9 Things I Wish I'd Known About 3D Printing

[@thenextlayer]

Thanks for watching! If you're not subscribed, you definitely want to be... We're giving away OVER $5,000 worth of 3D Printers and other goodies to celebrate hitting 100K Subs! 🎉🎉🎉 jle.vi/100k

[@Mr.X3D]

Sunbu Lab AMS Lite 1.0, a S4/AMS Lite fusion 🥳 kzbin.info2Q9C1bFs7RI?si=zDK50QXlhNKuOcMU

[@tinymito]

3D Printer is a drug... I can't get away.

[@kellydebarian6111]

As an Engineer I'm always designing new tools and components, it started with one printer 5 yrs ago or so. Now today i have a dozen printers and counting. Bambu Lab is by far the best I've used to date!!

[@marcayres8567]

I'm waiting on delivery of my first 3d printer💚🇬🇧🌱 your videos are super helpful many thanks🫶

[@bseery]

Yes, the "Why your prints are failing" video would be greatly appreciated for people new to the hobby.

[@thenextlayer]

Noted!

[@dwilliam16]

Agreed. To go along with the "curated information" part, I wasted almost 200g of silk PLA filament in crumbled prints for my daughter before I found the possible answer buried in a Reddit post. I needed a higher temperature than listed because of the PLA/TPU blend they used (220+ vs 209-212) I'll know this afternoon if it works. Also, finding out that the difference between what the heated bed is set to vs what the build surface reads can be 5-15 degrees cooler than expected on the plate depending on the surface used. All sorts of "fun" things to learn. Great video!

[@binyominmartin3308]

​@@dwilliam16 update us if it works please

[@dwilliam16]

@@binyominmartin3308 Mixed results. Overall better appearance, but still brittle. It's one of those flexible dragons and it prints just fine in normal PLA. I guess I need to run some tuning tests for this brand of silk.

[@gr8_670]

Yes please, I’ve had a pla print recently failing multiple times and changing temps and airflow isn’t helping

[@jrockwing]

I now understand why you speak slowly and clearly unlike a majority of KZbinrs, being a professional speaker was a good past life choice for you!

[@vjimmers1]

@@jrockwing I listen on 1.5 speed anyway. It's just about right¡

[@ShopNation]

"People pay for the curation of information, not the information itself" Oh boy that's a nugget right there!

[@thenextlayer]

Thanks man! Honored to have you as a viewer!

[@onr-o1h]

As a professional educator, I wholeheartedly support this!

[@ArrowTech374]

with my own money i saved up i bought an ender 3 s1 pro and am loving it. im 12 yrs old and have been printing for 3 months and researching for a year on 3d printing. I'm a hobbyist in 3d printing and want to upgrade my printer a lot. and i want to make a business doing 3d printing

[@Drinksfromtap]

@ArrowTech374 that’s awesome! Good luck!!

[@sublimationman]

Been 3D printing 12 years now. I use a textured PEI sheet and I found what works for me (99.99% of the time anyway) and that is clean with 99% isopropyl alcohol then every 3-5 prints I wipe the bed with 0000 steel wool (super fine) it does not damage the bed at all but does remove those ghost print marks and is as good or better than Dawn washing. Just to test this I have been using this method for around 500+ prints without washing in soap (use to wash in soap every 5-10 prints). I also have my Z offset set dead on (perfect first layer) so for me at least this combination has yielded maybe 1-2 warped prints for 500+ prints and those were when I went too long before the steel wool. Now the steel wool makes no visible marks on the bed (surprised me) and when I use it then IA clean the bed looks brand new. I had heard years ago about using steel wool but figured it would ruin the print bed (sand it down) but I was very wrong and wish I had tried it even sooner.

[@DrClaw-y2l]

I had fallen out of the hobby for 6 years....had spools of open filament stacked up and not in bags or stored properly. I noticed how brittle the pla had become and knew as I was getting back into the hobby recently that I'd HAVE to dry all that filament. I got a couple of dryers, and that stuff prints as good as new after it's been dried. I was super impressed.

[@rebootnut]

I just got into this hobby a few weeks ago by purchasing a Bambu P1S. I really do enjoy your content. I feel I've learned so much and avoided so many of the initial pitfalls I see other new enthusiasts talk about in other chat groups. Keep up the great stuff!

[@mitchellbernstein42]

Thanks Johnathan for another informative video. Rabbit hole indeed…I’m 72 and retired and bought my first 3D printer, AnkerMake M5C, a little over a month ago and now also have a Bambu P1S and printing with ASA & PC.

[@thenextlayer]

Great to hear!

[@AndrewAHayes]

When I first started using 3D printers in 1990 at work, what is now known as the hotend was called the extruder and what is now known as the extruder was called the hobb, it is strange how the Internet changes the names of things!

[@medivalone]

Reporting in from the deserts of Arizona: we also need to dry our filamnent. I thought my printer was broken until I opened a new spool and it printed perfectly fine. Got a filament dryer and now all is well.

[@meder07]

@@medivalone UT here. Keep the house humidified at 35% but my filament in cereal containers with desiccant shows 10% humidity. During a print the spool is out in the atmosphere (no AMS). No issues yet, but I'm waiting for that day.

