TUTORIAL
Amazing 3D Printing Tips and Tricks
Add 'feet' to your prints to hold the corners down
To help prevent the corners of your prints from lifting,
add 10 mm discs the height of a single layer to the
bottom corners of your models when printing without
a raft. When your print is done, you can easily cut
these feet away with a razor knife.Is your first layer all squishy? If you find that the
first print layer on your 3D printer is rough and
squished-looking, you may have the extrusion head
too close to the print bed. On most printers, the
thickness of a sheet of bond paper is the normal
distance between the extruder nozzle and the bed. If
you notice a skipping sound coming from the extruder
mechanism, it means that too much filament is being
extruded, which can also make for a squished print.
To fix this, recalibrate your extruder, aiming for that
paper-thickness distance.Use an enclosure to achieve a stable temperature
New users tend to underestimate just how sensitive
fused filament-type printers are to airflow/room drafts.
If your printer doesn’t include an enclosure, build one
(even if it’s just a barrier to prevent a draft).Tracing photos for 3D design If you have a physical
object that you want to bring into your computer for
design and printing, take a photo of the object, bring
the photo into Fusion 360 (or similar), and then trace,revolve, and extrude as needed to create your object.
Armed with your phone camera, a CAD program, a 3D
printer, and some time and patience, you can copy and
print the world – or at least a 3D-printed facsimile of it.Adding patterns to your prints If you want to add
colour, pattern, or visual texture to your 3D prints, try
using hydrographic film (aka water transfer film) which
is a water-soluble material with images on it. To use it,
you put it in a bath of water and spray with an
activator. You then dip your printed object into thebath. The print on the film is then transferred to your
object. Hydrographic film is readily available online.
It’s a technique that takes some practice, but there
are numerous tutorials online that will show you how.3D printing on fabric There's all sorts of potential for
3D printing on fabric. By using netting or fabric with
holes in it, you can print right into the fabric, making it
part of the final print. See issue 20 of HackSpace
magazine for a feature on David Shorey who is one of
the pioneers of 3D printing with fabric.Photographing your print process We covered this
amazing technique in issue 20, the 'Top Maker Tips'
issue. Scott, of the YouTube channel GreatScott!,
came up with a great way of taking high-quality
time-lapse photos of 3D prints and turning them into
fluid-looking build videos. The photos are taken each
time the print head returns to its starting position.
See issue 20 for the steps, and watch the GreatScott!
video (hsmag.cc/aY4HMs).Taking high-quality time-
lapse photos of 3D prints
and turning them into fluid-
looking build videos”
”
To remove strings or
unwanted support
leftovers, carefully
blast your print for a
second with a small
propane torch. Also,
if you get stress
marks in your print
from bending, a
quick blast with a
heat gun will get rid
of them.QUICK TIP
Above
Add designs to
your T-shirts with
a 3D printer
Credit
3DPrinterGuides
Right
Metallic filaments
contain some
actual metal
Credit
Dave Mordini