To begin, we’ll need to gather some important tools which will facilitate the whole process of producing the Archipelago system. Many of the following are common to most households or are not entirely necessary, but there are three specialized tools that are absolutely necessary for this project. The bottle slicer is a really low-tech piece of equipment, but its efficacy is actually incredibly important for the further steps to work properly. Many other designs for PET filament extruders have bottle slicers built right into them but, with it being a separate tool, the sliced bottles will take up much less space than intact bottles. Thus when producing a lot of filament, it makes sense to prepare a lot of material all at once so it can be dried and extracted in a more efficient way. Also, while the Archipelago filament extruder may not be the smallest filament extruder out there, it is certainly very compact and efficient. The last piece of the preparatory puzzle is the 3D printer, and unfortunately not all will be able to print PET, so you’ll have to research that on your own, but both the WASP4070 and Ultimaker3 have been used in this project, and Ender 3D printers are able to print PET so long as they have an all metal hot-end.
Once you have prepared all of the tools below, move on to the next step in the Archipelago process (or work on them both simultaneously):
Once you have prepared all of the tools below, move on to the next step in the Archipelago process (or work on them both simultaneously):
- COMMON TOOLS:
- A drill with drill and screwdriver bits.
- A rotary tool with grinding bits.
- A pair of needle nose pliers.
- A box cutter.
- A pair of scissors.
- A pair of vice grips or adjustable wrench.
- A soldering iron and solder.
- Hot glue gun and glue sticks.
- Vernier Caliper, ideally digital.
- SPECIALIZED TOOLS
- Bottle slicer
- Filament Extruder
- 3D Printer
- You need a printer which is capable of printing at 260-265°c.
- You need a printer which is capable of printing at 260-265°c.
Archipelago has been generously supported by the following organizations: