Revised: 3D Printing - 13 Things I Wish I Knew When I Got Started

[@The3DPrintingZone]

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[@darrylcrum2495]

Thank you for taking the time to make this video. I just turned 72, and decided I need a new hobby. I downloaded Fusion 360 to get started on learning to draw 3D models and will download a slicing software once I have confidence on Fusion. My goal is to create desk models and desk components before I start cutting up expensive wood. I hope I am still smart enough to do this but even if I find I am not, your video has been a great help.

[@LRN2DIY]

You're awesome, Darryl. You got this!

[@carlsuvanto]

Darryl you inspire me so much. I want to start new hitech hobbies when Im 72 too!

[@Captain1Planet]

This is amazing, you can do it I believe in you!

[@HorzeHead]

@Dave Cockayne you can even turn a 3d printer into a CNC machine!

[@LoneKuroRaifu]

Best of luck to you! Cheering you on all the way! X)

[@rkristel82]

This video should be mandatory for anyone starting this as a hobby. Signed, Somone who learned the hard way

[@bluefoxthecutest2628]

Ill get one once I finish my current project haha

[@mathieu5344]

#12 - 03:11 - Slicing Matters #11 - 04:26 - Print profiles #10 - 06:03 - Ironing #09 - 06:55 - Have a little help from your friends #08 - 08:21 - Materials matter #07 - 12:24 - Keep an eye on things #06 - 14:30 - Octoprint #05 - 16:58 - Understanding support #04 - 19:09 - Rafts, Brims & Skirts #03 - 22:37 - Get sticky (but only if you have to) #02 - 24:15 - Print on glass... or any good bed #01 - 26:08 - Bed leveling & The first layer squish

[@jkadofo]

Extremely useful when I had to come back to the video for reference. Thanks

[@JayHernan]

Thanks dude. I was gonna do the same thing but then scrolled down to make sure no one had done it already

[@old_guard2431]

Just about the time I was thinking I need to take notes. . . Thanks, Mat

[@michami135]

Best adhesive I've found is pure lemon juice. Smells great, VERY sticky, stays sticky for months, and easy to clean off.

[@throngcleaver]

Thanks, Mat!!!

[@TATTOOFREAK937]

6 months ago I watched about 10 minutes of this video. Moved on thinking “dude I just want to print stuff. I don’t care about tweaking settings. Just normal is fine” 🤦🏻‍♂️oh how I was I wrong. So here I am again lol

[@zachpangos7159]

Lol I have watched a lot of videos, I just got a 3d printer in trade a week ago, and another 2 days ago. I want to print a starlink flat housing, and I want it in ASA, and I keep tweaking the settings on my ender 3 s1 pro, and things keep warping… argh!

[@butterflyknives6674]

​@zachpangos7159 I planned on buying one. But now I'm having flashbacks, of the last month, on my cnc lol. Finally dialed in.

[@Cara.314]

And now the x1c is a thing

[@RufusVidS]

He should have mentioned the generated gasses from ABS printing which can be somewhat hazardous.

[@alexhetherington8028]

The thing I like about 3d printing is it's the perfect combination of science ,technology and art.

[@hotaru8309]

This is exactly how I feel about animatronics. It's hard to get people to understand sometimes. The creating and finding of workarounds is really fun. It's specially satisfying.

[@ZedJ2xU]

Couple things for future viewers: PETG does not work well on glass beds. Hairspray or masking tape is prob best if you have to. It also requires a lot of heat control and fine tuned retraction settings. Take the time to tweak and test and if you get an all metal hot-end, you will have to start that process from scratch. Also rafts work well for objects without a smooth flat bottom surface. You can tweak settings of the raft top layer and print bottom layer to avoid final part deformation from raft break off. Lastly, be patient. Test often with small but complex parts before loading up large ones. I like to shrink larger objects to 10-25% and run it first to make sure print orientation and supports will work as planned. Happy printing!

