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    Help and Suggestions Needed for 4' x 4' x 2' Printer

    Hiya All,

    Apologies in advance if I've inadvertently posted this in the wrong place.

    I've been intending for quite awhile to design a very large 3D printer but just recently got the time to work on it. I've got a few parts picked but wanted to run my design and a few questions by the more experienced hobbyists of this forum before I bite the bullet and pay for components.

    General Specs I'm set on:

    Outer dimensions of the frame: 58 in x 52 in x 21 in
    Likely going for a 3mm extruder given the larger scale of the printer (unless anyone can provide a significant reason to opt for 1.75)
    No heated bed for cost and size reasons

    I have several specific questions I'd like answered but appreciate any sort of input. This is my first attempt to build a 3D printer, though I've used and fixed various issues on multiple printers, so apologies if some of these questions are somewhat rudimentary.

    My biggest concern is the control board. Currently I'm looking at Smoothieboard V1.3 with TCM2130 stepper drivers. Smoothieware has a seemingly excellent guide for installing their boards found here: http://smoothieware.org/3d-printer-guide. Are these boards for the most part plug and play? There were also several options for stepper drivers. I'm hoping TCM2130s function for general NEMA17 steppers but am unsure If there are specific drivers I need.

    Do I need stronger/faster steppers given the scale of the print area? What spec should I be looking for in steppers? Most generic I could find on Amazon was a pack of 5 NEMA17s marked as 42Ncm Would different steppers require different driver chips? I would assume if I need significantly stronger steppers I would need drivers capable of delivering more power.

    How should I go about making the printbed? Sheet metal/plywood with masking tape over it? I assume I will need some mechanism for leveling it. Are there tried and tested methods for making your own leveling system or is it even necessary given the 6 points of contact stabilizing it?

    My current plan for a power supply is to get a 12V 20W supply and just get a 5v regulator to power the Smoothieboard. Will a single 20W psu power the steppers and the smoothieboard through the 5v regulator? Does anyone know of a tried and tested PSU for Smoothieboards?

    My X and Y axis are directly belt driven while my Z has a belt going to two Ball Screws. Will the rubber of the belts stretch or flex significantly over the course of 4 feet?

    I've attached some rudimentary sketches of my design.
    Attached Images Attached Images

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