[@talbech]

I love your videos and positive energy. I am a new 3D printing enthusiast. With a background in engineering and then later on as an application specialist for Silicon Graphics on Alias|Wavefront products (Maya) I am no novice to 3D applications. I have picked up Unshape on your recommendation and already find myself doing fun projets. What really make me thrilled is the ability to see my models and designs some to live. Investing in a Prusa MK4 has given me a reliable output device while maintaining a touch of the Open Source. I will be doing a little of everything from tinkering/upgrading the printer, printing useful tools for my workshop to hopefully one day building a prototype for my own milling machine. Thanks again for your great content.

[@TinSVM]

Hello, I enjoyed the video, but I'd like to offer some constructive feedback. Please don't take it the wrong way, but you repeated yourself quite a bit. I believe the content could have been more concise and to the point. Looking forward to your future videos!

[@PianoBoy99]

That's why I play it at 1.5x 🙂

[@sreihart]

Wow Zach, good content there! And you've affirmed that I'm heading in the right direction. I've always been a constant learner, always up for a challenge. It's only been about two weeks since deciding that I NEED a 3D printer. I've been learning OnShape and have created a replacement bird feeder lid while having a blast while doing it. I'm a retired 70 year old woman, and can never seem to get enough knowledge. I'm having as much fun learning OnShape as I will printing. I don't have a printer yet because I want to learn much more before doing that, but I do know which one I'm getting. Thank you again for making this old gal happy and encouraged! Subbed!

[@mr99official28]

There is no destination, only a journey. When you finish a project, you always seek greater and grander things. You should not quit when things don't go your way. It's not a race, it's a marathon.

[@Atlessa]

"You wouldn't just buy a [instrument] and then just... try to figure it out yourself, would you?" Hell yea I would! Taught myself to play drums, guitar, harp, piano, saxophone, ocarina and violin this way. ... and now I'm getting started on 3d printing, but my printer isn't here yet so I'm doing the next best thing by watching your videos. :D

[@3Despaire]

Might I suggest you speak your topic titles aloud in future videos rather than leaving them for the viewer to read? I listen to your videos while at work so I don’t have the video playing in front of me. The dead air while waiting for the next topic to start was kind of off putting. Other than that, great information here. Appreciate it.

[@agizmogamer]

I agree, I was listening to the video on a drive and was left to infere from what was being talked about to guess what the subject was.

[@ryanback5888]

The topic was stated around the 1:30 mark. Are you saying push that to the very beginning? Edit: sorry the 1:25ish mark. But I see what you're saying. The beginning of each topic within this video, not the topic of the entire video. In that case I agree.

[@3Despaire]

@@ryanback5888 the topics are visually represented but not spoken. So when you’re not watching the video but just listening to it you miss out on what each topic/subject is and it’s just dead air then you have to figure it out on your own what he’s talking about.

[@lordllama7815]

Erm.. did people not know KZbin is a Video posting service?!! Complaining that a VIDEO that you're supposed to watch isn't just making it like an audio file?! Just read the title!! It takes a few seconds!! Unless you're super slow mentally 😒

[@tylerford88]

@@3Despaire I can't stand having the title read to me. It takes most creators way too long to get to the meat and potatoes.

[@GP3D_Designs]

I'd recommend adding the voicelines when you title a chapter in a video. Because there might be audio listeners (like me when i'm at work) who can't watch and read what's on screen at all times. Great video I loved this one alot :)

[@sq3rjick]

This was a fantastic video! Very well presented and I honestly agree with all of your advice. I would love to see the “why your print is failing” video. I’ve found that I definitely fall more in the “making your printer work” side of the hobby. The tinkering is the fun bit for me. Nothing beats designing my own models to solve my own problems and then printing them on my own customized printers!

[@3vi1J]

Just got into this hobby and am really enjoying catching up on your past videos to fill in my knowledge gaps. Your talk about "3D printers vs. 3D printing" is a complete parallel to what I've experienced in the Linux community over the past two decades: There are certain distros to pick if what you want to do is tweak Linux and constantly reshape your OS (which, hey - can be a lot of fun if that's your bag), vs. distros to pick if you want to reliably *use* Linux for a specific task. It's funny how similar the two are in that regard. Anyway - thank you for sharing your experience - Subscribed!

[@danielalmas9647]

WOW Honestly the best overall 3D printing video I have seen! Been printing for 3 weeks now and I got to say this video helped me a lot! New subscriber here! The context of how you speak in saying this is our opinion or honestly is great under valued in today’s society. Keep up the great work!

[@flightmaster999]

I've been 3D printing for about 4 years now and I can confirm that everything mentioned in this video is 100% correct. Great video, well presented. Subscribed

[@markwebcraft]

This video literally dropped at the perfect time. I had just been introduced to your channel recently actually and just happened to stumble across a new video from you. Rescrubbing my build surface with soap has finally allowed me to complete a print using ASA filament that I have been struggling to get stuck to the bed. After scrubbing, the print stuck flawlessly without ANY warping. I'm very pleased with the results now and will certainly will be moving forward with this method of cleaning. I really wish this info was more prevalent... even the instructions that came with my PEI build surface only say to clean the plate thoroughly with soap before the first use, after that they say to use isopropyl alcohol for routine cleanings. Makes perfect sense though, dish soap has very powerful surfactants that are the best at grabbing and removing grease/oil. Only thing I would add to the info you gave is that a good way of telling if you have scrubbed good enough is to watch the rinse water running off the plate. The plate will become hydrophobic allowing the water to sheet off. Great video, I'm definitely a subscriber now. Thanks for the effort you put into your channel, it really shows.

