TUTORIAL
Amazing 3D Printing Tips and Tricks
he consumer 3D printing industry has
had its up and downs since its birth a
decade ago, but few people can now
deny its continued growth,
maturation, and increasing utility.
From early adopter, assemble-your-own
machines, and Yoda-bust test prints to serious
applications across all realms of making, small-scale
manufacturing, research and development, 3D
printing becomes more widespread and
indispensable by the day.
To get the most out of your 3D printing experience,
we’ve gathered together this collection of tips, tricks,
and little-known printing techniques from some of
HackSpace magazine’s 3D printing contributors.Above
Bass inserts
can be pressed
into 3D prints to
hold boltsA collection of pro tips to get the most
from your 3D printing experience
Amazing 3D Printing
Tips and Tricks
T
Gareth Branwyn
@garethb2Gareth has been a
lifelong practitioner
(and chronicler) of
DIY tech, media, and
culture. He is the author
of ten books, including
Tips and Tales from
the Workshop, and
is a former editor for
Boing Boing, Wired,
and Make:.
GENERAL TIPS AND ADVICE
Keep it clean The oil from your hands and airborne
contaminants can prevent your prints from sticking to
the build platform. Keep your build platform clean
with some isopropyl alcohol.Use maple syrup for what, now? People use all
sorts of weird stuff to improve bed adhesive for ABS
plastic prints. Some people use special papers, glues,
sprays, and tapes, as well as glue sticks, hair-spray,
and painter’s tape. But the weirdest of all has got to
be maple syrup. Some printers swear by it.Don’t be tempted to buy a super-cheap printer
Do your homework and take negative feedback that
you hear about a printer seriously. Manage your
expectations about what an inexpensive printer can
actually do. As in most things, you get what you
pay for.