Diy sla 3d printer kit


The DIY Resin SLA 3D Printers You Can Build From $20!

With the internet at just about everyone’s disposal, freely shared tutorials and videos have awakened many to the satisfying and rewarding nature of doing things yourself. DIY resin 3D printers have been a popular choice for creators for a while now, and for many different reasons.

  • For FDM kits, we have another ranking of the best DIY 3D printers.

High quality 3D printers can be very pricey, and DIY SLA 3D printers have become more prevalent for those who want to get 3D printing, but don’t want to pay full price for a new machine.

While some of the best resin 3D printers are more affordable these days, this was not always the case. DIY resin 3D printers made waves in the 3D printing community from 2015-2018 as makers scrambled to avoid paying full price for a pre-assembled printer, and there are still those who choose to build their resin 3D printer today.

In this article, we will show why some people are designing and building their own 3D printers, as well as highlight some of the newer and more interesting DIY resin 3D printers from both professional and hobbyist creators that you can build yourself cheaply.

Uses of DIY SLA 3D printers

People from all walks of life have taken to building their own 3D printers.

Because resin 3D printers are known for speed and accuracy, they are ideal for both prototyping and creating working molds and projects for a variety of applications.

For example, resin 3D printers have been used in dentistry to save time and money creating dental models, and these costs are further cut with DIY resin 3D printers over pre-assembled models that cost much more.

For personal use, resin 3D printers are great for projects with smooth surfaces and intricate detailing, like jewelry, toys, and minifigures. 

Why Build a Resin 3D Printer?

Just like computers, bikes, furniture, and even cars; people are often keen to build their own home additions and tech, provided they have both the time and the skill. 3D printers are no exception.

Of course, experience and skill is recommended for anyone who wants to try, but anyone willing to put the time and effort in will find DIY resin 3D printing to be a rewarding and worthwhile experience.

Resin printers solidify UV resins with powerful light sources to create models, parts, and prototypes, and are known mainly for their high resolution and speed.

While some resin 3D printers have fallen dramatically in price in recent years, DIY SLA printers can cost as little as $20 in parts. While the time and effort are costs themselves, that’s a price tag as of yet unbeaten in the world of DIY resin 3D printers.

Features such as as build plate sizes, portability, durability, and material compatibility are all customizable with a DIY build. Beyond simple modding, DIY 3D printers can be altered mid-build to suit you.

The best DIY resin 3D printers you can build

Peopoly Moai 130

  • Price: $1,395 — Available on Matterhackers here
  • Build volume: 130 x 130 x 180 mm

Born from a Kickstarter campaign in 2017, the Moai is a DIY resin 3D printer that found a huge backing in a short time. Available as a DIY kit or fully-assembled, the Moai is advertised as an affordable resin 3D printer kit for those looking for large, accurate builds.

The Peopoly Moai is also praised for its simplicity in both construction and design. Its compatibility with third-party materials and easy modification and tweaking possibilities make it popular with engineers who know exactly what they want.

Since its initial release, several versions of the Moai have been released after a few upgrades, including more durable frames and accessories such as upgraded build plates.

While still a DIY 3D printer, the Moai has a large following of many users with varying levels of experience and expertise. This means that peer-to-peer support, advice, and information is easy to come by and very useful for anyone who needs it.

Despite the Moai’s popularity, many users have reported the enclosed build space as being very limiting for larger projects, and have noted that the lack of a built-in air filtration or sealing systems as potentially harmful to a project’s success.

For those looking for a larger resin 3D printer, Peopoly released the much larger Peopoly Phenom in 2019.

The Peopoly Moai is capable of a layer resolution of up to 5 microns, which is incredibly accurate, far more so than any pre-assembled 3D printer at this price. Its compatibility with third-party resins also means that cheaper materials can be used to further cut printing costs.

Beyond hobbyists, the Moai is used by researchers for prototypes, and it can be used with biocompatible materials for medical uses such as dental 3D printing.

Overall, the Peopoly Moai is seen as a great (if messy) first step in the world of DIY SLA 3D printing. With enough time, work, and community advice, even newcomers will find themselves printing large, highly detailed resin models like pros. 

For more commercially available resin printers, read our resin 3D printer buyer’s guide

For larger resin printers, read our buyer’s guide to large resin 3D printers

Not Just a Professional’s Game: Resin 3D printer kits you can build for cheap

Paulg100’s DIY SLA Printer Build

DIY resin printers are not just projects for professional engineers with crowd-funded goals, anyone with the right skillset and time can make their own tech.

Sites like Reddit, Twitter, and YouTube are full of creators eager to show off their homemade resin 3D printers. Some are more detailed than others, but posts such as this DIY resin printer build by XSimulator user Paulg100 are must-reads for those looking to build their own resin printer.

Paulg100, a dental laboratory owner, uses biocompatible materials with their DIY SLA printer for dental work, and has actively encouraged others to follow their listing. Thanks to the impressive accuracy of his DIY resin printer, he’s able to create remarkably intricate designs on a very tiny scale, something he was unable to do before.

With this build, you too can create complex and accurate prints of anything you like for a fraction of the cost of a pre-assembled 3D printer. If that doesn’t excite you, then we don’t know what will!

From images seen of both practical and cool projects made with this unnamed resin printer, the accuracy and detail look fantastic for the price.

For anyone looking for a challenging build that yields impressive results, this is a DIY 3D printer that should not be overlooked.

Arduino Uno: The $10 DIY Resin Printer

For an impressively cheap DIY SLA printer, Build Your Own SLA user mystamo outlines here their build for a DIY SLA printer made of very cheap parts.

While the concept appears too good to be true, the video below shows the finished project in action.

Peer reviews have also shown this to be a very impressive, if rudimentary, DIY resin printer. While mainly built as a resin test, the speed and reliability of this Arduino Uno build are notably eyebrow-raising given its tiny cost.

TristramBudel DIY SLA Printer

Wanting to spread the gift of 3D printing as far as possible, online builder TristramBudel designed their own DIY SLA 3D printer to share with peers.

As the name suggests, this build prioritizes resolution without sacrificing the speed that resin printers are known for.

Since its creation, this DIY 3D printer has gained a good following of fellow creators looking to sell their ideas, with one reviewer even calling it ‘a piece of 3D printing history.’

3D printing company autum3D even based their industrial DLP 3D printers on the build, showing just how much of an impact these DIY 3D printers can have on the 3D printing industry as well as the larger community.

And, if you’ve built your DIY resin printer and looking for inspiration, we have a list of 50+ cool resin models you can print (with download links).

Related posts:

  • Best resin 3D printers
  • Large resin 3D printers
  • Resin SLA 3D slicers
  • Best resin curing stations

Peopoly Moai Laser SLA 3D Printer - Kit

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The Peopoly Moai is a high-performance, super-accurate laser SLA 3D printer. It is available either pre-assembled or as a kit that you can build yourself. By building the 3D printer yourself, you will gain valuable insight into how laser SLA 3D printing works and a greater understanding of the Moai itself.

  • Prints with high accuracy
  • Kit or fully assembled option
  • Very affordable

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Please Note: This printer kit does not come with resin. Please see Add-On Items if you would like to purchase some resin.

Assembled or a Build-Your-Own Kit

This high-performance, super-accurate laser SLA 3D printer comes with the option of being pre-assembled, or as a kit that you can build yourself.

With the Build-It-Yourself Kit, you gain a huge amount of savings for a few hours of work. The Moai comes with instructions, and we have a companion video here that will help you get your Peopoly Moai up and running in no time. By building the 3D printer yourself, you will gain valuable insight into how laser SLA 3D printing works and a greater understanding of the Moai itself.

You also have the option of purchasing the Peopoly Moai fully assembled and tested by the Pros at MatterHackers. We build and test all the units before shipping them out, making absolutely sure that they are operational and up to our professional standards before shipping it to you.

If you are looking for a fully-assembled Peopoly Moai tested by the Pros at MatterHackers, you can find it here.

So whether you want a ready-to-go, fully-tested unit - still far below the price of most other laser SLA 3D printers on the market - or a kit you can build yourself and save even more money, MatterHackers has you covered.

Speed and Precision

The Moai is powered by an ST 32-bit ARM processor, capable of interpreting Gcode and running the machine incredibly fast, allowing for high precision movements without having to increase print time. While most FDM 3D printers come with a 0.40mm nozzle, the laser spot size of the Moai is only 70 microns, or 0.07mm in diameter. This makes the 'filament path' a much higher resolution than any FDM 3D printer can accomplish. But since the toolpath is a laser curing resin and not a nozzle extruding filament the machine can print very fast and maintain low print times even at this high level of precision. Combined with the 10-micron layer height, this printer offers the most bang for your buck in the laser SLA world today.

