Everyone knows 3D printer filament must be dry to function properly, but exactly how is this best done?
The question of measuring an amount of 3D printer filament seems straightforward, but there’s more to the story.
This week’s question delves into the science of producing life-size head sculptures using 3D scanning and 3D printing.
I’ve bumped into a very interesting technique that could save an enormous amount of support material and 3D printing time.
One of the key techniques that should be used by 3D printer operators is the “Temperature Tower”. We explain how to use them.
Have you ever wondered why 3D prints warp? We made some diagrams to understand what is happening.
A reader asks about the type of resins required for a specific 3D printer, and we uncovered a solution.
I’m not sure if you’ve heard of a site called “3D Buzz”, but their content could be of interest to anyone in the CAD field.
Many small businesses don’t yet use 3D printing, but probably could benefit from the technology. We list seven ways to help get that process started.
I encountered an unusual support structure issue while 3D printing and propose several ways to resolve it with Meshmixer.
Of all the 3D printing issues you can encounter, bed adhesion, or lack of, is one of the most frequently seen. We list seven ways this can happen and offer suggestions on how to avoid them.
If you are doing injection molding, there are some important guidelines to know before you commit to a design.
Exactly how dangerous is 3D printer resin, and what do you do about it. We list some thoughts and actions you can take to ensure additional safety.
This week’s question asks how to best store and transport PLA 3D printer material in cold winter conditions.
What kind of damage do carbon fiber filaments do to a 3D printer nozzle? How fast does damage occur? Experiments show a surprising result.
This is an entry in our 3D Print Learning Series, focusing on the different materials possible in 3D printing.
Here’s a look at when it might be necessary to CNC machine a 3D printed part, plus some tips for machining parts after you’ve created them.
Here are six essential factors that you should consider when selecting a 3D printer.
You’ve got your tickets and are ready to go to North America’s largest 3D printing event. What do you do?
This is an entry in our 3D Print Learning Series, focusing on 3D Scanning.
This week’s selection is “Every Tool’s a Hammer:” by Adam Savage.
Do you know how to maintain your 3D printer?
Many 3D printer operators are unaware of a technique for transforming materials into stronger versions: annealing.
This is an entry in our 3D Print Learning Series, focusing on additional 3D print design tips.
Purchasing 3D printing equipment can be a costly affair, but sometimes it’s actually far more expensive than you first thought.
Personal 3D printers are a (relatively) new introduction to the home interior. In a way, some might consider 3D printers a home appliance like an oven, sewing machine, or toaster.
Buying anything of great expense is a big decision, and particularly so for 3D printers.
This is an entry in our 3D Print Learning Series, focusing on 3D Printing Operations.
Welcome to our 3D Print Learning Series.
There are few things more frustrating than to have your scammed out of your well-earned cash by distant parties.
Stratasys’ uPrint is one of the classic 3D printers, but these days some operators use it in unusual ways.
This week’s selection is “3D Printing Failures: 2019 Edition: How to Diagnose and Repair ALL Desktop 3D Printing” by Sean Aranda and David Feeney.
I’ve been playing with an interesting 3D mapping service, CADMAPPER.
Once again, an Anet A8 desktop 3D printer caught fire.
This week’s question deals with arithmetic.
At an abstract level, every new project is composed of three elements:
Stratasys’ venerable uPrint 3D printer produces fantastic output, but at a cost. Now there’s a way to reduce that cost.
You’ve done it — finally pulled the trigger and invested in a majestic new 3D printer.
I’m watching a 3D printing video that shows a problem I’ve had all too often.
3D printers are inherently full of moving parts, and thus they tend to break. Then what?
Sanding 3D prints can be very tedious – but it turns out you may not need to in some cases.
A fascinating article at OctoPrint.org shows the right – and wrong – ways to use OctoPrint remotely.
This week’s selection is “CAD Engineering Essentials: Hands-on Help for Small Manufacturers and Smart Technical People (No Nonsense Manual Book 3)” by Mark Lynch.
This week’s selection is the comprehensive “Machinery’s Handbook” originally by Erik Oberg.
At the lab we’ve solved a mysterious 3D printing problem that you might also encounter.
Everyone who has operated a 3D printer knows something important: they don’t always work.
