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Question of the Week: Basic 3D Printer Filament Calculations

This week’s question deals with arithmetic.

Knuckle Down: Four Approaches to Getting 3D Model Data In Hand

At an abstract level, every new project is composed of three elements:

How to Save Cash with Your uPrint 3D Printer

Stratasys’ venerable uPrint 3D printer produces fantastic output, but at a cost. Now there’s a way to reduce that cost.

Getting Maximum Value from Your Expensive 3D Printer

You’ve done it — finally pulled the trigger and invested in a majestic new 3D printer.

In 3D Printing, Temperature Counts

I’m watching a 3D printing video that shows a problem I’ve had all too often.

Where Do You Find Spare 3D Printer Parts?

3D printers are inherently full of moving parts, and thus they tend to break. Then what?

To Sand Or Not To Sand: An Experiment

Sanding 3D prints can be very tedious – but it turns out you may not need to in some cases.

Is Your OctoPrint Safe?

A fascinating article at OctoPrint.org shows the right – and wrong – ways to use OctoPrint remotely.

Book of the Week: CAD Engineering Essentials

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.

Book of the Week: Machinery’s Handbook, Toolbox Edition

This week’s selection is the comprehensive “Machinery’s Handbook” originally by Erik Oberg.

Mystery 3D Printing Problem: Solved!

At the lab we’ve solved a mysterious 3D printing problem that you might also encounter.

Six Good 3D Printing Troubleshooting Guides

Everyone who has operated a 3D printer knows something important: they don’t always work.

A Solid Solution to 3D Print Air Quality

I’m watching a video from the folks at DIY3DTECH, where they show a comprehensive air system.

How to Reduce the Cost of 3D Printing

As 3D printing becomes more of a requirement for industries today, costs become a higher factor in production.

How to Achieve a Brilliant Paint Finish on Your Prototypes

We can always depend on industrial designer Eric Strebel to put a ton of effort into every project he makes

Six Key Ways to Leverage 3D Print Design

3D printing technology isn’t for every application, but what is it good for?

Some Resin Casting Tips When Using 3D Printed Molds

I’m watching a short video showing casting tips.

The Several Methods of Dual Extrusion

With the increasing buzz over the near-necessity of dual extrusion, we thought we’d say a few words about how this is done.

9 Things You MUST GET RIGHT Before 3D Printing

When 3D printing failure is a looming presence, but it’s appearance can be limited by taking several key steps.

Watch Industrial Designer Eric Strebel’s Method for Making 120 Cast Parts From Scratch

Always one for ingenuity, Eric Strebel puts his industrial design expertise to good use even with the simplest of tasks.

Do You Have Enough Filament?

One of the most aggravating questions in desktop 3D printing is: Do you have sufficient filament left to complete the print?

Seven Key 3D Printer Upgrades To Consider

Your desktop 3D printer is likely far more well equipped than early machines, but are there things to make it even better?

The Troubles with Some 3D Models

I had occasion to 3D print an aircraft 3D model and found a common problem.

Why Are 3D Metal Printers So Tall?

I don’t know if you noticed, but some styles of 3D metal printers have a problem; a size problem.

Pro Tip: An Easy Way To Remove “Stringies” From Your 3D Print

Are you haunted by “stringies”? There’s an incredibly easy way to remove them.

7 Handy Resin Casting Tips and Tricks

Before you get to work on the final product of your design, it’s in your best interests to make a prototype first, right?

5 Tips For Setting Up Your 3D Printing Business

When 3D printing arrived, the public waited to see how it would change the world.

The Best 3D Printing Book Yet?

There have been a number of fascinating 3D printing books emerge, but we believe this one could be the best yet.

Dialing In a 3D Printer? What’s That All About?

Often you’ll hear someone talking about “dialing in” their 3D print. What does this mean?

How To: Persistent 3D Print Failure? Here’s What To Look For

The problem: you keep printing an item on your desktop 3D printer but it always fails. Solution? Read on.

Your 3D Printer’s Most Worn Out Component?

There’s a peculiar problem that exists on a great many 3D printers that could be avoided by a simple software fix.

Waterproofing Your 3D Prints

I saw a post somewhere about someone 3D printing a waterproof container and had some thoughts.

The “Swap Filament in the Middle” Method

There’s a very simple technique to enable desktop 3D printers to approximate multicolor prints.

3 Things Every 3D Printing Startup Needs

It’s time for some gentle advice to those hoping to launch new 3D printing ventures.