[@bc7444]

Been a while since you posted this, but I wanted to thank you for the idea of shrinking larger objects. That is a fantastic idea that isn't obvious for someone who hasn't heard of it before.

[@lumpyzx2645]

Thankyou! I just started 3d printing (actually am about finished with my 2nd test boat) and have an ender 3 neo with a glass bed, I also have an enclosure and filament dryer (I don't think I need it for pla+ but it can't hurt) I don't know if I'll use the spool of pla that came with the printer, there's not much there and I got 2 1kg spools of esun pla+ so figured it'd be best to do my first test prints with the same filament I plan to use, like I said I'm finishing up my 2nd print as I type this, so I'm testing out different temperatures (first print the extruder was set to 210°C, I think I had the bed at 60°C but it might have been at 50°C. This run I have the bed at 60°C and te extruder at 225°C, I think I'll also do one at 220 and 215 and also might try setting the bed to 65°C, but thanks for your advice, I've been trying to decide of PETG is something I want to try, but I think I'll avoid it, at least until I'm comfortable using this thing and want to try different filaments. Have a good day!

[@chris]

I just got my first 3D printer today. I haven't even set it up, but this is the first video I've watched to get up to speed--so thank you!!

[@stonegamessm1598]

Same for me just got one

[@TheDiskdaddy]

Me too, this vid kicks ass

[@andrewmai5887]

Same here

[@L3ttuc3]

Keep motivated. It's frustrating in the weirdest ways early on but it's worth it in the long run. My first few prints were perfect then I started having huge issues that took forever to work out. It was a discouraging progression to say the least, but once you've experienced most of the problems you can have once or twice it's pretty smooth sailing and pure joy. Good luck gentlemen.

[@deborahduthie4519]

Chris Duke How did you go setting up your 3D printer?

[@chonchi2629]

Mechanical engineering student here. I’ve had some experience with 3D printing in the university printing lab. I’m waiting for my printer to come in, but I wanted to instruct myself a bit first. Very good and concise video. Hope to see more.

[@CrunchyTire]

Mcdonalds fry specialist here, about to get my golden brown degree. The key is in the oil boiii

[@dominiqueruppen5721]

@@CrunchyTire I'm glad you're here too. I once had a 10-hour-shift @ McDonald's: I fried a chicken nugget for 10 hours straight. ➡️ it turned to sand! 😅😭🤪

[@nickrossi7454]

This is 2018 me sitting here in 2021 thinking to myself wow that was three years ago

[@moji3812]

Damn 2023 now😔👌

[@DanielSlevin-yr5mt]

2024 and this comment is 3 years ago (and the video is still relevant

[@nickrossi7454]

@@DanielSlevin-yr5mtI can’t even remember what my comment was about at this point

[@RR-gm7qj]

I really appreciate people like you who take their time to teach others. I just purchased a Makerbot Replicator + and I’m super excited to start 3D printing. So when I say I appreciate makers and specially those who teach others I mean it. Keep up the good work and I promise that as I get better and better and learn stuff I’ll pay it forward. Thanks

[@cunicularium5424]

*Especially

[@welovebaking247]

😀 😀😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀😀

[@welovebaking247]

😀 😀😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 oo 😀 😀😀

[@welovebaking247]

😀 😀😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 oo 😀 😀😀

[@welovebaking247]

😀 😀😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 oo 😀 😀😀

[@Frostbite1003]

22:00 I once printed a bunch of screws with ~3-4 mm in diameter. I put 20 of them on a raft and whenever I needed one, I could easily break it off the raft.

[@RyanMcQueen1985]

Only reason I've found to use raft for bed adhesion is when I'm printing really small parts (usually several in a batch). That being said, it was pretty essential to get them to print successfully.

