Get a printer (or not)

You can get your model printed by someone else over the internet via services such as 3D Hubs — however, this gets quite expensive if you’re going to do it often, and anyways the feedback time is in the days range.

If you own a printer yourself, you can easily create (or download) the model you want to print, get it done in a matter of hours and quickly improve and repeat the process when you’re not happy with the result.

3D printers are still somewhat expensive, but if your requirements aren’t that high, you can find a good quality printer for around 200 or 300 euros.

I went for a Prima Creator P120 v3.1, just 219 euros on their website — the maximum print volume is small (12x12x12) but does the job for me and I am still very happy with the purchase — a very solid printer overall.

3D Hubs keeps an index where you can compare 3D printers by price and reviews here.

Filament

You do have some choice when it comes to choosing the filament you want to use, and often the choice is based on the final use of your 3D-printed model (strength, heat-resistance and so on…).

Most common materials are ABS and PLA. ABS (or Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) is especially good at impact resistance and toughness but it requires a slightly higher temperature for printing (230°C) and it requires a heated bed to avoid warping.

ABS is not eco-friendly and it is known to produce carcinogens and ultrafine particles when printing, therefore I suggest you pick something else for your hobby works.

PLA (or Polylactic acid) is made from sugarcane and cornstarch which are organic materials — this makes it an eco-friendly choice and you will most likely not get cancer from it (and unlike ABS the fumes it produces aren’t too bad). It can be melted at temperatures between 180°C and 200°C, and while a heated bed is not required, it’s good to have one at around 60°C.

PLA cannot be chemically smoothed (with acetone for example) but it can be treated with sandpaper if you want to paint it. The final product is generally more pleasing aesthetically (but less strong and flexible).

Prices are around 20 or 30 euros for 1kg of filament — pretty good for me since most of my models use a quantity in the grams range. Make sure the brand you choose produces quality PLA, and possibly go color-free as it’s yet safer. Also, store your reels in a dry place, possibly with some desiccant to help.

Modeling

Thingiverse and other similar websites are full of useful models from Arduino-enclosures to Nintendo Switch stand and cute animals that you can download for free, however, you might want to start creating some designs yourself when what you need is not available on the Internet.

SketchUp, TinkerCad, Blender, Umake, Shapr3D and many others are all viable solutions for this, some are even free or offer a free tier. It is a good idea to learn about CAD, for example here, but besides that, there is a number of rules to keep in mind when designing for 3D printing.

3D Hubs again has a list of such rules here, and other interesting tutorials like “Enclosure design for 3D Printing: A step-by-step guide” and “How to design Snap-fit Joints for 3D Printing”.

Slicing

Slicing is a necessary operation to convert 3D models (often in the .stl format) into gcode files, a sort of markup language that describes the (layered) paths that the printer must follow in order to create the final object.

Ultimaker Cura is a slicing app which, despite the name, is compatible with any printer.

You can add your own printer as default (so settings will be optimized based on it), open a model, scale it, rotate it and other operations, but most importantly you can set:

Layer Height: the height of each layer, the lower this value is, the longer it will take to print but the quality will be higher. 0.15–0.2 mm is suitable for most cases.

the height of each layer, the lower this value is, the longer it will take to print but the quality will be higher. 0.15–0.2 mm is suitable for most cases. Infill: usually at 20%, defines how much the object will be filled and therefore its strength and the time it will take to print (example).

usually at 20%, defines how much the object will be filled and therefore its strength and the time it will take to print (example). Support: the slicing software can automatically add supports to the model, mandatory in case of overhanging parts (but I found out that I can somehow print 10–20mm bridges without supports).

the slicing software can automatically add supports to the model, mandatory in case of overhanging parts (but I found out that I can somehow print 10–20mm bridges without supports). Adhesion: a sticker-like first layer to help the object being printed stick to the bed.

Tools

There are a few tools that come in handy quite often and that you should always keep in the toolbox next to your printer.

Masking tape is the most basic and most widely used surface covering for print beds. Adding masking tape to the print bed is a simple way to help the 3D printed objects to adhere better. Additionally, the tape also makes removing the finished print easier and it protects your print bed from scratches.

is the most basic and most widely used surface covering for print beds. Adding masking tape to the print bed is a simple way to help the 3D printed objects to adhere better. Additionally, the tape also makes removing the finished print easier and it protects your print bed from scratches. A digital caliper will have many applications: you can use it to check the precision of your prints and to dimension parts that you want to replicate in CAD software (or to check the actual diameter of your filament, most often 3 or 1.75 mm).

Tweezers which I use frequently to plug any oozing filament from the nozzle just before the printer starts printing or for cleaning up a 3D print.

which I use frequently to plug any oozing filament from the nozzle just before the printer starts printing or for cleaning up a 3D print. Palette knives: when a 3D print sticks so well to your print bed that you can’t remove it by hand you can use a palette knife to try and get under the print and to carefully pry it loose from the print bed.

when a 3D print sticks so well to your print bed that you can’t remove it by hand you can use a palette knife to try and get under the print and to carefully pry it loose from the print bed. A scalpel to post process your prints: 3D prints rarely turn out perfect and you may have to remove plastic blobs or filament strings that have appeared during the printing process.

Maintenance

Every few months you want to take care of your printer to keep it running smoothly and creating good-quality prints. You should:

Clean up the area around the printer: dust and filament build up and can endanger fans and other moving parts.

around the printer: dust and filament build up and can endanger fans and other moving parts. Lubricate : 1–2 drops of sewing machine oil on rails and rods will keep the printer running smoothly. Other lubricants might work too, but make sure they’re safe to use with plastic and don’t use too much of it as it can attract dust and grime.

: 1–2 drops of sewing machine oil on rails and rods will keep the printer running smoothly. Other lubricants might work too, but make sure they’re safe to use with plastic and don’t use too much of it as it can attract dust and grime. Make sure screws and bolts are tight and replace the belt if loose .

. Clean the nozzle and the extruder gear : clogs can impact the quality of your 3D printed products substantially and overall these are parts that can get sabotaged by debris fairly easily. You can also replace these parts if needed.

and the : clogs can impact the quality of your 3D printed products substantially and overall these are parts that can get sabotaged by debris fairly easily. You can also replace these parts if needed. Replace worn-out beds : the area you’re building on can get scratched up, affecting the look and integrity of your 3D creations.

: the area you’re building on can get scratched up, affecting the look and integrity of your 3D creations. Update your printer’s firmware

Here is a good video showing a thorough maintenance in detail:

Health

3D printing is spreading fast but not very often are people aware of the health hazards of this fun, useful and somewhat mesmerizing manufacturing procedure. This is worth knowing about, especially with printers recently appearing in schools or aimed at children.

I have already talked about the dangers of the ABS filament, which produces noxious fumes that are carcinogenic and that does not degrade in nature. PLA is a much safer choice (and eco-friendly) but there are still some measures that you can take to avoid any unnecessary exposure to toxic chemicals or ultra-fine particles:

Use high quality color-free filament, cheaper reels may be produced with debatable materials and we lack data on the effects of melting coloured thermoplastics.