe give the sections some interlocking features.

you are such a genius.... incredible.

I like where you are going with this. I want to start making irregular shaped and sized custom printers, and this sparks some ideas. Thanks for the video!

This is a great video. Your CAD skills are top notch, especially the ability to make that complex corner piece printable without supports. The idea itself is great and I would love to see more of it. Smooth titanium rods are definitely the way to go. As far as filament goes, here are some things to things to think of. For Stiffness, from most stiff to least, there is (Carbon Fiber Filament, HIPS, PLA, Poly Carbonate and then everything else). For Density from lowest to highest ( Polypropylene 0.9 g/cm3, HIPS 1.03 g/cm3, ABS 1.04 g/cm3, Nylon 1.06- 1.14 g/cm3, ASA 1.07 g/cm3) and then everything else). For Strength from strongest to weakest (PVA, Polycarbonate. Nylon, PLA, ASA, PETG and then everything else). For Durability from most durable to least, (Nylon, Polycarb, ASA, Polypropylene, ABS, PETG, HIPS, PVA For a part that needs to be stiff and light but not necessarily durable (Carbon Fiber Filament) For a part that needs to be light and durable but not necessarily stiff (ASA or Nylon) For a part that needs to be stiff and durable and light (HIPS) You can find more material info on Simplify3d's resources page.

Keep going it’s amazing 🤩 get the small steel rollers and the smooth rods with thread on the ends. Look forward to the next video thanks 🙏

Hey John, I would like to see digging in the world of speed printing. You're doing very unique videos, which I always enjoy to watch! Can't wait to see your other ideas/projects.

YES! Yes this is something i would love to see!

Absolutely Amazing 🤩🤩🤩

nice ideao, potential is here, go for it!!!

This is amazing, YES continue with that design and make some changes where needed. I love the way it looks!

Ideas.... 1) Don't use threaded rod, instead, use hollow tube, and tap the ends. now you've eliminated a lot of weight, because you no longer have solid heavy rods, and you no longer need the heavy standoffs, because you can now screw right into the tube. 2) By using smooth hollow tube, you no longer introduce additional friction trying to mesh geared teeth that serve no purpose. small bearings should ride quite nicely on them, could even use tiny V-bearings so they lock onto the metal tubes. 3) I would suggest making different types of the trusses. you don't need screw / mounting holes on all sides, so maybe only do one, or two sides, further reducing weight 4) to keep the parts from "slipping" on the contact faces, you can add tabs on one side of the truss module, and pockets on the other, so they made, creating a more sturdy mating surface. 5) If you need additional end points for mounting, you could add a central threaded rod, and use this as either a mounting point on either end, or as a method of pretensioning the entire truss assymbly

I'm intrigued. I'm waiting for an update on that!

Yes, please continue!

I really love this modular truss design, it may not be the absolute best for a specific use case but it has a TON of potential for a general purpose building system.

I would love to see it. No matter what we will learn together!

Dude I would love to see that in a future video, this first part looks SO good