[@thenextlayer]

Happy to help!

[@TrigTrig]

I started 3D printing back in January 2023 with a $100 Ender 3 Pro from Microcenter. Got my second printer (a used Anycubic Kobra Plus which turned out to be a huge headache) and a bunch of Ender 3 upgrades in January 2024. Last week I ordered a Bambu Labs P1S so i can focus more on just designing and printing, while also having my tinker printers. Now, we're getting a P1S at work too so part of my job now will be designing and prototyping custom hardware. I never expected myself to go past just printing free models, but this has turned into so much more.

[@DiegoJ1023]

The s4 is amazing. I’ve been using it for a couple weeks now for my TPU and it has made a massive difference in the quality of the prints

[@IceColdBold_]

Love this video! I spend months setting up kitchens in restaurants and learning the best and most efficient methods so that i can train the other staff to learn as fast as possible with consistent results. This format feels like what i do for other people only this time i need training! I consider myself a good learner but sometimes i do too much at once and this gave me direction

[@farmalldud3]

I value your advice very highly. Thank you for your dedication to the hobby, and passing on your knowledge. I too, would like to see a "Why your prints fail" video. Take this with a grain of salt as I'm in no position to give advice. I think it would be helpful to the less technically savvy to really drive home what z-offset is and what it isn't. I've seen so many Social Media posts asking "Why is this print failing" and most of the responses are (sometimes absolutely wrong) "Adjust your z-offset." To which they reply, "What is z-offset?" Or, "What do I set it to?" Or, worse, someone replies "Set your z-offset to -1.32, that's what mine is." I'm not sure why it's such a hard concept to grasp, but I think it merits a deeper dive.

[@ScottHess]

When I was collecting bits to build my Voron V0.2, I was talking to a friend about buying my 3d-printed parts from PIF. He suggested that I instead strip down and rebuild a bedslinger to do it. It was a GREAT suggestion, I learned a ton from that project, which greatly informed my Voron build. Part of the learning was that since I started with a random $50 garage-sale find, I was pretty comfortable ripping it apart and rebuilding everything. In the end, I found that the $50 garage-sale bedslinger printed better than the originally-better-but-unmodified bedslinger I had been afraid to experiment on.

[@Chad.The.Flornadian]

Very well written. It's amazing to see how far you've come in your delivery of content. I always look forward to your next video. Keep up the great work.

[@philipekupferman878]

I also transform my hobby into a full-time job and there is no limit to learning new things. KZbin is a great source of information but sometimes reaching out with experts could shortcut a long journey. I would love to get in touch more often with nice people and share our experiences. Thanks for your videos and I hope we will find peace in Israel. Shalom

[@Mendy-k2q]

Thanks!

[@rbid]

definitely will be nice to see about social media 3d printing

[@nicksmith1415]

SMRRF was such an experience. Such an open and accessible community.

[@juniesco]

Just started my 3D printing journey and glad I got it right by purchasing a Sunlu 4 roll filament dryer. Thanks for this very useful video Jonathan!

[@DarrenGedye]

The point about CAD is well made. I'm a teacher, and when I saw a handmade 3D topographical map that someone had made as a hobby I realised how great it would be to have resources like that for my classroom. But the person who made the one I saw spent months on it! I don't have that sort of time, but I wondered if I could 3D print them. I went to an open day at my local 3D printing club and explained what I wanted to do. "Oh yeah, that would be easy" they assured me. Yeah, right. Easy for them perhaps, but I didn't know CAD. I investigated so many CAD programs only to find out after wasting a lot of time on each one that they aren't what I was looking for. For example, I was making progress learning blender, but then discovered that it's built in font doesn't handle text macrons, which I needed for adding labels in the Māori language of New Zealand. After wasting a year I gave up. 😢 I keep watching your videos though, because I hope that one day I'll hear of a way to make it work and be able to try again.

[@daytrace4635]

Could try other cads to maybe make stencils and paint the labels?

[@DarrenGedye]

@@daytrace4635 Thanks for the suggestion, but paint so easily comes off classroom resources which is why I loved the idea of having the labels built right into the model. Sure, I was naive, but that was kind of the point of the video. Now the latest PrusaSlicer versions have come a long way and I am getting ready to try again, but this time I am going to start with something much less ambitious!

[@DarkangaelBrokenwing]

Something else you can try for topography maps is use Inkscape to make the labels which you can add to the topography map before you print it. Use the vector you get as a tool to make the text inset into map.

[@tdg8934-AgonLight2]

Great video. I just purchased my first 3D printer yesterday being the Bambu Labs X1C and AMS as well as a second order for 4 rolls of PLA basic white, green, red, blue. I started watching videos about drying filament today but saw not about drying more than 1-2 rolls. Thank you for your video as I purchased the SULU S4 on Amazon which should help more so in the future when I branch into other non forgiving filaments like ABS. Living in Mississippi even though in a well climate controlled cooled house, I feel better prepared to keep moisture away from my filament rolls.

[@thenextlayer]

Congrats!

[@TheMLightning]

I'm a long time professional Blender user for work in visual effects and motion graphics. I'm new to 3D printing and while Blender has stolen my heart long ago, you are much better suited learning an actual CAD application of which Blender is not. (Edit) The one area where Blender will excel is sculpting. It's similar to Z Brush but easier to manage.