Maximum Compatibility for Seamless Integration

Making the jump from FDM to SLA 3D printing is a big change, luckily the Moai makes it easy by using Gcode - the same file type used by FDM machines. Instead of moving the nozzle around the build area, it's just the laser that travels and cures the resin to create your part. Slice your part in MatterControl, export the Gcode to an SD card and the Moai will do the rest! This seamless upgradeability makes the Moai the perfect 3D printer to start using resin-based SLA machines.

Technical Specifications

  • Build Volume: 130x130x180 mm
  • Laser spot size: 70 microns
  • Laser wave length: 405 nm
  • Laser power: 150 mW
  • Machine size: 330x340x660 mm
  • Layer Height: 10 - 200 microns

What's in the Box

  • Peopoly Unassembled Moai Printer Kit
  • Standard Build Plate
  • PDMS Resin Vat
  • Keys to Door Lock x2
  • Power Supply
  • PC Power Cord
  • SD Card
  • Scraper
  • Phillips Screwdriver
  • Allen Wrench Set
  • Crescent Wrench Set
  • 7mm Socket Driver
  • Flat Screwdriver
  • Flush Cutters
  • Laser Safety Glasses
  • Letter from Peopoly
  • Calibration Test Sheet

Return Policy

Please note that returns are not accepted on opened kits. Only new, unopened kits may be returned within 30 days of purchase. If a part from the kit is determined to be defective during the warranty period, a replacement part will be supplied.

Please note that printer kits are not returnable after having been opened and worked on. If there is a problem with the packaging or damage during shipment please return the product immediately, otherwise a return will not be offered after assembly.

To learn about available discounts, training, and maintenance options, please use the form below and a MatterHackers Expert will contact you within one business day. Alternatively, you can always feel free to give us a call at +1 (800) 613-4290 or email [email protected].


To get an instant quote, add everything you need to your cart, and click "Download as quote".

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How to build a home 3D printer: recommendations from personal experience

3D printing and assembly of 3D printers is my hobby and passion. Here I will not share detailed diagrams and drawings, there are more than enough of them on specialized resources. The main goal of this material is to tell you where to start, where to dig and how to avoid mistakes in the process of assembling a home 3D printer. Perhaps one of the readers will be inspired by applied engineering achievements.

Why do you need a 3D printer? Use cases for

I first came across the idea of ​​3D printing back in the 90s when I was watching the Star Trek series. I remember how impressed I was by the moment when the heroes of the cult series printed the things they needed during their journey right on board their starship. They printed anything: from shoes to tools. I thought it would be great someday to have such a thing too. Then it all seemed something incredible. Outside the window are the gloomy 90s, and the Nokia with a monochrome screen was the pinnacle of progress, accessible only to a select few.

Years passed, everything changed. Around 2010, the first working models of 3D printers began to appear on sale. Yesterday's fantasy has become a reality. However, the cost of such solutions, to put it mildly, discouraged. But the IT industry would not be itself without an inquisitive community, where there is an active exchange of knowledge and experience and who just let them dig into the brains and giblets of new hardware and software. So, drawings and diagrams of printers began to surface more and more often on the Web. Today, the most informative and voluminous resource on the topic of assembling 3D printers is RepRap - this is a huge knowledge base that contains detailed guides for creating a wide variety of models of these machines.

I assembled the first printer about five years ago. My personal motivation to build my own device is quite prosaic and based on several factors. Firstly, there was an opportunity to try to realize the old dream of having your own device, inspired by a fantasy series. The second factor is that sometimes it was necessary to repair some household items (for example, a baby stroller, car elements, household appliances and other small things), but the necessary parts could not be found. Well, the third aspect of the application is "near-working". On the printer, I make cases for various IoT devices that I assemble at home.

Agree, it is better to place your device based on Raspberry Pi or Arduino in an aesthetically pleasing "body", which is not a shame to put in an apartment or take to the office, than to organize components, for example, in a plastic bowl for food. And yes, you can print parts to build other printers :)

There are a lot of scenarios for using 3D printers. I think everyone can find something of their own.