I’m watching a video from the folks at DIY3DTECH, where they show a comprehensive air system.
As 3D printing becomes more of a requirement for industries today, costs become a higher factor in production.
We can always depend on industrial designer Eric Strebel to put a ton of effort into every project he makes
3D printing technology isn’t for every application, but what is it good for?
I’m watching a short video showing casting tips.
With the increasing buzz over the near-necessity of dual extrusion, we thought we’d say a few words about how this is done.
When 3D printing failure is a looming presence, but it’s appearance can be limited by taking several key steps.
Always one for ingenuity, Eric Strebel puts his industrial design expertise to good use even with the simplest of tasks.
One of the most aggravating questions in desktop 3D printing is: Do you have sufficient filament left to complete the print?
Your desktop 3D printer is likely far more well equipped than early machines, but are there things to make it even better?
I had occasion to 3D print an aircraft 3D model and found a common problem.
I don’t know if you noticed, but some styles of 3D metal printers have a problem; a size problem.
Are you haunted by “stringies”? There’s an incredibly easy way to remove them.
Before you get to work on the final product of your design, it’s in your best interests to make a prototype first, right?
When 3D printing arrived, the public waited to see how it would change the world.
There have been a number of fascinating 3D printing books emerge, but we believe this one could be the best yet.
Often you’ll hear someone talking about “dialing in” their 3D print. What does this mean?
The problem: you keep printing an item on your desktop 3D printer but it always fails. Solution? Read on.
There’s a peculiar problem that exists on a great many 3D printers that could be avoided by a simple software fix.
I saw a post somewhere about someone 3D printing a waterproof container and had some thoughts.
There’s a very simple technique to enable desktop 3D printers to approximate multicolor prints.
It’s time for some gentle advice to those hoping to launch new 3D printing ventures.
There’s a very common problem encountered with desktop 3D printers: spool size mis-match.
With Mercedes-Benz announcing last year that it is now selling 3D printed spare parts for its cargo trucks, 3D printing is gaining momentum as a commercial strategy for large-scale manufacturers.
You can often be your own worst critic with your finished prints.
Formlabs has published a method of coloring 3D prints that I hadn’t seen previously.
I bumped into a rather well done page described pretty much all the available techniques for finishing 3D prints.
Profitability of 3D printing often depends on efficiency, and that’s something of prime concern to many 3D print operators.
An interesting technique used by some Ultimaker users could put a better finish on your 3D printed parts.
Some say 3D printed parts are not strong, but they can be made much stronger than you suspect.
While there are many prints emerging from 3D printers, there is usually insufficient maintenance being performed on machines.
For some engineers, 3D printing may be coming on in an unwelcome rush.
Using a 3D printer (or several) in a makerspace? There are some things to know.
There are plenty of ideas for tools required to help operate desktop 3D printers, and one of them is the heat gun.
3D printing is the next big activity for hobbyists and manufactures alike.
One of the most popular things to do with a desktop 3D printer is printing words or names. But there’s a huge problem.
There are certainly benefits to 3D printing at home, but there are multiple dangers you should be aware of. One of them is fire.
One of the simple memes revolving around desktop 3D printers is the notion of producing your own spare parts, Is this really feasible?
Budget-Conscious makers have been challenged to develop threaded holes and bolts for their designs, but that problem seems to be going away.
You’ve been 3D printing for months and discover you have many kilos of filament – but all in short segments.
With the continual introduction of new 3D printer filament materials, it’s become hard to keep track of them all. Until you see this terrific chart.
Recently there have been numerous and spectacular 3D printing failures. Can they be avoided?
The image you see here is of a real situation where a spool of aging PLA filament literally exploded.
One of the first things you may encounter when beginning 3D printing is rafts. But are they a good thing or bad?
3D printer purchasing is easy: just look up the sale price and see if you have budget for it. Right? Yes?
Fabric is definitely a 2D product, but it’s possible to make it 3D by integrating fabric and 3D printing.
A manufacturer of electrostatic discharge protection products contacted us and it seems that “ESD” is something all 3D printer operations should know about.
Have you ever had a “bad” STL file? I certainly have. Fixing them is often a tricky business.
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