[@AG-ex6jc]

Point number 9 hits home. I haven’t printed anything since last november. Need to pick up mastering onshape and design and print that handle for the waste bin. My partner has been bugging me for some time now😂

[@ziruszirus1654]

I will sign all statements you did but want to add 2 more: 1) at the beginning I had to learned a lot about software, slicer settings and calibration ….. but I forgot to maintain my printer properly….. I just tried to recalibrate the settings again and again 2. I am the Ender-Tuner & Voron builder Type: I am trying new materials if I need new properties for the parts but otherwise I stick with 1 or 2 filament brand I love the most (in my case Nobufil) and stick with the colors they offer- so if I change a hotend or extruder I don’t spend days on recalibrating all materials & brands.

[@Enjoymentboy]

The one thing I wish I had know is that there is ALWAYS another filament I need to try out "just to see". 80+ spools later and hey look...I just found this new filament. I think I'll give it a shot.

[@thenextlayer]

Yuuuuppppp

[@codesempireunleashed7899]

Really appreciate this video. I've watched your stuff off an on but you got my sub today. Im like you been doing this for years and always learning new things. Never came across that CAD program before so I'm going to check it out. Thanks for sharing this! 👍

[@Chase-vr9fp]

I’ve been using a textured PEI bed for well over a year now and have wiped it down with 90% isopropyl alcohol after every print whether my hands touched it or not and have yet to have a print fail due to warping or bed adhesion.

[@_DROM_]

The side of the hobby you gravitate to is the first thing I ask people to figure out 😅. I'm really into my printers. Either I'm working on them or working using them. Hate printing trinkets just to check filament 😂

[@marknewsom1377]

i am just starting to get into 3d printing havent gotten the printer yet but been watching videos and yours keep coming up and i have to say i like your videos and yes i subscribed to ya. and onshape looks like it might suit me well learning about it currently but it seems very easy to use thanks for the video

[@blankchck]

Fantastic overview. I just dove in, bought a Creality K1 Max, and was immediately overwhelmed.

[@threerascalsacres]

Best description of the hobby I've ever heard. Just described the last 10 years!

[@danieltilson4053]

I've been messing with Freecad and designing little things. I made a custom shelf for the top of my TV, with a separate little piece to connect the sections so my cats don't pull them off. Also designed a table for the arm of my chair with a mount for a USB keypad

[@eagledude]

dude these videos are getting so much more polished every time! i've been watching since ~Nov 2022 :)

[@shanecuster3514]

I would watch the social media video related to 3D printing. That would be extremely beneficial for myself and everyone else that is new.

[@knoxbom3274]

I bought my ender 3 V3 ke in march. I wanted to try something new. I always said 3D printing is for nerds (no disrespect to anyone). Like you mentioned in the video you want more. I will say It's a drug. I just bought a used ender 3 pro and been printing mods for it also making just basic prints like articulating dragons letters and some functional things for around the house. I will say im hooked on 3D printing and videos like your's and some other creators are an essential to my learning experience. I appreciate everything you do for the community

[@malikonia]

No talk about wood or brass PLA? I’ve only been printing for a few months but those are my favorites so far, I like the finish they provide and also that they are sandable. Also Silk PLA especially in gold. This comment is really more appropriate for your prior video but I’m making it on this one because I’m lazy haha.

[@calyodelphi124]

To cover some of the points that you raise in this video: 7:30 working on printers vs. printing: I think I struck a nice balance between the two with my choice of printer. At first I was looking at the Bambu product line becuase they offered a complete line of printers that Just Work™, but as I looked more into their frankly _very_ closed ecosystem, I shied away from their offerings. Yes, I want a printer that Just Works™ so that I can get to printing the functional and occasinal aesthetic prints I want to print, but I also want a printer that won't keep me too locked down into an ecosystem that may or may not be able to expand with my own horizons. I haven't set it up yet, but I think I struck that balance with the Anycubic Kobra 2 that I bought--also because they were running a _stupid_ good sale so I got a printer that seems on the outset like a good choice for a hecking good price, which means I'm not in too deep if getting just the one printer to print useful stuff is all I ever do with this hobby. But because it runs Klipper, and the somewhat proprietary hot end can be modified to accept less proprietary volcano nozzles, I've got a printer that can expand _just enough_ to satisfy most of my future needs. ... Until I need an enclosed printer because I decide I want to dip my toes into printing ABS or ASA. Then I've got my sights on the Qidi X-Max Pro. And if I need multi-material printing then I'll probably blow my bux on a Prusa. 😋 9:21 Learn CAD sooner: This one's gonna be a tough barrier for a loooooot of prospective 3D printing hobbyists. There is a _wealth_ of options out there for CAD applications, with varying degrees of simplification to their user experience to suit varying CAD skill levels. I've gone with FreeCAD myself for two reasons: 1. I was already kind of accustomed to AutoCAD and by extension Fusion360, which AutoDesk partially rugpulled features that were going to be useful to me right as I started to dip my toes into it, and 2. I already engage in another advanced hobby that is electrical engineering, and I had been a long-time Eagle user right up until AutoDesk rugpulled us all on THAT one, which led me to switch over to KiCAD as my EDA. Learning FreeCAD was the natural choice for me, but ho boy it has a _steep_ learning curve if you're getting into it for the first time with either extremely rusty AutoCAD chops or no CAD chops at all. But it's a fully-featured CAD application that squares itself up against AutoCAD and Solidworks, so if you're undaunted by the scuffed UX of a FOSS CAD application built for serious applications of CAD, it's a solid choice that opens up a vast swathe of possibilities beyond just busting out a quick simple mechanical part for 3D printing. Blender also has a famously steep learning curve as well. A lot of really advanced FOSS is like this, unfortunately. It's all developed and built almost entirely by software engineers and get very little love by UX developers, sometimes entirely in their free time, so the focus is almost entirely on functionality and rarely on usability. If you're undaunted by this, or you crave a mini-boss challenge that constantly re-challenges you throughout your journey, by all means pick up Blender or FreeCAD or any other advanced FOSS application. Each time you have to face the mini-boss, you unlock bigger buffs to your skills and more advanced dungeons to explore and loot and gain XP within.

