Around March 2022, I decided to finally assemble my Prusa 3D printer kit. It was definitely a very thorough process!
The kit was divided into a few boxes and helpful instructions. It even came with a packet of gummi bears.
The assembly process was thorough, but not too difficult. I would say it took around 10-15 hours to complete. First, the frame was assembled, then the bed assembly. The two Z-axis motor/screw assemblies were installed, then the sliding hotend extruder, control board, and wiring.
It was very satisfying to see the 3D printer assembled. After all this work, will it work?
It didn’t work after it was assembled. I wasn’t sure what was going on, but Prusa tech support was very helpful.
They asked to see the video of the printer in action, as well as some photos of the wiring to the PC board.
It turned out the Z axis wiring harness was in the wrong plug. After the wiring was corrected, the Z axis movement worked more smoothly.
After going through some alignment checks, I finally got the printer to work.
The first print was misaligned. After some belt tweaking, I did get it to work. Even after this print, I have ran into issues, but learned to overcome them.
3D printing is definitely a learning experience through a lot of trial and error. It’s still very satisfying to see something on the screen turn into reality.