I am completely new to the world of 3d printing as it exists today. I used to be a plastics product designer for all sorts of products. But in those days... we spent thousands for SLA models. That was the only way to get some kind of part to see, touch, and feel.

Now... I am designing product for myself at home. They will ultimately end up machined aluminum parts, so I want to print using ABS for the strength. I just ordered a Makerbot Desktop and a Makerbot Mini. i ordered only ABS material. Is there anything I should know up front so I don't waste too much time printing crap?