Getting Started with 3D printing
1) Pick a 3D printer type which fits your needs
Different printers have different specifications, it depends on your project which printer fits best
Specifications which often are considered before purchasing a printer
- the build size
- the layer height
- the accuracy in x and y
- the filament type it can take
- if the printer only takes the brand name filament of the printer company
- heated buildplate
- camera to monitor the print remotely
- the price range
- 3d printer kit vs fully
2) Compare the prices for the printers and if possible get a sample
The price range for a similar printer is huge. It also changes quickly and I would therefore suggest to search for 3d printer review and comparison online. This normally will return the current specifications of the top printers and the prices.
3) Setting up the printer
After you have selected the printer and it finally arrived. The setup time depends on the printer you have selected. If it is a 3d printer kit, it can take a weekend to a couple of weekends to get it set up perfectly. If it is a fully assembled printer, it takes only a few steps to get the first print.
a) find a good location
The location should be somewhere where the constant noise from the printer will not disturb anyone and it should be level
b) Getting the filament set up
This should be easy but can take a little longer the first time. The filament should be cut to allow a quicker feeding process. Some more affordable printers might not line up as good between the motor pulling and the hole for the excruder it therefore can take a few trials. After the filament is starting to get pulled in correctly the old filament needs to get excruded first. The color of the excruded filament will change between old and new and only when the new color looks nice should the filament exchange or input be stopped.
c) Leveling the build plate
This process is a little difficult for the very first time but it will get very easy afterward and the time needed to level the build plate will become very quick.
The purpose of this process is to have a perfectly leveled buildplate and to allow the printing of a precise built. If the build plate is not leveled correctly, there might be different problems with the print, depending on the size of the print.
A thin piece of paper should be used, for example a receipt. The process is finished when the paper just slides with a little resistance underneath the excruder under all the three positions.
4) Printing the first print
The first print should be to verify the printers function, it therefore does not need to be anything fancy but something simple. Some printers come with a few sample prints, this would be a good option to use one of them. If no samples had been provided, thingiverse.com has a lots of good prints.
5) Filaments
Depending on the printer, a number of different filaments are available. Some companies provide a great selection of colors, but others also have flexible filaments. After the first prints, it will be fun to look into options.
6) Maintenance
Maintenance is needed with all printers. It can be something small like oiling the coils or a stuck filament. Even if it looks like a bigger problem, it might be easy to fix with the help of customer service or youtube videos. Luckily for me the number of problems had been very small. One time a motor stopped working and it turned out to be a lose cable and the other time a stuck filament was not easy to solve because the stuck part had been half an inch long. And therefore the motor had to be detached.
1) Pick a 3D printer type which fits your needs
Different printers have different specifications, it depends on your project which printer fits best
Specifications which often are considered before purchasing a printer
- the build size
- the layer height
- the accuracy in x and y
- the filament type it can take
- if the printer only takes the brand name filament of the printer company
- heated buildplate
- camera to monitor the print remotely
- the price range
- 3d printer kit vs fully
2) Compare the prices for the printers and if possible get a sample
The price range for a similar printer is huge. It also changes quickly and I would therefore suggest to search for 3d printer review and comparison online. This normally will return the current specifications of the top printers and the prices.
3) Setting up the printer
After you have selected the printer and it finally arrived. The setup time depends on the printer you have selected. If it is a 3d printer kit, it can take a weekend to a couple of weekends to get it set up perfectly. If it is a fully assembled printer, it takes only a few steps to get the first print.
a) find a good location
The location should be somewhere where the constant noise from the printer will not disturb anyone and it should be level
b) Getting the filament set up
This should be easy but can take a little longer the first time. The filament should be cut to allow a quicker feeding process. Some more affordable printers might not line up as good between the motor pulling and the hole for the excruder it therefore can take a few trials. After the filament is starting to get pulled in correctly the old filament needs to get excruded first. The color of the excruded filament will change between old and new and only when the new color looks nice should the filament exchange or input be stopped.
c) Leveling the build plate
This process is a little difficult for the very first time but it will get very easy afterward and the time needed to level the build plate will become very quick.
The purpose of this process is to have a perfectly leveled buildplate and to allow the printing of a precise built. If the build plate is not leveled correctly, there might be different problems with the print, depending on the size of the print.
A thin piece of paper should be used, for example a receipt. The process is finished when the paper just slides with a little resistance underneath the excruder under all the three positions.
4) Printing the first print
The first print should be to verify the printers function, it therefore does not need to be anything fancy but something simple. Some printers come with a few sample prints, this would be a good option to use one of them. If no samples had been provided, thingiverse.com has a lots of good prints.
5) Filaments
Depending on the printer, a number of different filaments are available. Some companies provide a great selection of colors, but others also have flexible filaments. After the first prints, it will be fun to look into options.
6) Maintenance
Maintenance is needed with all printers. It can be something small like oiling the coils or a stuck filament. Even if it looks like a bigger problem, it might be easy to fix with the help of customer service or youtube videos. Luckily for me the number of problems had been very small. One time a motor stopped working and it turned out to be a lose cable and the other time a stuck filament was not easy to solve because the stuck part had been half an inch long. And therefore the motor had to be detached.