52 December 2015
n FIGURE 4.
E3D V6 hot end.
machine, but it handled it fine. The knob
presses over a nut and gives me a knob with
a good grip to change the Z axis position.
Replacement Parts
One of the more frustrating parts of any
3D printer is when something breaks. If it’s a
custom design, then you either have to get a
replacement part from the manufacturer or
hope someone has designed a replacement
that you can print. In the case of a hot end or
motherboard or stepper motor, these aren’t
parts you can just 3D print. Fortunately, the
Fabrikator Mini is built from parts you can
easily get online.
The extruder is an E3D V6 style, though I
believe it is a clone of the original design. The
motherboard is an MCSBASE. The steppers —
which rarely fail — can also be found online.
So, this is an easy to use, easy to fix, low cost
3D printer designed for kids but useful for
everybody.
So, if you were still in the thinking stage
of getting a 3D printer for your electronics
lab, then I say don’t wait any longer. Get a
Fabrikator Mini and get started printing all
those tool holders and knobs and custom
cases you have in mind. If you need to design
them, check out the free online Tinkercad
software that I often use in my You Tube videos.
Yes, 3D printing has gotten easier over the past few years.
Now it’s gotten better, cheaper, and smaller. NV
Resources
Check out my website and blog:
www.elproducts.com
My You Tube channel:
www.youtube.com/elproducts
Tinkercad design:
LCD case: www.thingiverse.com/thing:87250
X-Carve knob: www.thingiverse.com/thing:1020243
Fabrikator Mini Website with base and stand:
www.elproducts.com/fabrikator-mini.html
My 3D designs:
www.thingiverse.com/elproducts/designs
Tinkercad:
www.tinkercad.com
n FIGURE 5. My completely modified Fabrikator Mini.