A complex part in terms of drawing that I printed on my printer. Yes, it's just a figurine, but it has many small elements

Ready solution vs custom assembly

When a technology has been tested, its value in the market decreases markedly. The same thing happened in the world of 3D printers. If earlier a ready-made solution cost simply sky-high money, then today acquiring such a machine is more humane for the wallet, but nevertheless not the most affordable for an enthusiast. There are a number of solutions already assembled and ready for home use on the market, their price range ranges from $500-700 (not the best options) to infinity (adequate solutions start from a price tag of about $1000). Yes, there are options for $150, but we, for understandable, I hope, reasons, will not dwell on them.

In short, there are three cases to consider a finished assembly:

  • when you plan to print not much and rarely;
  • when print accuracy is critical;
  • you need to print molds for mass production of parts.

There are several obvious advantages of self-assembly. The first and most important is cost. Buying all the necessary components will cost you a maximum of a couple of hundred dollars. In return, you will receive a complete 3D printing solution with the quality of manufactured products acceptable for domestic needs. The second advantage is that by assembling the printer yourself, you will understand the principles of its design and operation. Believe me, this knowledge will be useful to you during the operation of even an expensive ready-made solution - any 3D printer needs to be serviced regularly, and it can be difficult to do this without understanding the basics.

The main disadvantage of assembly is the need for a large amount of time. I spent about 150 hours on my first build.

What you need to assemble the printer yourself

The most important thing here is the presence of desire. As for any special skills, then, by and large, in order to assemble your first printer, the ability to solder or write code is not critical. Of course, understanding the basics of radio electronics and basic skills in the field of mechanics (that is, "straight hands") will greatly simplify the task and reduce the amount of time that needs to be spent on assembly.

Also, to start we need a mandatory set of parts:

  • Extruder is the element that is directly responsible for printing, the print head. There are many options on the market, but for a budget build, I recommend the MK8. Of the minuses: it will not be possible to print with plastics that require high temperatures, there is noticeable overheating during intensive work, which can damage the element. If the budget allows, then you can look at MK10 - all the minuses are taken into account there.
  • Processor board. The well-known Arduino Mega is well suited. I didn't notice any downsides to this solution, but you can spend a couple of dollars more and get something more powerful, with a reserve for the future.
  • Control board. I'm using RAMPS 1.4 which works great with the Arduino Mega. A more expensive but more reliable board is Shield, which already combines a processor board and a control board. In modern realities, I recommend paying attention to it. In addition to it, you need to purchase at least 5 microstep stepper motor controllers, for example - A4988. And it's better to have a couple of these in stock for replacement.
  • Heated table. This is the part where the printed element will be. Heating is necessary due to the fact that most plastics will not adhere to a cold surface. For example, for printing with PLA plastic, the required surface temperature of the table is 60-80°C, for ABS - 110-130°C, and for polycarbonate it will be even higher
    There are also two options for choosing a table - cheaper and more expensive. Cheaper options are essentially printed circuit boards with preheated wiring. To operate on this type of table, you will need to put borosilicate glass, which will scratch and crack during operation. Therefore, the best solution is an aluminum table.
  • Stepper motors. Most models, including the i2 and i3, use NEMA 17 size motors, two for the Z axis and one each for the X and Y axes. Finished extruders usually come with their own stepper motor. It is better to take powerful motors with a current in the motor winding of 1A or more, so that there is enough power to lift the extruder and print without skipping steps at high speed.
  • Basic set of plastic fasteners.
  • Belt and gears to drive it.

Examples of elements appearance: 1) MK8 extruder; 2) Arduino processor board; 3) RAMPS control board; 4) motor controllers; 5) aluminum heated table; 6) NEMA 17 stepper motor; 7) a set of plastic fasteners; 8) drive gears; 9) drive belt

This is a list of items to be purchased. Hardcore users can assemble some of them themselves, but for beginners, I strongly recommend purchasing ready-made solutions.

Yes, you will also need various small things (studs, bearings, nuts, bolts, washers ...) to assemble the case. In practice, it turned out that using a standard m8 stud leads to low printing accuracy on the Z axis. I would recommend immediately replacing it with a trapezoid of the same size.