[@lalaithnimdae5736]

One thing that REALLY helped me out with bed adhesion/bed leveling is changing just the initial layer height of the model in the slicer. I like to do very high quality prints .05mm, my CR-10 disagrees with me and VERY often didn't want anything to stick to ANY bed I used. Glass/Glass+adhesive/Original Bed/Perforated beds/ painters tape... When it did adhere to the bed. it was often melted into the bed :(. That is until I changed my first layer to always be .3mm. Now there is plenty of space for the first layer to adhere correctly, it doesn't warp, AND if my bed leveling is off even just a little, the layer is large enough to compensate. Until I get the BLtouch installed, this has been a blessing. No more ruining beds, no more ruining prints.. no more rafts! Most I use now is a skirt with 5 lines max I should note I only use PLA for all of my prints, and have started printing minis with incredible details ;)

[@_powerbeard]

BLTouch is for people who can't reliably level. Sounds like you can, so you don't need it unless you are sharing your printer. Also .05 is insanely patient. Respect.

[@JimSmithlightsmith]

I've been 3D printing for quite a while and still learned a great deal from this video. Ironing was probably the best single tip I've ever heard. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. I always hated my top layers. Now the look fantastic.

[@enfieldjohn101]

So, this is a much more complex and tricky thing to do that how most websites and videos show that it is. Thanks for clearing this up.

[@Rickards3d]

One use for a raft is when printing articulated toys (lizards, snakes, etc) when you have generally poor bed adhesion, due to the size of the individual pieces. Before I got my self-releasing glass bed rafts were a necessary evil.

[@mingonmongo1]

Good point, and I also find a raft useful with long 'top heavy' parts printed standing vertically on end, like model pistols with no 'base'. Needs a lotta supports too, but also avoids having to print horizontally in two pieces.

[@NikkiTheOtter]

@@mingonmongo1 I like rafts for printing large parts with narrow connection points too, things like RC car body parts. Also, good for holding narrow supports.

[@kumsuk77777]

Of all the many KZbin videos I have watched trying to inform myself as a novice 3d printer yours is the very best and most informative 30 minutes anywhere.

[@jessebob325]

I remember the bed levelling paper trick from This Old Tony setting his clearances on his CNC router on KZbin. So that made it easy to understand why you say it’s important. 👍🏻🍻

[@jeffreytackett3922]

I started a print, the other night. Went to bed while things were looking good. Woke up to a PLA tumbleweed, blowing around my printer stand.

[@vanillatography1544]

Straight away, 12 seconds in, I already admire the intelligence of this man for putting that camera in the back. + Respect & Intelligence

[@L3X369]

This is not a youtube video, this is a 3D printing mini course! I didn't know why all people put paper when leveling, I knew they are leveling the bed but did't know why the need of paper. You actually made me (probably more of us) understand. I don't even have a 3D printer yet, but I'm waiting my TRONXY X5SA Pro to be shipped (damn covid) and for few days I keep watching youtube videos. After this one I realized that show "Tips" for experts. I will save this and watch it for few times, probably more after I fail some prints.

[@diywithjonandpebbles]

It’s not just having a “sheet of paper”. It’s having the correct thickness to set the deck offset for that first layer. I have yet to see someone say what weight or kind of paper they are actually using.

[@chriskryder2994]

Trying to learn as much as possible so my first printer purchase will be a positive experience. I feel I've learned more from this single video than any other. Well done easy to understand. Very helpful imo

[@johnpriestly6837]

