What to do with defective Anet A8

Hey folks,

A few years back when I was in university, I bought a cheap Anet A8 clone as my entry into 3D printing. It was definitely a budget option and it showed. The extruder stepper driver blew out on the fourth print. I told myself I’d fix it eventually, but then life happened.

Fast forward a bit, I got a job, saved up, and picked up a Bambu P1S which I love. The old printer has been collecting dust for about two years now, and I’m wondering if there’s anything useful I can do with it.

Here’s the situation: • It’s a cheap knockoff of the Anet A8 • Extruder stepper driver is dead (not the stepper motor itself, I believe) • Everything else was working last time I checked, but it’s been a while

Is it worth trying to repair or repurpose any parts? Any fun side projects it could be useful for (like a plotter, camera slider, laser engraver, etc)? Or should I just harvest parts and scrap the rest?

Appreciate any ideas or experiences if anyone’s been in the same boat!