Book of the Week: 3D Printing 101

By on July 20th, 2021 in book

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Book of the Week: 3D Printing 101
3D Printing 101 [Source: Amazon]

This week’s selection is “3D Printing 101: The Ultimate Beginners Guide” by Johannes Wild.

This is a book that can introduce someone to the art and science of 3D printing even though they may have had zero prior experience with the technology.

With the increasing accessibility of 3D printing to the general public by manufacturers pouring out tens of thousands of new machines each month, it’s not surprising that many people could use some assistance in getting started.

Wild’s book is quite short, only 56 pages in length, making it ideal for beginners anxious to get going with their new device.

My favorite aspect of this book is that it is designed around a real lifecycle that new machine operators will actually follow. Consider the short table of contents provided by Wild:

  • Possibilities of 3D Printing
  • 3D Printer Purchase Advice
  • First 3D Print
  • Getting started with necessary 3D Printing Software
  • Advanced Objects and Advanced Settings
  • Step by step Slicing and Printing of Examples
  • Materials and Equipment
  • 3D Scanning
  • Troubleshooting and Maintenance

These reflect the activities of new operators, from considering what could be done with a machine, through purchasing, initial operations, more advanced operations and finally troubleshooting, a topic that new 3D printer operators will certainly get very familiar.

The book covers only one 3D printing process, FFF, and that’s okay. Most first-time 3D printer buyers opt for that style of equipment, as resin equipment is a bit more tricky (and messy) to operate, and other processes are significantly more expensive. Wild focuses on the Creality CR-10 3D printer, a very popular unit, with Ultimaker Cura as the slicing software.

While the book is not particularly new, it’s the concepts that count. FFF machines of today are fundamentally the same as those of a couple of years ago, so operation and troubleshooting is basically identical. However, today’s machines tend to be more reliable and functional, making them easier to use and encountering issues less frequently.

If you’re new to 3D printing, this book may be of great help.

We’re an Amazon Associate and earn a small fee from qualifying purchases. Help support our 3D print news service by checking out this book!

Via Amazon

By Kerry Stevenson

Kerry Stevenson, aka "General Fabb" has written over 8,000 stories on 3D printing at Fabbaloo since he launched the venture in 2007, with an intention to promote and grow the incredible technology of 3D printing across the world. So far, it seems to be working!

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