thx for good vid... I've been printing for a while and still learning .A few of my recent revelations are ; 1) re first layer squish ; As my printer has a bit of a curve the center (changes with bed temp so important to do leveling at temp) my work around is to get final squish height right is to Pause the print during the first activity in the center , disable drivers , put 4 paper layers under head ( one piece of paper folded 4 times ) raise and push head down manually on paper so not too tight when pulled out ,then recommence print. One can see if first layered is feeding by watching the filament drive gear to see if it is moving when feeding ,to calibrate how many layers of paper required. 2) Printing 0.5m skin printed for RC planes using craft ware slicer and 0.4mm nozzle diameter.; a) Sett inner and outer perimeter speed the same ( default outer is 50% that of inner ) b) set layer width to 0.25 mm (even though nozzle id 0.4.)and perimeter loops to 2 loops. c) feed correction to 105% d) Cooler temperature , 195 'C for PLA e) Fan speed < 50% for layer to layer adhesion . f) higher speeds OK 50-60 mm/s g) Adjust retract distance to minimize stringing ... I've settled in on 5 mm retract and feed. 3) Printing more solid prints like brackets etc. ; lower temp 195'c gave much sharper edges with finer layers 4)For thin shell foils ( Plane wings ) I was getting open sections (no layer) at foil curve intersections in spots when I sliced the STL. I found needed to change STL. generation setting to very fine which took longer when converting model but fixed the slicing blank spots. Also some times saw missing lines and realize the model some times need to be one solid ( not multiple solid or surfaces ) STL generated and sliced. 5) when making plates with reinforcing in them such as RC plane engine mounts try slicing with no Fill and No top layer and adjust the parameter loops to adjust the reinforcing rib thickness on holes and edges. I'm interested in any ones comments or experiences , Im hoping to start printing with LW PLA soon Cheers

[@thatCbean]

16:30 I love how the timelapse only uses frames in which the printer head is on the right side of the print, making the left side look like it just rises up out of thin air

[@DeanF]

Just got my first 3D printer- A Creality CR6se but I had to fix it before I could even use it- bad solder joint -but had it up and running and now drinking up knowledge!

[@AirgunChannel]

Great video. I used an a raft to get across a river one time in 1971. I was stranded and would have died, but I had a portable 3D printer that ran off solar power. So I 3D printed raft components and was able to assemble a giant raft that fit me and my pet giraffe I had met on the island. Also, I do deserve a Snickers. I just downloaded the file to 3D print a king size Snickers bar out of chocolate, peanut, and nougat filament. I’m going to print that right now and eat it! Thanks for the tips on printing and for the Snickers file. (link below) -Nate

[@Gianni135]

what

[@wandaseaman]

Glad you were able to survive

[@bigboifour8162]

23:24 i used to use tape because my 3d prints wouldn't stick to my heated bed, but i fixed that by cleaning every few prints and making sure that my nozzle is low enough to where paper will slide WITH FRICTION.

[@JerryRigEverything]

Great information. Thank you!

[@The3DPrintingZone]

So glad you found it helpful! I've learned a ton from your channel. Let me know if I can ever help with anything you're working on - I'm pretty sure we live in neighboring towns :)

[@ameturephysicist]

Did you use these tips when you printed the concrete statue? XD

[@Hanzi2u]

@@ameturephysicist haha that was my thought haha

[@Cilander4978]

Hi

[@mr.hacker6962]

HOLY FUCK IS IT REALLY U JERRY

[@dadistrict]

I just brought my 3d printer a Elegoo pro and this video is helping me out a lot. It’s 2024 and I’m like sheesh I’ve been procrastinating on getting one this long. Great video l definitely will be saving this video.

[@William3000x]

About tip #5 - Understanding support - I make my 3d models using Blender. And whenever I know in advance that my model will need a support or it will have to deal with bridging at any point, I make those supports within the 3D model itself, using the smallest thickness that I know the printer is capable of handling. I have modeled and printed a couple of A-10 Warthogs and an F-15 Eagle for myself. And for supporting the wings, pylons and engines, as the miniature would be printed in the vertical orientation, I included these really thin "walls" coming from the base - or the raft, as mentioned in the video - to hold these structures, already during the 3D modelling process. It can be a more reliable method than the built-in supports you can create during the Slicing of the print, assuming of course you have experience with these 3D printing issues.

