3D printers are about to enter the mainstream. Everybody will be able to afford one from manufacturers like Makerbot and the like. Of course, like with PC enthusiasts, true joy comes from building your own 3D printer.

Meet Dane Kouttron, he built a 3D printer with a twist. He repurposed an IBM 7575 SCARA Robot Arm into a 3D printer. This allows him to create objects much larger than cheaper 3D printers can make. It’s all due to the incredible reach of the robot arm. Objects created with Kouttron’s printer can be sized to a maximum of 25″x12″x6.5″. A commenter on the Vimeo page says that it’s twice the size of the Makerbot’s maximum output.

Check out the giant 3D printer in action:

Scara Robot 3D ABS Printer from Dane Kouttron on Vimeo.

The best part is that you can make this very 3D printer yourself if you have the parts. I’m sure most of you have an old IMB robot arm lying around the house somewhere so it should be an easy build. All joking aside, you can find details on the build, parts and software required for this beauty over at Kouttron’s Web site.

[h/t: Make] [Image Credit]