4 things that all 3D printer owners should know how to do
The first 3D printer I encountered had to be assembled from parts that arrived in a box. That was over a decade ago and things have certainly changed. The last two 3D printers I acquired worked right out of the box after plugging them in and removing the packaging material. There’s never been a more beginner-friendly time to get started in this hobby.
That said, even though the printers are easy to set up and use, there are still some things everyone should know how to do with a 3D printer.
Calibrate the printer for consistently accurate prints
3D printers are extremely precise instruments. It’s easy to forget how miraculous it is to have a little box in your home to build detailed objects from raw materials. It was pure science fiction when I was a kid and I, for one, will never take it for granted.
Because of this precision, 3D printers must be well calibrated to work, and you need to know how to calibrate yours right out of the box and then as part of its ongoing maintenance. Different printers have different calibration methods. Some older or cheaper printers require manual calibration, in which you use a sheet of paper to adjust the gap between the nozzle and the build plate. It’s a bit of an art, because you have to have just the right amount of drag on the paper to know that the gap is correct.
More modern printers don’t even give you access to the things you need to adjust this gap. Instead, they use sensors, AI-powered cameras, Lidar systems, and other high-tech solutions to self-calibrate. This has made 3D printing much more accessible, but you need to know how to manually adjust things if the auto-calibration goes wrong in some way.
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Troubleshoot common print failures
One of the reasons 3D printers are no different from traditional 2D printers is the demand for troubleshooting. Except that the process takes on a whole new dimension that goes well beyond resolving a paper jam.
Extrusion issues are the main problem you will deal with. For example, your printer may over- or under-extrude your filament. The filament might also stop coming out altogether. So you need to know how to open the hot end and extruder, and clear any blockages or other issues negatively affecting extrusion.
It’s also important to know what settings to change when you observe issues like stringing, thermal creep, and extruder grinding. There are ways to solve these problems and you should learn them. But to be honest, most people will learn the solutions to these problems as they encounter them naturally.
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Maintain and replace essential components
Your 3D printer is a complex machine with many moving parts. Anytime you have moving parts, significant temperature changes, and lots of different materials with their own tolerances, things will break down.
It is important to lubricate the rails at regular intervals with an approved lubricant. Replacing your nozzle when it becomes too worn is another important skill to have. PTFE tubing, clips that hold the wire harnesses connected to the moving hot end, and other plastic parts have a tendency to break and need to be replaced. Each specific 3D printer model will come with instructions for general maintenance, but it’s worth checking out videos online for more extensive maintenance work, like replacing the entire hotend.
Be warned that I am referring to maintenance and replacement of normal wear parts. If your printer is still under warranty, you should not do any work on it that is not normal wear and tear for its age.
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Cut models intelligently for best results
3D printers are just as married to “waste in and waste out” as any computing device. If you provide the wrong code to your printer, it will print the wrong object. Understanding your slicer is probably the most important thing you need to know. You need to have a good understanding of when you need support, what type of support you need, what type of infill suits the purpose of your item, etc.
The slicing software is much better than it was a few years ago and incredibly user-friendly, but it will still do exactly what you tell it, no matter how stupid the instructions are. As anyone in 3D printing will tell you, there is a lot of trial and error involved in learning the ins and outs of your slicer and how the settings influence the final product. My advice is to buy cheap (but good quality) filament and treat it as your learning material.
Personally, I’ve found that there’s always something to learn about 3D printing, and while objectively I suppose I could be considered an intermediate 3D printing hobbyist, I’ve always feel as a beginner, no matter how much I learn and experiment. That said, I think if you’re comfortable with the tasks I mentioned above, you’ll be ready to build on that foundation.
9/10
- Construction volume
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10.4 inches x 10.4 inches x 10.4 inches
- Print speed
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500mm/s
- Materials used
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PLA, PETG, TPU, ABS, ASA, PLA-CF
- Brand
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Élégoo