[@spector777]

I have had my printer for about 3 years ago, and print occasionally, usually with issues. The bed curling, object not adhering, having to stop and start over.... Watched this video and he re-baselined my thinking, printing speed, bed temp etc... I had looked on internet for hours and he in one video mentioned it all . I had developed Calligraphy printing pens for my girl several years ago, and now each one is printing without issues......Thank you and I am now a permanent subscriber...

[@livefreeprintguns]

16:47 "Not a huge deal, but it's 2018... I mean we don't need to be using SD cards to transfer things back and forth." Me, in 2023 still using my SD card to transfer files from my computer to my Ender-3. 🤣😜

[@grahamserle7930]

It's now 2020 and I've just bought my first 3D printer, a Creality CR10s Pro V2. I turning 62 this year but it's never too late to have fun. The cool/exciting thing for me is that I can now design and make all those bespoke things that I would otherwise have had to fabricate from metal or timber. This video is still relevant and the tips are spot on point.

[@The3DPrintingZone]

That's awesome, Graham! Best of luck with it. I think you'll find it very rewarding.

[@grahamserle7930]

@@The3DPrintingZone Thank you. It's certainly a wonderful distraction and feel good place to be with the madness that everyone's experiencing at the moment. Well wishes to you and family.

[@brucekuper1944]

EXCELLENT VIDEO ! Very good points in this video. A couple of things to consider though; BED ALIGNMENT (not leveling) The initial paper alignment is the first step to get close but it is just the first step… Bed "leveling" is a misnomer, and should technically be called “Bed Alignment Procedure” because it is actually an alignment process NOT a “leveling” process, that is the entire print surface is "aligned" equidistant to the extruder(s). Had a customer send a picture of a carpenter’s level on the bed. All documentation was revised, changing “leveling” to “alignment” after that incident. So start with the paper then use a “bed alignment” print to dynamically adjust the bed as it is extruding a “first layer” print. Create a near maximum bed size single layer circular print to perform this procedure. I like your graphic of the cross section of what the first layer extrusion should look like. GLASS For safety reasons, plain mirrored or clear glass is NOT recommended for printing with heated beds and especially in an enclosed printer. We had a lot of issues with 12” x 12” plain and tempered glass not being “flat”, these ranged from a single full sheet warp of 1.2mm to ripples of 0.7mm that were very apparent in the initial layer. Borosilicate ended up being the design choice and was the most trouble free but a lot more expensive. So if buying off the shelf glass take a straight edge and feeler gauges and pick the best piece. OBJECT ADHESION Any “spray” used for surface adhesion will cause “over spray” and will work as well, but with disastrous results, on all moving parts, bearing rails, slides, flex cables, fans and connectors used in the printer. The Elmer’s washable school glue, the purple stuff $1 a stick for the large ones. It can be scrapped off or dissolved with water. Just a hint, any 3D printer installation should have a dedicated vacuum to keep the printer and area clean of debris and “glue shavings”.

[@SeanCMedina]

Thank you @ Bruce Kuper.

[@andrewdoyle3328]

Raft if you have a hole in your bed sheet allowed me to print waiting for delivery also for flexible beds if no perfectly flat so good for cheaper printers

[@chrisbruno1343]

i'm just a silly female who usually watches makeup tutorials or fashion videos or how to do gel nails at home. some times i check out random diy's and i saw one on a dude making electricity from his rain gutter. it was extremly tecnical, he was making parts on his 3D printer, this led me to you. i had a vague idea what 3D printing was but i wanted to know more ,like how did it actually work. the more vids i watched the more my mind was blown. this is all old hat to you all who do it, but it is totally amazing to me. to think now days they are printing body parts and orgins and even food. tecnology moves so fast....i still have troubles working my cell phone. i bet you have advanced so far in the 2 yrs since you made this vid. thanks for the info i was totally amazed at all that goes into 3D printing.

[@Meowchiavelli]

you are not just a silly female. I bet you're awesome.

