title:Project Ghost/ Now G1 Mini author:Thomas Gile description:High Speed 3d Printer created_at:2024-05-22"

Current Total Time Worked On Project: 105.9 Hours

5/22/2025 Log 1: The Start

I set up my repo, the Fusion 360 docs, and the other documents I am using to track my project's development. Then I cobbled together some various parts from CAD of different projects and made a mockup of what it could look like:

Later today, I will disassemble two scrap printers and then take the parts and lay them out to see how I could optimize the frame and the metal parts that I have to work with, then I can get down to real CAD.

Time Spent: 40 Minutes

5/22/2025 Log 2: Extrusion Are Just Big Legos

I started by finishing disassembling my 3d printers and cleaning up my workshop, then laying out my extrusion and getting an idea of how the frame should look. I decided on a rough frame here:

Now that I have the frame, it is time to get to CAD!

Time Spent: 2 hours

5/22/2025 Log 3: Getting Basic Parts

I started getting the CAD file organised. I made a folder in Fusion 360 and then referenced other CAD files for ideas and inspiration. I then started to collect basic part CAD files from the internet for the printer frame, using the LH Stinger BOM as a basic list of parts. This technique of using the internet to find premade models for parts like aluminum extrusions, screws, and other things can speed up the CAD process.

Time Spent: 1.5 hours

5/24/2025 Log 4: Frame Designed!

I built the frame in Fusion 360 and found that you can get CAD files of parts you can order on: https://us.misumi-ec.com/. I then started getting the file organised so I can hopefully create a BOM natively in Fusion 360.

Time Spent: 2 Hours

5/27/2025 Log 5: Finally Some Progress!

After a little break (I had a four-day swim meet), I finally hopped back onto the project. I want to say that not everything in this project was fully created and done by yours truly alone; I am using some bits and bobs from the LH Stinger design. And the metal parts that you would buy are industrial CAD parts from the internet. So the Y axis and the X axis are currently not my design. I will likely modify them to my needs and aesthetic preferences, but why try to fix something that isn’t broken? I am also creating a really organised file for the Ship, and hopefully, I can create some videos and an animated build manual for future makers of this printer!

How the printer currently looks:

Time Spent: 3.5 Hours

5/28/2025 Log 6: Adding More Parts

Today, I added more parts to the 3d printer, most notably the dual Z-belted system from the LH Stinger. I am also preparing for the part where I shine: toolhead design! I sent an email to Dimitri, the Picolino extruder guy, and hopefully, he will send me the CAD files I requested. I also created a sketch of some ideas for the toolhead and the project’s logo on some graph paper:

I really want to go all out on this toolhead, I am aiming for under 500 grams, but with insane cooling, integrated PCB, one cable back to the mainboard, support for 4 color printing, a watercooled metal extruder block, and maybe even have the heatsink combined with the extruder itself! I would like to add RGB accents to the logo on the toolhead and some recessed details as well.

This is how the printer currently looks:

Time Spent: 3.5 Hours

5/28/2025 Log 7: Finally Starting to Look Like A Printer!

Today I added more parts, I also modified some parts. I am quickly approaching the point where now on, the CAD will be made solely by me. I added a basic placeholder toolhead and am getting the MISC parts located and positioned. Also I my Bambu Labs order arrived, I got a roll of CF-PLA, A roll of CF-PETG, and four rolls of basic PLA, along with an engineering plate and a 0.6 hardened steel nozzle. The CF filament is for printing the parts for the machine! And the accessories for being able to print the plastic. I also organised a vast amount of parts in my workshop and cleaned up quite a bit! Here is a photo dump of the day's activities:

Time Spent 2 Hours

5/29/2025 and 6/2/2025 Log 8: Toolhead Shtuff!

These past days, I have been hard at work CAD'ing and physically building things. To start off, I scoured the internet for the toolhead files I required for a ultra combined version that will blow you away (I hope, since I have not made it yet). I part sorted loads of screws, organised my workshop fully, geared up my printer to print Carbon Fiber infused filimants, and printed and built (mostly) my plan B toolhead. You may ask: What is a Plan B toolhead? Well, my projects are often ambitious, and so I have purposely integrated failsafes into my plan for this project. So I have my Plan A toolhead, a wild but super cool toolhead design, but if I am not able to finish the toolhead design in time, I have a still cool Plan B toolhead. THAT is the one I built today. I also experimented with getting cleaner toop surfaces on my 3d prints and my logo (Sanding, and Slicer optimization).

Here is the photo dump:

Time Spent: 5 Hours

6/4/25 and 6/3/25 and 6/4/25 Log 9 Toolhead Starting To Look Toolhead-y?