[@annemariecroft4016]

You just made my choice of what new FDM printer to buy a no brainer with the knowledge that Sunlu makes the S4! Thanks so much for that and I clicked the link you provided. Thanks for such a great video!

[@dustinroberson1865]

Been cleaning my pei plate with IPA and have noticed my prints lifting the corners. May need to try cleaning it with some dawn. The crazy thing is that my old glass bed wouldn't let go of a print until it hit room temp and even then, it was tough to take off. Then, one day it flipped and I started having adhesion issues. I took the plate off and cleaned with soap and water and it made no difference. Bought an enclosure thinking that might be the problem and it made no difference. I ended up flipping the glass over and using glue. Recently, I switched to a PEI plate and it worked great, not a single issue, even on big flat prints. Started having issues a couple of days ago with prints popping up. I cleaned with IPA and started a big flat print. I had 5 great layers down before going to bed. When I woke up, it was warped so bad it wasn't funny. A part that was supposed to be 1.5" thick, was only about 3/4" in one corner, and an inch in 2 other corners. Let's hope dawn does the trick. On a side note, I have a Bambu A1 coming wednesday and my ender 3 will be strictly a tinkering printer that might not get a lot of use.

[@robertcoggins8503]

I'll be buying my first 3d printer in March I use this channel for alot of my decision on what printer to buy

[@owenminor]

Sean Aranda's book was so helpful. I keep an extra copy at home, just to loan or give to someone who is trying to get started with a new printer.

[@jellybeanpowder]

Your videos are fantastic. Before I got my Neptune 4 pro, I saw one of your videos where you talked about leaning the build plate with Dawn dish soap. Every time I start having adhesion issues, that solves my problem every time. Thanks for your content

[@thenextlayer]

Awesome, thank you!

[@ColinCardon-300BC]

14:29 I used to live in south Arizona and this statement stands! It gets to 115 degrees in the summers 🔥 I have relatives there and I’ve been trying to get them excited about entering 3d printing so I will be showing them this video 😂

[@logicalfundy]

Got a roll of Polycarbonate - great material, just have to be wary of warping. Might have to patch up cheap enclosure for better heat retention, maybe find a way to heat it up better, or maybe just get a better enclosure. But for some things it's fantastic, especially if you want something that can hold up to a lot of heat.

[@Lazarus_G]

"I only need 2 printers and 10 rolls, then I'll stop." I actually did pull this off for the first 2 years while I was getting to know the printers, CAD, filaments, communities, and sites with files and such. Then I redid my workspace to have more workspace, space for printing, and better access to ventilation for my new printer and enclosure.

[@DavidHyman031]

Thank you for continuing to produce such helpful content!

[@thenextlayer]

My pleasure! Thanks for continuing to watch it!

[@JackPinesBlacksmithing]

I started with an Ender-3 S1 only to realize the reward of successful, cool prints wasn’t enough for the effort of bed-leveling (despite auto-bed-leveling) and subsequent z-offset needed after nearly every print. I now have my daily driver of the Bambu A1 and the Ender is now my project machine with a few upgrades installed and a few queued up for future upgrades.

[@dr3d3d]

not sure what hot end you have in your voron but if its the dragon standard flow or better it can easily print as fast as a X1C, after losing all my print setting recently I literally opened up Orca Slicer and copied all the Bambu Labs settings to my voron profile.. prints great.

[@Scyfe74]

I see progress on subscribers number at this moment 90k, good progress and congrats. Also more video materials that we have miss for some time when we have been feed by podcast materials. good to have you back in good shape. as always best whishes and all good for you and your family.

[@paddy4965]

I am starting new 3d printing work. I have some experience in solid works. Which software can I use for 3d printing for making multicolor toys

[@thenextlayer]

Any CAD is fine

[@Wm200]

My first printer was a QIDI X-Plus and still loving it to this day using FreeCAD.

[@solusfides]

Well said. Considering diving in this winter holiday season.

[@jaquesmerde9146]

i learned to 3d model first and the wanted to have a printer to print out my creations. and ever since i just keep going. learning modeling trying to improve learn new skills to create the things that bring me joy:)

[@itsdrew.15]

The more filament part is 100% true!!! Do I have enough spools to last my one printer 3 years? Yes. Do I want more? OF COURSE!!! Amazing vid as always dude!

[@_ethereal_astro]

Please do a video on filament tuning in different slicers and why this is important and the profiles with in different slicers are not an all fit solution. I’m struggling with this right now.