[@chrisbruno1343]

@@Meowchiavelli thank you , i don't know about awesome, but i am rather cool and a little eccentric if i do say so myself

[@KH-kg4bm]

I doubt you are female

[@chrisbruno1343]

@@KH-kg4bm what makes you think i'm not a female??? why should I lie?

[@KH-kg4bm]

@@chrisbruno1343 What kind of woman calls herself a silly female? Where is your self-respect?

[@TheNerdicViking]

I know this is an older post but it was the first I was told to watch. I really got a lot out of it and appreciate your hard work and help. A few years back I picked up a makerbot replicator mini NOS for $50. It sat in the box for a few months while I got my computer and studio set up. I'm sure you know that this was essentially a plug and play printer for small parts. Just the other day I took the plunge into an ender 3 v2 along with several upgrades. I spent an entire day watching videos and reading articles as I assembled my new toy, which I quickly discovered was more akin to a new tool. I skipped the BL touch leveler as I found it so cathartic to level the bed by hand. I dove right in and started printing additional upgrades for my printer and it was like watching art come to life. I decided to run a print that I had done on my old printer and sat back in awe of the quality and control I had over every aspect of its creation. The results were night and day. If I didn't print it I'd thought it was molded. I work from home so keeping an eye on things is simple but after your remarks on Octoprint it swayed me to order a Raspberry Pi. I can't wait to catch up on your videos as I feel like I'm watching a friend over an instructor, that makes a lot of difference. I suffer from pretty severe psoriatic arthritis which has distorted my fingers so 3D printing has given me back the craftsmanship I thought lost forever. So while you may never get to read this, I felt it important for you to know that you helped me recover a big piece of myself I thought was forever lost. Thank You!

[@The3DPrintingZone]

So glad you watched and thanks for sharing your experience. It's a fun hobby and hopefully things continue to go smoothly.

[@TheNerdicViking]

@@The3DPrintingZone you saved me so much stress. My ender 3 v2 came with the glass bed but no matter what I did the surface had a film. I flipped it upside down to the silky smooth side and perfect adhesion

[@FluffyWolfMan]

Keeping this video in my favorites folder for jogging my memory when i forget the basics. Great info!

[@loranwijga55]

After one year of printing I did buy a glass bed. I do not regret using the magnetic bed, that came with the ender 3 pro, for a year. That is because I was inexperienced and sometime damaged the bed a bit, but because of the magnetic bed was soft only the bed that got scratches/damage. I did also buy an auto level kid after a year, which I completely love. To connect it I also needed a new mainboard (transfer board did not work/broke) which also was a good upgrade, because of less noise and power savings. Also upgrades you can print yourself can improve the prints/comfort by a lot. With the hobby you will often have bad/failed prints, but more often cool/practical stuff you made wich made it completely worth it for me

[@bigboifour8162]

6:03 ironing can also be useful when your printer isn't printing everything with a consistent flow rate so that your next layers are OK so your print doesn't Fail.

[@gods_ak0073]

Got an Ender 3 Arriving tomorrow, this is a great insight as to what to expect

[@jovikidd]

updates?

[@lemon-jq7xw]

Updates?

[@bright-vision8766]

updates?

[@itartinas4091]

How is going?

[@Conquest-ym5qx]

Penis?

[@Catlover7o2_3rd]

Thanks!

[@orlandodiciccio2748]

Totally agree with your top 3 picks. You know your stuff. Too many people have failures that are related to poor bed leveling, and when asking for help they claim " the bed is leveled", because they underestimate the importance of the first layer adhesion/success. Whenever having a spaghetti monster as a result, 95% of the time the cause is related to bed leveling. That is by far the most important tip. Master the bed leveling!

[@jeffk412]

A must-watch primer! Anyone interested in 3D printing needs to see this! (been printing for about 6 years...)

[@TheMrTTT]

re: ABS. I use it as my primary material because Acetone melts it. That means Acetone can be used to weld parts together and to smooth the finish when done.

