What Tooling Do You Have

Community

People are more important than tools. Before building a RepStrap to print RepRap parts, check to see if you have a local RepRap User Group. Ideally, they may allow you to borrow a set of Mendel parts, as part of the Loaner Program. Or they'll be happy to sell you a set. Alternatively, you can try the For Sale Forums.

Already have a RepRap?

Excellent! If you have a RepRap, like Mendel, print a set of parts and build a RepRap. This is the ideal case. But if you are reading this, you don't have a RepRap yet.  :D

Table Saw

If you have a table saw, build a WolfStrap. You can also build a Wooden_Mendel but it is more complicated and a less elegant use of wood.

1X2_Tallcat and 1X2 may be superior to WolfStrap. Please build one of each and tell us which one you liked the most.
--Sebastien Bailard 01:59, 19 April 2011 (UTC)

Manual Milling Machine

If you have a milling machine, you could build a Metal Mendel or a metal Darwin. but you're better off building a WolfStrap out of aluminum.

Or better, build a ORE-Bot. This may require metal-lathe operations, and Guy, ORE-Bot's designer, cheerfully says that it's a lot of work.

Or convert your manual milling machine to a CNC milling machine. (The standard RepRap electronics and stepper motors seem adequate to drive very small milling machines.)

CNC Milling Machine

This is quite a versatile tool, and there are several paths from this machine to a Mendel.

• take a #Manual Milling Machine path
• take a #Large CNC Router path
• temporarily convert this to a (non-spinning) CNC FFF machine (attach an extruder), and directly extrude the Mendel parts.

See MillStrap

Drill Press

Build an Eiffel. And then add a Bill of Materials to the page.

No Drill Press?

Build an Eiffel, but use pre-drilled square steel tubing. And then add a Bill of Materials to the page.

Laser Cutter

If you have a Laser Cutter, build a LaserCut RepRap or a Pirated_CupCake. Many local shops which make and engrave trophies, desk ornaments, etc., have moved to Laser Cutters. Many local universities have laser cutters in their art/architecture/engineering/design departments.

Large CNC Router

If you have a large CNC Router, build an Isaac. (The Isaac is currently the best-documented FlatPack RepStrap design so far.)

lots of fischertechnik parts

FTIStrap is a working RepStrap which was almost completely built from fischertechnik parts.

lots of Meccano parts

In 2005, VikOlliver constructed a PrototypePrinter largely from Meccano and Polymorph. (Meccano parts are sold as "Erector Set" the U.S.)

lots of LEGO parts

Development:Lego RepStrap and MendeLego discusses the possibility of building a working RepStrap from mostly LEGO parts.

Large Pile of Money

If you have a large pile of money, use a commercial 3D printer to print off a set of Mendel parts.

Further reading

• Category:RepStrap has a long (exhaustive?) list of RepStraps
• Several of the above techniques open the possibility of a Ship of Theseus scenario: Use what you have available (a small mill or fischertechnik parts or etc.) to build something that acts enough like a Mendel to print out Mendel parts, then print out parts and swap out one part at a time until all that is left is a Mendel.
• Nearly all the above techniques produce a RepStrap, not a "pure" RepRap. But once you have such a RepStrap, you have the option of ConvertingARepStrapToAFull-blownRepRap.