[@LostButMakingGoodTime]

My own lesson learned. I think the biggest thing I learned after diving deeply into 3D printing is that 3D printing in and of itself is NOT a hobby. 3D printing is simply a tool. A very intriguing tool that can allow you to do things you just can’t do any other way, but a tool just the same, like your drill press or your lathe. It is an amazing tool to support your ACTUAL hobbies. How much use you will get out of it is entirely dependent on your lifestyle. Do you have a craft space or a workshop or garage? Are you always building, tinkering, repairing, improving, rebuilding, creating things around the house? If so, then a 3D printer can be an incredible addition. You may wonder how you did without it. But if your lifestyle doesn’t already include these kinds of activities and hobbies, or doesn’t really have the physical space for them, you will struggle to find applications for your printer. I mean seriously, how many Mandalorian figurines does anyone need? I am still enchanted by the possibilities, especially the design process, but learn from my experience and give this all some serious thought before you leap.

[@TS_Mind_Swept]

I'm so used to watching ancient 3D printing videos that I didn't realize how fresh this one was 👀 Also, since I don't seem to be going anywhere anytime soon, I guess I'll hit that subscribe button and see what it does 🤔

[@thenextlayer]

Noice!

[@dgurevich1]

4:59 is the exact issue I'm having right now. Started last week on ender 3 s1 pro. How do i make the first layer stick to the bed? It seems like at some point every print is knocked off the bed.

[@rikhavok]

I know this isnt about 3d Modeling, just Computer art in general. Back in the 90s, there really was only 2 major art programs available- Corel Draw and the favorite Adobe PhotoShop. Honestly, the reason I used Corel originally was because I had a free copy of it. But, these two programs come to art from a very different perspective - Corel came more from a computer user’s perspective and Photoshop was more from an Artist’s perspective. So, trying to use Photoshop was always so confusing for me.

[@ProjectDefi]

i love your channel. i just got into 3d printing. i remember when they first came out. my gateway was the a1 mini. i was hooked. so i bought a qidi max3 and 4 A1s. im all in it appears. i want to try the 3d printer you suggest

[@DarkoForever]

איזה אח, צפיתי בכל הסרטון לא קלטתי שאתה ישראלי עד הדגל ישראל באמצע, תמשיך להציג אותנו לעולם אח יקר

[@Amn2k9]

Yup - got into 3D printing back in August 2023, and if I had the space I would already have supplemented with another like Bambu’s A1 / A1 Mini… Having 40-50 filament rolls, including the holiday sale purchase…. Well when I see new exciting colors, dual or triple color silk etc…. I want more. :O Also just started trying out PETG (was PLA variants only before), and following your “script” I have actually just started to dive into CAD designing. :D Watched so much videos about TinkerCAD, and did a couple of own needs / designs in TinkerCAD, but already looking into Fusion 360….. Never had a hobby that expanded so fast before….. :O Btw agree with the dish soap cleaning! Did not have any issues, except when I thought I could ease up on the cleaning of the build plate…. Proper cleaning again, and no issues with models not sticking to the build plate since. And last but not least I also have the Sunlu S4, and well the S2 as I started out with that. So in my short 3D printing life, I can already confirm much of what you stated in your video, in relation to myself / my experience so far.

[@JK31201]

Hey, thank you for your Chanel. I'm often blown away with the quality of videos you make especially considering the age of your channel and the fact that you're 1st video was better than 90% of 3d print videos on KZbin. I do have one small piece of constructive criticism. I often "watch" videos while doing chores which obviously leads to not seeing every part of the video. When you have your points or chapters introduced, not saying what it is and only relying on the visual description makes it difficult. I would either have to wait and figure out what the point was or find where I set my phone down at and rewind it. I think keeping the visual and having the pause is great, but adding you saying what it is after it comes on screen would be helpful and I'm sure I'm not the only one that multi tasks and would appreciate it too!

[@thenextlayer]

I can try to do that going forward!

[@JK31201]

@thenextlayer You don't have to do anything special just for me, just a suggestion from a random viewer 😊 Thank you for your content!

[@kvickart]

lol dude this is crazy, I had no idea you were the same person that made those old learning courses, I still use the speed reading techniques I learned from you probably over a decade ago

[@tonyp4894]

I'm a noob. Hope you can help me. I need to know if I should leave my PLA filament loaded in the head, or should I remove the filament when I am finished 3d printing an object. Is it safe to finish printing and just leave the printer loaded with the filament. thank you for your help. BTW, what modeling program can a non-engineering type like me use that doesn't require years of training to use. Tony 😎

[@another_alaskan9821]

Try Cura it is one of the best slicers and it’s ok to leave the filament in the printer it doesn’t hurt anything

[@Blakes123]

Love the videos man. The cad hits hard tho. Learned fusion pretty well then went to my high school and they used solid works and I’m now coming to the end of my high school years so I have to decide whether I want to pay that premium to keep with what I have become beyond proficient to the point I can teach people how to use it or find a free software.

[@crooker2]

When I got into 3d printing 3 years ago... It was a love/hate relationship with my ender 3v2 and, later, ender 3v3 printers. But it was extremely frustrating when it didn't work. I learned a LOT about the hardware, gcode, control software, firmwares, etc. But I spent more time tinkering than printing. Since buying my Bambulab A1, I could spend more time actually printing... Designing, remixing, printing models for my kids... Painting and playing with them. Its no longer a hobby about the PRINTER. It's now a hobby about the prints.

[@easymac79]

8:50 I am CERTAINLY in the tinkerer category, not the printing stuff category! Let me just say that I don't have a single machine that does only one material. But only one was purchased as dual material. Everything branched out from there. Now I've got 4 lasers, a mill, and am working on a PCB for a 6 axis GRBL controller (None I found on Ali were suitable).

