Tiny 3D Printer Utilizes Common Sanding Belts as a Printing Bed

Remixed from another design on Thingiverse (this CoreXY V-slot printer), Aidil Jazmi's clever machine incorporates the sanding belt from the belt sander as the bed. Aidil Jazmi took the core idea, and in the spirit of open source projects, made his own tiny variation on the printer that fashions a conveyer belt out of a common object. It can be seen in action creating even tinier model boats here.

Jazmi's Thingiverse page contains little information other than the printed parts; no details on the electronic components other than the fact that mainboard and LCD display were taken from an Anet A8 printer. Still, the video linked previously shows it functioning beautifully. The write-up itself includes dimensions for the frame and belt and plans for the printed parts. Printing is done on the reverse side of the sanding belt as a conveyer, meaning the actual rough side of the sandpaper is moving against the bed. It’s unclear what happens to the support bed over time as the belt moves, but it’s something to keep in mind if you choose to iterate your own design from this small printer

I can see this idea becoming mainstream. It would be like having a huge printing area with a clean surface every time you print. Like a dream come true!