Lego Mindstorms: Banner Print3r Bot

How to insert the paper roll

One issue we had was just inserting the paper roll! We kind of had to figure this out for ourselves, so I took a few pictures to show exactly how to do that. I will explain the pictures the best I can.

Take the assembly off that holds the Sharpie marker. It’s easier to insert the paper without it in place. Also, make sure that the paper roll isn’t on the axle too tightly and is able to unroll freely.

If you need to take a closer look at the pictures, you can now click on them and see each by themselves in a new tab. For example, if you wanted to zoom in on a particular area.

I thought that I had bought paper rolls that were too wide, but after looking at some pictures online, I realized that the paper was supposed to go under (not through!) the gray double H piece that is supposed to be on this side. I had already rebuilt this side black girders though to work as a paper guide so we just kept it as is.
Here is the paper inserted between the two black girder pieces shown in the first picture. If you are using the gray piece though like the instructions say, then the paper will go under the entire gray piece and up the other side of the it.
Here is where we messed up the first and second and third time. I didn’t realize that the black rod shown above was supposed to be holding the paper against the wheels. Oops. Anyway, you’ll want to slide the paper under that rod.
Push the black rod back into its spot.
Now we are looking at the bot from the top. Go under the black girder after removing the red girder piece next to it. You want the paper to go over those two middle red pieces. They function as a table for the paper.
Slide the paper under the red Lego piece shown.
Put back the red piece that was beside the black piece. This is what your bot should like from the top now.
Now we have a second black rod to mess with! So take one side out of place just like you did with the other black rod. Slide the paper under it.
Put the black rod back in place.
This is what your bot will look like from the finished printing side.
And now here is how the bot should look with the paper roll inserted and the marker assembly attached.
View of the robot from the printer roll side.

A few more pics just in case they are needed.

Pages: 1 2 3 4
Tags: , , , , , ,

This Post Has 13 Comments

    1. Anonymous January 27, 2019 Reply

      I agree

  4. Tiffanie Bialis December 16, 2016 Reply

    Hello!! You said that you came up with all the letters, exported here, but I can’t find them. Can you direct me as to where to find them to help my son?

    1. Lynn-Marie December 16, 2016 Reply

      Hi, Tiffanie! Thanks for stopping by! The way we set up the letters for download is kind of confusing. My son and I will work on it right now to get it more accessible.

      Update: I have rewritten the post to make it more clear where to download the letters and have also put up a few pictures to show what they will look like in the Lego Mindstorms programming environment. I hope this helps!

  5. jihane February 10, 2018 Reply

    Hello I loved what you made, it is awesome continue like this and if you have any other projects send it to me

  6. Anonymous January 27, 2019 Reply

    Nice robot but it isn’t really working for me and i don’t have any paper rolls

  7. Anonymous January 27, 2019 Reply

    wow

  9. Judah April 21, 2020 Reply

    What type of marker are you using?

    1. Lynn-Marie April 21, 2020 Reply

      We used a Sharpie for the banner printer bot. I think that is what we saw other people using in their banner printer bot builds. We did end up with permanent marker marks on some of our LEGO pieces though.

  10. Vadim October 30, 2021 Reply

    My son and I put together the printer. But we cannot write a program. Please share the program.

Be geeky with us!