I’ve finally decided to pull the trigger on purchasing a 3d printer, specifically the Bambu Labs X2D. Those 3d printer users, if you were to start over, what would you purchase to start out with assuming I am going to be printing clamps, storage, and all those other things that a new 3d printer user will print. Also…assume I have nothing for accessories.
2 Likes
3D printing is mostly self-accessorizing these days, and typically, the first couple of days of ownership are filled w/ printing various accessories.
Notable things which I use w/ my 3D printers (which are not 3D printed/specific to a printer):
- a good quality/sharp putty knife for (carefully) removing prints — this should be kept clean and not used for anything else
- a spray bottle filled w/ 91% isopropyl alcohol (to clean print surfaces)
- microfiber cloth (wipe clean/dry after spraying)
- Dawn dish detergent (to clean print surfaces)
- heat gun (for clearing a clogged nozzle)
- specialty filament for cleaning a nozzle (used when switching between materials or after clearing a clog)
- brass brush (for cleaning off nozzles after a clog)
- various T-handle hex keys (cue Adam Savage talking about multiple sets of Bondhus hex tools in his shop)
- a wire shelf/rack to store stuff paired w/ a small table
- lots of desiccant beads
- a 5 gallon bucket w/ a Gamma Seal lid to store filament in
- lots of Ziplock bags for storing filament
- a good quality pair of flush cutters to cut filament — I actually use a pair of Revlon scissor like nail clippers (found on the side of the road when walking to the grocery store — a fair number of my tools are sourced thus) which are slightly curved to as to make a rounded end
- a tool case like to:
https://www.harborfreight.com/toolbox-organizer-with-4-drawers-68238.html
For the 3D printers themselves:
- various sizes of nozzles
- spare silicone socks and so forth
- spare print plates
- a filament dryer (for PETG — various other filaments also want this)
- lots and lots of different filaments
The printers themselves are on small furniture dollies w/ a sandwich of (from top-to-bottom):
- rubber paver
- concrete paver
- foam kneeling pad
- concrete paver
- furniture dolly
since they are in a finished basement and get moved around as necessary to either print or be out-of-the-way.
Once you’ve compleated a print you will need:
- needlenose pliers for removing supports
- files in various sizes and shapes (for refining surfaces)
- deburring tools — Noga brand are supposed to be really nice, but I haven’t splurged thus (yet)
- containers to store scrap filament/poop sorted as appropriate for recycling and so forth — a project for future me is to make a mold out of aluminum to use to cast Gridfinity baseplates
4 Likes
Thanks Will. That is a fantastically thorough list! I’ll definitely use this as a basis for my accessories.
1 Like
I’m sure that there’s lots of stuff which I didn’t list, and it may be that some of the stuff I listed won’t be suited for your needs, and it may be that there are better options — in particular, filament storage and drying is something I’d like to improve on…
It sounds extravagant, but I find unloading/loading/stowing filament annoying enough that I’m kind of wishing I’d bought a second printer w/ an MMU, then assembled it mirror imaged and found space for a dedicated table for the pair — then I could have 8 colours loaded and just print a fairly compleat palette (which would of course have to include the 5 MtG colours WUBRG) as well as the bone white and shiny grey I like to use for Gridfinity bins as suggested by Robert Cowan on YouTube.
As it is, I keep the boxes for the currently loaded filaments in the top tray of the wire shelf rack and the hygroscopic stuff is in the afore-mentioned bucket, while PLA and unopened filaments are stacked wherever I can find room.
The other thing I need to sort out is re-using or recycling filament spools…
I’ll probably hold out for a large format 3D printer which will have 8 tool heads… (which will be a long time coming, so not a big priority for me, the setup which I have addresses my needs as opposed to desires).
1 Like
Did you pick up an AMS? Super nice to not have to change material manually, be able to multi-color print, and have a nice storage option. I know it’s a bit spendy, but it’s worth it to me.
Bambu Lab does a good job at providing everything needed to get printing and maintaining the machine.
Down the road… those items which Will mentioned.
2 Likes
Yes…springing for the AMS 2 to get heat on the filaments as well as multiple colors.
1 Like
One of your first prints, if you haven’t printed it already should be a poop shoot for your specific printer. I have the bambu P2S and love it. I had no clue about the filament “poop” that gets ejected out the back of the printer until I found piles of it all over my floor. It will especially be important when you get the AMS and print in different colors. Learned quickly how to solve that problem. Spend plenty of time exploring ‘makerworld’. Endless number of free prints to practice on and/or solve practical problems. One of my favorite things I did was print up a gridfinity base for an empty draw and then printed up battery organizers for all the different batteries I have. That alone almost made the purchase worth the cost of admission. Good luck and happy printing.
3 Likes
I would argue the preloaded Bambu Lab scraper print for the included blade should be the first print. I use that every print.
3 Likes
Woohoo! I’ve got it up and running! Second thing print…bit zero mount. Finally! (@RoughDraft40 btw the first thing was the scraper blade handle)
So the real question is… am I safe to run it in my shop… with all the dust? No matter how much dust collection I do, there is a LOT of dust still?
Thoughts?
2 Likes
I keep my 3D printers indoors running in the same evoirment I’m in. I would not want to subject it to the level of dust in my shop. I try to keep the printer as clean as possible.
Thank you
3 Likes
A person would have to love cleaning 3d printers to subject themselves to the kind of torture you are thinking about. don’t do it. The extruders on these things will clog on a speck of dust.
2 Likes
I use the scraper all the time. I tend to use the scraper over removing and bending the build plate.
Probably not the greatest environment for it, but I had our X1C in the garage for a while. I ended up bringing it in during this past winter because heating the garage with the printer wasn’t very efficient and keeping the chamber warm wasn’t going well in the frigid temperatures.
2 Likes
I would not have my printer in the wood shop, particulate in the ball screws would be a nightmare to clean and no telling how it would impact the extruder. This is the same reason i did not get the laser combo. I have seen allot of photos online with the residues left inside the cabinet based on different material that was cut. I just simply decided it would be better to get a separate laser in the long run.
3 Likes
I hear you all and appreciate your input very much! So I ended up moving it into a partially finished area above the shop… used as a bedroom for guests (like 2x). Clean room. Lower humidity. Has a cabinet stored in it (perfect for tools, etc) and my wife has a counter top that she hasn’t used that she thought she was going to for a finishing counter. Perfect for the 3d printer!
4 Likes