[@BenWolkWeiss]

Hey Johnathan, great video and sent it to my friend who just got into 3D printing and bought a Bambu A1 based on my recommendation since I know he doesn't have much time or interest with 2 kids for working on his printer instead of just printing. One piece of constructive criticism I have is please read out your section titles. The pause in the audio is a bit jarring and I often watch videos while I'm doing dishes so I get lost if I look away during a transition to another topic.

[@Jeffdoeswhat]

Looks like i need to buy the s4. It’s a lot cheaper than expected. I did get a single filament dryer from sunlu not long ago. Definitely helps out. Great video.

[@thenextlayer]

You’ll love it

[@Alexgub84]

Just getting my first 3d printer and learned a lot from the video. Thank you! Noticed your Kidnapped Dog tag, a lot of respect! Thanks you

[@Sulfuron41]

I'm really glad you mentioned something about soap oddly enough. I've been printing for years, and bed adhesion has always been somewhat of a headache. I thought any ole soap would cut it honestly, but I still have problems sometimes. It definitely is time for me to grab some Dawn. Thanks bud!

[@thenextlayer]

THIS! I had NO idea that brand name makes a difference in such a "commodity" as DISH SOAP... but it DOES.

[@betsygrahn382]

Very educational video. Can you tell me what 3d scanner is best if I want to 3d a full body of people figurines?

[@thenextlayer]

Not sure sorry. There are better ones for bigger objects but I haven’t tried

[@ivantrail702]

That Sunlu S4 is the stuff! I really like it. Hopefully I can figure out how to put Filamentalist auto rewinders in it.

[@valensiaaa]

Can you recommend the right designing app/software for making cookies cutter or miniature clay cutters?

[@thenextlayer]

I love onshape

[@edwardstephens936]

I love the hobby too... thanks for the video, I appreciate you.

[@JohnDurchak]

Hey Jonathan, OK, well I think I really need to call out just one thing.. :) I have to disagree with your just wash the build plate first and every time advise, but please hear me out first... :) My recommendation would always be the following for bed adhesion issue, first double check t hat your build plate temp is within the range specified by your filaments manufacturer, being too cold is common reason many prints will not stick, this usually happens after people will try to recover to correct a warping or elephants foot issue by dropping their temps. If this is the case, there are a number of videos out there on how best to correct those situations without lowering your plate temps too low, giving your build plate a really good washing with a name brand dish soap like Dawn Powerwash or similar is great advise, just make sure it has no hand conditioners or lotions just as you stated has stated, in the video in most cases this will in fact work with the exception of a situation like mine where nothing ever sticks to my build plate after I wash with with the dish soap, though this is likely something specific to my environment though I don't know what it could be, If you still have issues, do wipe it down with between 70% - 99% Isopropanol. This is the part where we do differ from as I do believe it is better to wipe down with the isopropanol in between washes to ensure that your prints will continue to adhere to your build plate. I don't know why you are tossing this out after all this time, as it is a cheaper alternative to constant washing ever X prints. Washing your build plate after every lets say 10 prints or so could get costly for some people as for example Dawn Powerwash can cost u p to $7-$9USD unless you buy in bulk and if your on a budget this could get a bit expensive compared to the cost of a bottle of isopropanol which costs around $0.79- $0.99 per bottle and one bottle can last you a VERY long time, in fact, it usually takes me months to go though one bottle with an average of 2 long prints every few days. This also saves time, as well people do not realize how much removing the plate each time and placing it back on the bed each time can cause your bed to need re-tramming. Admittedly wiping the bed down aggressively can have the same problem which is why I don't recommend aggressively wiping the plate down either, a gentle wipe down should be all you need. Also if you find this to be the case where you are having to continually re-tram your bed, I suggest replacing your springs with silicone bushings instead, however, there are some debates as to why bushings should never be used and why springs should never be swapped to bushings though, I have never found this to be the case, in every test I have run, bushings have proven to me to be far superior in every way, though I digress. Your bed will get residues on them from the filaments, as well your grubby little fingers will leave oils on the plate every time you touch it. After time, these smuggies will eventually lead to a complete lack of adhesion and a simple wipe down saves you on both time and money and if your not too aggressive, you won't risk having to continually re-tram your build plate. I honestly don't understand why you are dismissing the isopropanol after all this time, as it would seem to me that the isopropanol would be the perfect solution to fix a simple adhesion problem and to do so proactively in between having to take the plate off and give it a good washing. Of course if you're using glue sticks or any number of other bed adhesion products to get your prints to stick, the washing the plate is really your only option as isopropanol will just make a giant mess of your build plate, but I truly stand behind the use of isopropanol in between washes are a quick an easy, lets call it a maintenance step between washes or if you run into a problem early of and your prints start to have adhesion issues as a quick wipe down will get your print restarted right away and may just solve the problem until you feel a wash necessary. I would be interested to hear a bit more as to why you have decided to turn your back on the tried and true isopropanol as you even stated that this has served you well in the past. I bet I know why!!! Has Dawn sponsored one of your videos??? Gosh, I am so jealous of your makers / creators, you guys get all the good stuff free! LOL I am sorry that was a low blow, I sincerely hope you did not take offense to my very off color humor, I meant this completely as a joke! I know, my humor is rather tasteless and poor, hence why I never went into standup! I would highly suggest you do not lather your build plate with a glue stick unless you are use a standard and worn build plate that has become troublesome for you to get good adherence, or your are printing with a filament like PETG. If this is where you find yourself, I would highly suggest if you have the means top upgrade your build plate to something like a smooth PEI sheet. These sheets are known for their adhesion and most standard filaments should have no problem adhering too them. PETG is definitely the exception as you are using the glue stick not for its adhering properties but as a releasing agent as PETG becomes extremely sticky and an unprotected glass bed is likely to be torn apart by PETG, I have never seen anything like it, it will literally destroy your glass plate! The Glue stick is good when you have a specific filament which is known to have adherence issues such as the exotic filaments but should never be your first choice for gaining adherence for filaments such as the standard PLA. PLA should not have any problems adhering to a clean and not worn build plate. I Lastly just a quick note why I am very much against the many creators advise to slather on the glue stick, hair spray, or any number of adhesion products available to make sure you part with your hard earned money and that is that these products tend to not only stick to your build plate, and in most cases will keep your print firmly attached to your plate, but when you r print has completed, and you remove your plate, you are likely to notice that much of that product is likely also adhered to the bottom of your print as well. In most cases you should be able to wash your print to get it off, but in some cases I have found that that when the initial layer was being laid down, and the filament at it's hottest, some of the glue or other products have been absorbed into the hot filament, which at that point, you will have little chance of being able to separate it from your print leaving a nasty white residue permanently on your print. This is terrible if this happens to be an outside / visible portion of your print and this is exactly why I have to disagree with any maker that provides this as their first line in trying ensure your print adheres to your build plate. In closing, Jonathan, I would really like to understand why you are disavowing now the isopropanol as it clearly works, your history with it proves that, but were you simply trying to say not to just only use the isopropanol, ie never wash washing the board, or are you more or less boycotting the use of isopropanol all together? I guess this is where I may be missing your point here. Oh more lastly, reading some of the other comments made me remember the one really important thing that I wanted to share with you. You are a fantastic communicator, the way you present your video's comes with a bit of authority/ confidence, but not condescending, as that is extremely important when your hosting your videos. There is another very young creator / maker, that has a large 3D Printing channel who's videos tend to be quite informative, but I honestly can't take more then a minute or two of his videos, as he comes across very condescending as if he is the gift to the 3D Printing world which I find extremely odd in this maker space. Most of us in 3D printing tend to be introverts, and no matter how long one has been in this space, we can all learn something new from the most advances users, to the new commers, but his videos tend to have this air of him being the best, so don't bother suggesting something since he already has a better answer. It's a real turn off as some of his videos I actually want to watch but I can't. Your videos drew me in when I first found your channel as you almost seem like the best friend I never had! That is an amazing skill and a good reason for why your channel has become so successful! Don't ever change your honest persona! It's just an amazing talent, though I believe it's less talent and more you just being you! :) Amazing work as always Jonathan! Many thanks for this excellent video and for your future reply to this! Cheers, John