The Curse of the Wrong-Sized Spool

There’s a very common problem encountered with desktop 3D printers: spool size mis-match.

How to 3D Print Your Own Products & Sell Them Online

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.

9 Ways To Dramatically Improve the Finish Quality of Your 3D Prints

You can often be your own worst critic with your finished prints.

A Different Way to Color 3D Prints

Formlabs has published a method of coloring 3D prints that I hadn’t seen previously.

A Great Guide to 3D Print Post Processing

I bumped into a rather well done page described pretty much all the available techniques for finishing 3D prints.

The Pursuit of Efficiency: 3D Printing in 3D Space

Profitability of 3D printing often depends on efficiency, and that’s something of prime concern to many 3D print operators.

What is “Neosanding” and Why Would You Use It?

An interesting technique used by some Ultimaker users could put a better finish on your 3D printed parts.

Six Ways to Strengthen 3D Printed Parts

Some say 3D printed parts are not strong, but they can be made much stronger than you suspect.

3D Printer Maintenance: The Forgotten Activity

While there are many prints emerging from 3D printers, there is usually insufficient maintenance being performed on machines.

7 Issues to Look Out for in Metal 3D Printing

For some engineers, 3D printing may be coming on in an unwelcome rush.

The Challenges of 3D Printers in a Makerspace

Using a 3D printer (or several) in a makerspace? There are some things to know.

3D Print Tip: Oh How I Love My Heat Gun

There are plenty of ideas for tools required to help operate desktop 3D printers, and one of them is the heat gun.

The 3D Printing Finishing Guidebook to Make Products Shine

3D printing is the next big activity for hobbyists and manufactures alike.

Four Ways To Join Letters for 3D Printing

One of the most popular things to do with a desktop 3D printer is printing words or names. But there’s a huge problem.

The Dangers of Home 3D Printing: Printer on Fire!

There are certainly benefits to 3D printing at home, but there are multiple dangers you should be aware of. One of them is fire.

The Practicality of 3D Printing Your Own Spare Parts

One of the simple memes revolving around desktop 3D printers is the notion of producing your own spare parts, Is this really feasible?

Making Threaded Parts for 3D Printing: Easier Than You Think

Budget-Conscious makers have been challenged to develop threaded holes and bolts for their designs, but that problem seems to be going away.

The Curse of Leftover Filament and Five Ways to Deal With It

You’ve been 3D printing for months and discover you have many kilos of filament – but all in short segments.

A Useful 3D Printer Material Chart

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.

Avoiding Crowdfunding Fizzles: A Checklist

Recently there have been numerous and spectacular 3D printing failures. Can they be avoided?

Explosion: A Lesson in 3D Printer Filament Storage

The image you see here is of a real situation where a spool of aging PLA filament literally exploded.

The Good, Bad and Ugly of Using Rafts When 3D Printing

One of the first things you may encounter when beginning 3D printing is rafts. But are they a good thing or bad?

How to Price a 3D Printer Purchase

3D printer purchasing is easy: just look up the sale price and see if you have budget for it. Right? Yes?

3D Printing on Fabric: Some Considerations

Fabric is definitely a 2D product, but it’s possible to make it 3D by integrating fabric and 3D printing.

Electrostatic Discharge Explained

A manufacturer of electrostatic discharge protection products contacted us and it seems that “ESD” is something all 3D printer operations should know about.

A Combination of Tools to Fix BAD STL 3D Print Files

Have you ever had a “bad” STL file? I certainly have. Fixing them is often a tricky business.

Zip Up That Filament!

In a world with increasingly powerful desktop 3D printers, your filament probably deserves a lot more attention.

Tips for Attending A 3D Print Trade Show

Whether you’ve been to one or not, if you’re reading this publication you more than likely will at some point in your career. Here’s our tips to get the most out of the experience.

One Tip You Must Know: The Cold Pull Technique

The truth with a desktop 3D printer is that you will definitely be performing service on it. But there’s one easy technique you must master.

Leasing or Buying Your 3D Printer?

I’ve just noticed that Type A Machines now offers leasing programs for acquiring their equipment, but is this something you should consider?

Free 3D Software for the New School Year

It’s that time of year for many students about to enter another year of learning, hopefully many in 3D. Fortunately, there are many ways to access free 3D software.

This is How you Paint a 3D Printed Mech

Remember the Mechwarrior model we shared a few weeks ago? So. Good. We’re in the process of printing up one of our own and can’t wait to paint it.

