Convert Your Old Creality Ender 3 Into a Wire EDM Machine
Almost Completed Projects was able to convert an old Creality Ender 3 3D printer into a functional wire EDM machine.
Wire EDM (Electric Discharge Machining) is a pretty amazing process. It is like using a hot wire cutter on foam, except it works on metal. But wire EDM machines are expensive and generally out of reach of hobbyists and home machinists. That’s why it is so impressive that Almost Completed Projects was able to convert an old Creality Ender 3 3D printer into a functional wire EDM machine.
People love wire EDM, because it lets them cut through everything from thin sheets of aluminum to thick blocks of steel with very good precision and a kerf about the same thickness as the wire itself, which can be almost as thin as a human hair. You may have seen those “zero tolerance fit” videos that go around on social media and those parts are usually made with wire EDM machines.
A wire EDM machine won’t give you the ability to actually make parts with zero tolerances, because such a thing isn’t possible outside of a math equation. But even a mediocre wire EDM machine can go up against a world-class CNC mill when it comes to tolerances. The only downside is that cuts are always along the straight line of the wire. In this case, that wire is always vertical.
The great thing about this build is that it is so affordable. The total cost is only around 250€ (about $292 USD), plus the cost of the Creality Ender 3—a printer you can find used well under $100, if you don’t already have one gathering dust in a closet.
The machine, dubbed EnderSpark, operates under the control of a Raspberry Pi Pico development board. That controls the wire feed mechanism, power through the wire, and the water circulation pump, which keeps a stream of water flowing through the toolhead and down over the wire.
The demonstration parts are impressive, with very good tolerances. There are still some improvements to be made, such as too eliminate mechanical backlash and implement closed-loop control. But even as it is, this would be a very useful tool for the home shop. You can find the files to build you own on the GitHub page.