M8 trapezoid stud for the Z axis, the use of which will save you a lot of time and nerves. Available for order on all major online platforms

You also need to purchase customized plastic parts for the X axis, such as these from the MendelMax retrofit kit.

Most parts available at your local hardware store. On RepRap you can find a complete list of necessary little things with all sizes and patterns. The kit you need will depend on the choice of platform (we'll talk about platforms later).

What's the price

Before delving into some aspects of the assembly, let's figure out how much such entertainment will cost for your wallet. Below is a list of parts required for purchase with an average price.

Platform selection

The community has already developed a number of different platforms for assembling printers - the most optimal case designs and the location of the main elements, so you do not have to reinvent the wheel.

i2 and i3 are key platforms for self-assembly printer enclosures. There are also many modifications of them with various improvements, but for beginners, these two classic platforms should be considered, since they do not require special skills and fine-tuning.

Actually, illustration of platforms: 1) i2 platform; 2) i3 platform

On the plus side of i2: it has a more reliable and stable design, although it is a little more difficult to assemble; more opportunities for further customization.

The i3 variant requires more special plastic parts to be purchased separately and has a slow print speed. However, it is easier to assemble and maintain, and has a more aesthetically pleasing appearance. You will have to pay for simplicity with the quality of printed parts - the body has less stability than i2, which can affect print accuracy.

Personally, I started my experiments in assembling printers from the i2 platform. She will be discussed further.

Build steps, challenges and improvements

In this block, I will only touch on the key assembly steps using the i2 platform as an example. Full step by step instructions can be found here.

The general scheme of all the main components looks something like this. There is nothing particularly complicated here:

I also recommend adding a display to your design. Yes, you can easily do without this element when performing operations on a PC, but it will be much more convenient to work with the printer this way.

Understanding how all components will be connected, let's move on to the mechanical part, where we have two main elements - a frame and a coordinate machine.

Assembling the frame

Detailed frame assembly instructions are available on RepRap. Of the important nuances - you will need a set of plastic parts (I already talked about this above, but I'd better repeat it), which you can either purchase separately or ask your comrades who already have a 3D printer to print.




The frame of the i2 is quite stable thanks to its trapezoid shape.

This is how the frame looks like with parts already partially installed. For greater rigidity, I reinforced the structure with plywood sheets

Coordinate machine

An extruder is attached to this part. The stepper motors shown in the diagram above are responsible for its movement. After installation, calibration is required along all major axes.

Important - you will need to purchase (or make your own) a carriage for moving the extruder and a mount for the drive belt. Drive belt I recommend GT2.

The carriage printed by the printer from the previous picture after it has been assembled. The part already has LM8UU bearings for guides and belt mount (top)

Calibration and adjustment

So, we completed the assembly process (as I said, it took me 150 hours) - the frame was assembled, the machine was installed. Now another important step is the calibration of this very machine and extruder. Here, too, there are small subtleties.

Setting up the machine

I recommend calibrating the machine with an electronic caliper. Do not be stingy with its purchase - you will save a lot of time and nerves in the process.

The screenshot below shows the correct constants for the Marlin firmware, which must be selected in order to set the correct number of steps per unit of measure. We calculate the coefficient, multiply it, substitute it into the firmware, and then upload it to the board.

Marlin 9 firmware constants0306

For high-quality calibration, I recommend relying on larger numbers in measurements - take not 1-1.5 cm, but about 10. So the error will be more noticeable, and it will become easier to correct it.

Calibrating the extruder

When the frame is assembled, the machine is calibrated, we start setting up the extruder. Here, too, everything is not so simple. The main task of this operation is to correctly adjust the supply of plastic.

If underfeeding, the printed test item will have noticeable gaps, like test die 1. Conversely, the result will look bloated if plastic is overfed (dice 2)

Getting Started Printing

It remains for us to run some CAD or download ready-made .stl, which describe the structure of the printed material. Next, this structure needs to be converted into a set of commands understandable to our printer. For this I use the Slicer program. It also needs to be set up correctly - specify the temperature, the size of the extruder nozzle. After that, the data can be sent to the printer.

Slicer interface

As a raw material for printing, I recommend starting with regular ABS plastic - it is quite strong, products made from it are durable, and it does not require high temperatures to work with. For comfortable printing with ABS plastic, the table must be heated to a temperature of 110-130 ° C, and the extruder nozzle - within 230-260 ° C.

