Before You Try 3D Printing by Cam Shand

This is guide is for past me.

Someone who wanted to learn 3D printing but didn’t know where to start.

Someone who spent many hours watching videos, reading articles, tips and even having formal training.

Someone who wasted a lot of time and money, from failed prints, printer upgrades, and only in hindsight… simple mistakes.

Someone who wished they had all this information in one spot before they tried 3D printing.

In my YouTube videos I find hand drawing concepts to be a great way to convey information.

So in this guide I've drawn many explainers to help break down how a printer works, what certain software settings change and everything I wish I knew before I started 3D printing.

I'm stoked to share this with you!

Note: this guide is based on the FDM style of 3D printing, which is the roll of filament (Plastic line).

Whilst there are many different types of 3D printers, this is the most common and widely used variety especially in homes.

CONTENTS:

Maximum Fun 7

Hot Glue Gun on a Robot arm 9

Workflow of 3D Printing 11

Shapes and Sizes 13

Think in Layers 15

Creative Uses of 3D Prints 17

Finding a Home 19

Time is Money 21

Anatomy of a 3D Printer 23

The Moving Parts 25

Printer Buying Tier List 26

Materials 27

Picking the Right Filament for the Project 31

Hazardous Fumes and Fibres 33

Is it Really Food Safe? 36

Reduce Jams when Loading Filament 37

Avoid Melting Your Printer 40

Colours 41

What is Slicing? 45

Slicer Settings 47

Supports can Defy Gravity 49

Threshold Angle 51

String Like a Web 53

Speed 55

Quality Tips 57

Reduce Filament Stretch 60

Make Stronger Prints 61

Adjusting Slicing Settings 62

Strength with Orientation 65

Adhesion 67

Keep Things Level 69

The Right Amount of Squish 72

Make it Stickier 73

Resort to Software 74

3D Model Files 75

Making 3D Models 76

Where to Find 3D Models 77

What’s with the Boat? 78

G-Code 79

When it Goes Wrong 80

You are now Ready to Print 81

Bonus Tips 83

Glossary 87