Is X-Y Resolution Important in 3D Printing? Answer: Sometimes

There are two types of resolution mentioned in 3D printing specifications, layer size and X-Y, but is the latter of any importance?

One More Way to Embed a Nut in Your 3D Print

I saw a unique method of embedding nuts and bolts into your 3D print that I had not considered, one that you definitely should.

3D Hubs Tells the Whole Story

3D Hubs has just published a rather good – and long – piece introducing 3D printing to newbies.

The Critical Importance Of 3D Printer Maintenance

For those readers who have a 3D printer, how often do you perform maintenance on it? Oh, you don’t? Watch out for problems if so.

Beyond Thingiverse, My Ten Favorite 3D Model Repositories

Everyone knows Thingiverse, it’s the largest printable 3D model repository around. But what are some other ones to consider?

Be Proud: How To Easily 3D Print Your Country’s Flag

There’s a rather simple method for 3D printing any country’s flag that can be done in mere minutes.

3D Scanning Sculptures: One More Thing!

You may have read our recent series on how to properly 3D scan museum sculptures. If so, you’ll want to read the final step I forgot to include!

Secrets Of 3D Scanning Museum Sculptures: Part 5, Fixing The Models

This is part five of a series describing practical methods of capturing 3D scans of museum sculptures.

Secrets Of 3D Scanning Museum Sculptures: Part 4, Processing Your Scans

This is part four of a series describing practical methods of capturing 3D scans of museum sculptures.

Secrets Of 3D Scanning Museum Sculptures: Part 3, Performing The Scans

This is part three of a series describing practical methods of capturing 3D scans of museum sculptures.

Secrets Of 3D Scanning Museum Sculptures: Part 2, Selecting Subjects

This is part two of a series describing practical methods of capturing 3D scans of museum sculptures.

Secrets Of 3D Scanning Museum Sculptures: Part 1

This is part one of a series describing practical methods of capturing 3D scans of museum sculptures.

Secrets Of 3D Scanning Museum Sculptures: Part 6, Printing The Scans and Beyond

This is part six of a series describing practical methods of capturing 3D scans of museum sculptures.

Pinshape’s 3D Printing Design Guide Is Very Useful

Pinshape has published an enormous, 10,000 word design guide for their contributors. I think it’s pretty good, even if you are not a Pinshape contributor.

A Visual Ultimaker Troubleshooting Guide

Have an Ultimaker? Have problems printing? There’s a guide for that.

Is Leasing Appropriate To Acquire 3D Printers For Education?

There are generally two methods of procuring equipment: buying or leasing. Which one is best for schools?

The Several Selling Options For 3D Print Artists

If you’re a new 3D print artist, how should you go about distributing your works? We found several alternative strategies.

Should You 3D Print Objects Tall Or Wide?

When setting up a 3D print, most operators don’t bother changing the orientation of the 3D model. But should you?

Wash And Repaint 3D Prints With BioInspiration’s Eco-Filaments

Startup BioInspiration launched their line of biodegradable 3D printer filaments on Kickstarter a while ago, but now they’ve figured out how to repaint objects printed with their materials.

Four Styles of 3D Design Software

A question we often encounter at Fabbaloo is “what 3D modeling software should I use?” The answer is, “It depends”.

Is Your 3D Print Failing? We Found A Troubleshooting Guide For You

Let’s be blunt here: the current state of desktop 3D printers is rather unreliable. Prints fail frequently and operators must diagnose and fix the problems. But how?

Wait, How Do I 3D Print Those Incredibly Thin Vases?

Perhaps one of the most popular styles of printed 3D models is vases. There’s a reason for that – and a tip you need to know.

Yes, Hollow 3D Prints Are Often A Good Idea

A common misunderstanding by newbie 3D print folks is that objects are printed completely solid. In fact, we believe that many prints should be hollow!

The Insidious Problem of 3D Print Retraction

A common problem encountered with plastic extrusion 3D printers is stripped filament. We explain how this happens.

Hands On With The Zebra Plate

We’ve been testing PRINTinZ’s essential accessory, the Zebra printing plate.

3D Systems Introduces “Fabricate” To Merge 3D Prints and Textiles

3D Systems has developed a very simple process for integrating 3D printed models into fabrics, which they’ve named “Fabricate”.

Don’t Forget To Count The Eight Other Costs Of 3D Printing

When shopping for a 3D printer, the price of the unit is of prime importance. But really, that isn’t the whole story on cost.

The Desktop 3D Printer Toolkit

Those who own a personal 3D printer likely have a suite of instruments ready to be used with their printer. What instruments are essential?