These last few days have been spent grinding CAD, trying to combine Kevin's current world record toolhead with the Lh Stinger toolhead and creating my original BEAST! It currently doesn't look like much, but it has been a LOT of work:

Note

Unfortunately, I went on a long hiatus from journaling my project every day. My only explanation is that I have been limited by my parents to only three hours of screen time per day (whether it is for projects or not), so I have found it difficult to make progress on the project and also log. I am filling these next days from memory, notes in my project notebook, and screenshots as well as Hackclub Slack Logs.

6/5/25 Log 10

More Work on the toolhead. Today I worked more on the toolhead. I spent an unnatural amount of time deleting fillets and chamfers. I also have come to the conclusion that the simpler the better, so this toolhead is essentially a plate plus some. Here is a photo:

Time Spent: 3 Hours

6/6/25 and 6/7/25 Log 11 Toolhead Almost done.

I ground a bit and made a toolhead that I am proud of. This involved me learning the remove feature in Fusion, creating a ton of imported components (It's a whole process), but finally I think I got something worth talking about:

Time Spent: 6 Hours

6/8/25 Log 12 Toolhead Needs More Work

I did a little more optimizing I worked on aesthetics, lighweighting, and near the end found a superior extruder. I will adapt my design for tomorrow.

Time Spent: 3 Hours

6/9/25 Log 13: Adding Protoextruder And Changing Air Path

I found an excellent and cheap extruder yesterday, the Protoextruder 2.0. I changed my toolhead to be compatible and also modified the air paths to make for a slimmer and more streamlined toolhead:

Time Spent: 3 Hours

6/7/25 Log 12 More work on the printer.

Now I am excited today, I finished the finishing touches on the printer today, importing the toolhead, simplifying the printer file system, changing holes, adding logo's etc. And it looks soooo nice!

Time Spent: 3 Hours

6/9/25 Log 13: Working on the BOM for G1

Today I worked on the Bill Of Materials on the Ghost 1, I am lowkey struggling, have I meation I hate/suck at sourcing things? Time Spent: 3 Hours

6/10/25 Log 14: Working on the BOM for G1 (Again)

We have some bad news: the project is a bust. The INCOMPLETE BOM is over $700, and even if I optimize, there is no way I'll be able to make it with the allotted $350. Ugh, I don't know what to do. Time Spent: 3 Hours

6/10/25 Log 14: A HUGE plot twist

I figured out WHAT TO DO!!! I am going to design a mini version of the 3d printer with the same toolhead. It'll double the project time, but I think I can do it. I am using Evan Lee's awesome PandA as an inspiration and a form factor inspiration.

Time Spent: 3 Hours

6/11/25, 6/12/25, 6/13/25 Log 15: Back to the Drawing Board

Ok, so I have imported his CAD and worked on replacing his Y axis with a better one of my design, based on an Ender 3 speed mod. I also had the genius idea of using an aluminum plate as a structure for the bottom of the printer because of clearance issues.

Time Spent: 9 Hours

6/14/25 Log 16 Basic concepts and CAD on the G1 Mini

I worked on tons of things, belt path, changing things ship of thesus style, adding in parts I have at home:

Time Spent: 3 Hours

6/16/25 Mix and Match

I added some Z mounts I thought would work (from the Voron Switchwire Project) and tried to see what It would look like white.

Time Spent: 3 Hours

Dates were lost here.

Log 17: Changes Need to be Made

I worked on the motor mounts and on making a hyper-optimized idler block thingy.

Time Spent: 3 Hours

Log 18 Big Brain Activity

I added my logo, created body pieces, locked in on the motor blocks, and blacked it out.

Time Spent: 3 Hours

Log 19 Modifications

I added a non-tensioning belt holder to the toolhead, and worked on the Z axis (finally)

Note

There is an unaccounted break of time, I apologise, I had just started lifegaurding and forgot to journal

Time Spent: 3 Hours

Log 20: Blacked out Vibes?

I made good progress on the printer. I finished the Z Axis, worked on the aesthetics, and it is starting to look official

Time Spent: 3 Hours

Log 21 Speed Demon

I made the decision to go with 48 volts and changed some belt widths and more miscellaneous things Time Spent: 3 Hours

Log 22 Ebox Life

I found a nice ebox model then modified the crap out of it. I added a 210mm server fan I had at homr, made the lid pivot, and added aesthetics

Time Spent: 3 Hours

6/26/25 Log 23 Working On Repo

I worked on setting up the repo, kinda copying the format of the LH Stinger Project Time Spent: 3 Hours

6/27/25 24 Working On Bom for G1 Mini

I worked on the BOM with Evan Lee and got it close, only $5 over ( I hope that is forgivable) Time Spent: 3 Hours

6/28/25 Final Touches

I added things to the repo, exported the BOM to the repo, finished the log, and did last-minute CAD work Time Spent: 3 hours

Note

I did use a lot of reference material in this project, please do understand, though, in the end, all the CAD ended up being mine, either by replacing the part with something better that I made or by somthing else like that ship of thesus style it ended up being unrecognisable as the oringinal inspo.