Some important details. Before printing, calibrate the machine along the Z axis. The extruder nozzle should be about half a millimeter from the table and ride along it without distortion. For this calibration, a regular sheet of A4 paper inserted between the nozzle and the surface of the heated table is best suited. If the sheet can be moved with little effort, the calibration is correct.

Another thing to keep in mind is the surface treatment of the heated table. Usually, before printing, the surface of the table is covered with something that hot plastic sticks to well. For ABS plastic, this can be, for example, Kapton tape. The disadvantage of adhesive tape is the need to re-glue it after several printing cycles. In addition, you will have to literally tear off the adhering part from it. All this, believe me, takes a lot of time. Therefore, if it is possible to avoid this fuss, it is better to avoid it.

An alternative option that I use instead of scotch tape is to apply several layers of ordinary light beer, followed by heating the table to 80-100 ° C until the surface is completely dry and re-applying 7-12 layers. It is necessary to apply the liquid with a cloth moistened with a drink. Among the advantages of this solution: ABS plastic separates from the table on its own when it cools down to about 50 ° C and is removed without effort, the table does not have to be peeled off, and one bottle of beer will last you for several months (if you use the drink only for technical purposes :)).

After we have collected and configured everything, we can start printing. If you have an LCD screen, then the file can be transferred for printing using a regular SD card.

The first results may have bumps and other artifacts - do not worry, this is a normal process of "grinding" the printer elements, which will end after a few print cycles.

Tips to make life easier (and sometimes save money)

In addition to the small recommendations given in the text above, in this section I will also give a short list of tips that will greatly simplify the operation of a 3D printer and the life of its owner.

  • Do not experiment with nozzles. If you plan to immediately print from materials that require high temperatures, then it is better to immediately take the MK10 extruder. On MK8, you can "hang" special nozzles that support high-temperature conditions. But such modifications often cause difficulties and require special experience. It is better to avoid this fuss on the shore by simply installing the right extruder for you.
  • Add starter relay for heated table. Improving the power supply system of this important part for printing using a starter relay will help solve the known problem of RAMP 1.4 - overheating of the transistors that control the power of the table, which can lead to failure of the board. I made this upgrade after having to throw away a few RAMPS 1.4s.
  • Select the correct filament diameter for printing. Recommend 1.75mm plastic for MK8 and MK10. If we take plastic, for example, 3 mm, then the extruder simply does not have enough strength to push it at an acceptable speed - everything will be printed much longer, and the quality will drop. ABS plastic is ideal for MK8, MK10 will be able to produce products from polycarbonate.
  • Use only new and precise X and Y guides. Print quality will be affected. It is difficult to count on good quality with bent or deformed guides along the axes.
  • Take care of cooling. During my experiments with various extruders, the MK10 showed the best results - it prints quite accurately and quickly. The MK10 can also print plastics that require a higher print temperature than ABS, such as polycarbonate. Although it is not as prone to overheating as its younger brother MK8, I still recommend taking care of its cooling by adding a cooler to your design. It must be permanently enabled, this option can be configured in Slicer. You can also add coolers to keep the stepper motors at an acceptable temperature, however, make sure that their air flows do not fall on the printed part, as this can lead to its deformation due to too rapid cooling.
  • Consider heat retention. Yes, on the one hand, we are struggling with overheating of the elements. On the other hand, a uniform temperature around the printer will contribute to high-quality printing (the plastic will be more pliable). To achieve a uniform temperature, you can put our printer, for example, in a cardboard box. The main thing is to connect and configure the coolers before that, as described above.
  • Consider insulating your desk. Heated table heats up to high temperatures. And if part of this heat leaves properly, heating the printed part, then the second part (from below) just goes down. To concentrate the heat from the table onto the part, you can perform an operation to insulate it. To do this, I simply attach a cork mouse pad to its bottom using stationery clips.

Pins

I am sure that during the assembly process you will encounter a number of difficulties specific to your project. Neither this text nor even the most detailed guides will insure against this.

As I wrote in the introductory part, the above does not claim the status of a detailed assembly manual. It is almost impossible to describe all the stages and their subtleties within the framework of one such text. First of all, this is an overview material that will help you prepare for the assembly process (both mentally and financially), understand whether you personally need to bother with self-assembly - or give up on everything and buy a ready-made solution.


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