[@avivnachum9009]

hey man, love your videos. IDK if it's just my opinion but I'd really like to see a video about your personal projects, whether it's just the Gridfinity kitchen organizer thing or a fully fletched project with electronics and real functionality.

[@5FSF]

How do you use the ams lite with the 4 filament dryer? It looks like the ptfe is plugged right into it, but afaik if the ams tries to spin the roll forward or back and it doesn't move how it anticipates it'll throw an error.

[@WARPAINTandUnicorns]

I've put off getting a#D printer for a wile because i could still make the things I wanted with other materials and I know that can be a lot of frustration with print failures and tweaking the machines. It's finally hit the point where Bambu is pushing for print consitancy with more monitors a. alower price bracket that it's worth getting plastic production for me. Up to this point most cosplayers where saying get ANY 3D printer because you going to have to spacale and sand then thing like crazy to remove print line.... what I'M excited for is printing files on the smallest nozzle and finest detail setting to reduce print line in pretty filaments that will be Cosplay ready. And for ones that will be paint the less spahle and standing the better! Am I going to print custom upgrade, VERY likely but I'm not interested in tinckering with machine hardware outside of replacement part.

[@sierraecho884]

Blender is not CAD btw. Blender is a 3D program for artists, CAD is more more engineering. 90% of all CAD software are either the same or similar. The more expensive CAD software is not necessarily better, I work with CATIA and Siemens NX and no one in their right mind should buy and of those tools for their home use or even professional use, that´s why FUSION 360 or even SolidWorks are so popular. My CATIA license at my engineering job costs 30k a year and there is nothing to it you would miss is you did use Fusion 360 for IDK 150 Bucks of whatever it costs I have no idea.

[@skaltura]

Proper dish soap + drying -> Bare glass sticks like mad. Funny thing; Once you print on it enough, it becomes resistant to oils etc. as a really tiny surface of plastic sticks to it.

[@georgehewitt3516]

What printer would you recommend?I want to starting doing 3d printing.Thanks

[@MegaRockfever]

i am buying my first printer Ender 3 v3 kE and since I am an engineer and an interior designer; I am familiar with CAD software like AutoCAD and Sketchup. I am a professional learner to so I want to learn Fusion 360 soon. and the one you mentioned (Onshape) I will give it a try.

[@nate6386]

@14:25 As someone who lives in the deserts of Arizona yeh I regularly see humidity in the single digits here.