Lessons Learned for Newbies

[lroger01]

My printer arrives next month. While I'm waiting I'm thinking and designing all kinds of stuff to print and planning were and how I'll print it. I could use some help from the pro's to save time and grief. Do you have wisdom on things like printer location, table used, storage, model creating, finishing (removing supports), tools used, ect.? Things that would apply to anyone getting into 3DP regardless of make or model. Thanks!

[lroger01]

Really? No one has any universal 3D printing wisdom to impart to newbies? Really? I'm bummed.

[old man emu]

Your enquiry falls into the "How long is a piece of string?" category.

Printer location, table used and storage are all dependent on the design of your residence. I have a free-standing garage where I have set up my workshop. Others only have a corner of a room in an apartment.

Model creation is discussed in a separate thread on this site, as are finishing and tools. These threads are not bound to any particular make or model of printer.

And to answer your criticism of lack of response ... You posted at the start of the weekend. Most forums go quiet over the weekend as participants get out and do other things, like grocery shopping, housework, visiting friends and relations.

Old Man Emu

[3dfilaments]

Hi

I have had a flashforge creator dual extruder for about 6 months now and I love it!

I could recommend a solid table to keep your printer stable ... be aware that it will make noise and the plastic will most likely have a burning smell unless you are using nextgen rolls like Honeycomb Filaments'

also your printer might light up during printing, ... just a few reasons to consider having your printer in a separate room from your computer, preferably well ventilated and away from bedrooms..

I haven't had problems with temperature, humidity, or rolls sitting in the open but I imagine it's a good habit to cover them so that dust doesn't accumulate on them



for models , I find plenty of great STL files on thingiverse.com or myminifactory.com/


and I am learning to create models with free site like sketchup 3D , Autocad123, blender

but my favorite one is tinkercad it's easy to use , has a clear grid in inches and has good tutorials



after using Kapton Tape, 3M Paper,... I am now using a piece of glass that I clip to the heated plate
it is much smoother and gives me better prints

I recommend using quality 3D filaments that will be consistent throughout all the colors so you can fine tune your printer and print away !

[lroger01]

3dfilaments - Thanks for the info! That was just the kind of been-there-done-that info I was hoping to get! Also, I'm well versed in Cinema 4D. I bought the printer so I could actually produce some of the models I've made.

Old man emu - Sorry my second post sounded negative - that isn't what I was thinking when I wrote it. I was just teasingly trying to get a response after 27 page views and no posts. Really I'm a friendly and helpful person and hope to be a major contributor on this board in the years to come.

Anyone else have "lessons learned" wisdom to add?

[old man emu]

Old man emu[/B] - Sorry my second post sounded negative - that isn't what I was thinking when I wrote it. I was just teasingly trying to get a response after 27 page views and no posts.

'Tis the curse of digital communication.

OME

[cokreeate]

Not sure what printer you got but any well ventilated place will work fine.
I would recommend printing with PLA first before going into ABS.
Some people like using the blue painter type but Kepton type seems to work best forme.
This site has some good info. http://www.repetier.com/documentatio...rffirst-tests/

Hope that helps.

[3dkarma]

Some things that have helped me:
1. Tension your belts. Get them nice and tight.
2. Calibrate. Follow the reprap wiki guide http://reprap.org/wiki/Calibration
3. If you're printing with PLA, use Kapton tape on your print bed and paint over with some diluted washable PVA glue. Does wonders for preventing curling. Blue painters tape works well also, but I find PVA sticks better when your print bed's warm and the pieces pop off easily when the bed cools. Note: this only works on a heated print bed.
4. Finishing tools - I use a cheap wood carving set like this one from amazon.