Earlier this week, an open source, super portable 3D printer dubbed Lemontron made its debut [h/t Hackaday], introducing a new entry-level DIY inverted 3D printer whose parts cost roughly $413 to assemble, mostly from existing components but also requiring a custom PCB print. When assembled, it's quite a compact printer but still has a print plate size comparable to the Prusa MK4S, a 3D printer we've covered favorably in the past.
While entry-level 3D printers can certainly be cheaper than Lemontron, they're considerably bulkier than Lemontron— though seeing as Lemontron requires access to a 3D printer to build anyway, it's more likely that this is better for use when traveling than to be someone's first or primary 3D printer anyway. Compared to other DIY options that cost upward of $699, though, this is still pretty good, particularly considering the ease of transport.
The build process of the Lemontron is pretty involved, but fortunately the debut video gives a fairly good overview of the process. There's also an in-progress written guide to help, though both may be best if you choose to undergo this project for yourself.
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Some readers may notice that the 3D printer seems to be inverted— and that's actually no mistake. Following the trend of other Positon-styled 3D printers, Lemontron is designed to perform inverted 3D prints. As Lemontron (the person) explains of inverted prints in an a blog post, "the fundamental principles of 3D printing remain the same. The printer still follows the sliced model data layer by layer. The gravitational effects on the molten material are minimal because it solidifies almost instantly upon extrusion, whether it’s oriented upwards or downwards. You can even try this on any printer, go ahead and flip yours while it prints, you’ll see it doesn’t care!"
While we don't take responsibility for anyone encouraged to try that out with their own 3D printers, the principle seems sound and demonstrated working quite well with the Lemontron.
Otherwise, all we can really remark on is that it's impressive to see an effective DIY 3D printer at a (relatively) low price point for DIY 3D printers— and in such a form factor that it may actually be ideal for certain on-the-go artists and the like. While its utility as a starter or primary 3D printer is obviously questionable when parts of it need to be 3D printed to even begin with, this project is geared toward DIY-minded folk who most likely already have a 3D printer, perhaps one of the best 3D printers, anyway.
