After years of "I don't need this - but I want this" arguments with myself, I finally pulled the trigger and got myself a 3D printer. Of course, I wanted the kit version. So instead of letting the pros build it for me I do it myself and live with the consequences of doing it the wrong way. And now that I started to put things together, I am a bit afraid that the assembly of the hardware is more fun than what comes after - designing and printing models.
Part of what makes the process of assembling the printer myself so enjoyable is the absolutely kid-friendly instruction. Prusa did an outstanding job with their step-by-step manual and it's hard to mess up. It's almost like following a lego instruction. But with a lot of determination and the right mindset I am sure I will find a way to make the printer unusable even before booting it up for the first time. As people say - where there is a will, there is a way.
To my surprise everything worked on the first try. I only fastened some zip ties too early and had to replace them later on. I would consider this to be a success. Now I am excited to learn more about product design, find out what tolerances I have to plan in, experiment with filaments, etc.