[@KalaniHausman]

TheMrTTT One of the major benefits of ABS you can thin it in Acetone and paint it on the build plate easily to increase the adhesion!

[@TheMrTTT]

@@KalaniHausman True. I recently combined advice from a lot of videos on first layer adhesion and I'm stunned at how simple a solution I landed on. (using a Monoprice Mini Delta.) 1. Blue tape to bottom mount a glass build plate solely for it's flatness. 2) Blue tape surface with NO HEATING. 3) Lightly sand blue tape. It's working great for 8-10 prints before replacing. 4) 215C for PLA 235C for ABS. First layer is excellent. Apparently heating Blue tape reduces it's adhesion.

[@KalaniHausman]

TheMrTTT The Blue tape works better than Duct Tape though both heat well and lose their adhesion!

[@jpeterman57]

This is a great presentation for 3D printing! Take notes on his different topics. Then go back and research each on your own. Use different sources. I've watched this twice and may yet again.

[@princepixel1266]

I have a Wyze camera as well and made a mount to connect to the z axis and when the extruder moves up the mount and camera do as well is very helpful

[@irogers858]

Yep. The temperature is the right temperature. Very specific.

[@SUCKTF]

Something I recently noticed is when you use a brim on a first layer with lots of corners and windings, make sure the slicer does not produce short separate tracks. They will hardly stick even on good beds and have a good chance of messing up your first layer.

[@notcharles]

If I understand the issue, you spec'd a BRIM to add support. If I understand the problem, it seems that a RAFT might provide the solution. Then again, I didn't know about either before watching this. So, if I guessed correctly - the teacher did a good job!

[@ir.paulvanherck3234]

Dear Creator of Thinks, It is blissful to see how beautiful everything is summarized, for me it was neither too long nor tedious. I am a Civil Engineer with special up greads in machine building, Robotics, and I specialize in manuals on all kinds of things that still have to be invented. Only I don't have the power like you to make a video of it. thanks and one of the following video's

[@SeanCMedina]

Thank you for this video! It helps me along my path in this 3d printing hobby. It is clear that you spent time organizing the content and producing the video. The effort shows; it is good. Thx!

[@hati5814]

I knew nothing before your vid and now I feel not only semi-pro but like you've saved me a fortune

[@migranthawker2952]

When levelling a surface with 4 corners, it's more efficient to level opposite corners rather than go round the surface doing each corner.

[@goguyted]

I've also found that leveling more than once in a row can help because once you adjust one corner all others change in height simultaneously.

[@marcelb.7224]

For Bed adhesion i recommend FilaPrint. It´s as nice as glass but sticks much better. But it needs a heated bed

[@dcouchotvore]

Great job! A clear winner. I've been researching 3D printing for literally months, and I still learned some things from this video, especially ironing, a clear description of the differences between skirts, brims, and rafts, and the real value of Octoprint.

[@StonehouseCinema]

I have a little X1 Easythreed and it doesn’t have a heated bed so things tend to curl if it is a wide item. The skirt really helps keep it flat.

[@basibb1744]

Really good just a beginner i know nothing about this , your clarity in explaining makes for great teaching , thank you . Bas

[@joebjarnson4780]

9luuii0i>0i0000000000000000007009k77yktwtt100]]oqa

[@steveop2879]

thought i had to put this out there you can get feeler gauges which are slips of metal and you get one half the diameter of your filament and you get the perfect squish

[@RonnieBeck]

One of the best videos I have seen for beginners! Thanks for putting this together. It is really informative and a very well put together. Nice work all round!

[@The3DPrintingZone]

Thanks!

[@chezzacampbell2516]

Thank you, I'm 70, and interested in 3D printing houses, but due to the cost of suitable printers, may have to make my own.. so I see a steep learning curve in front of me

[@akshatshah3717]

I've been watching this for 30 minutes and I legit thought it was only 13. Very well made, thank you!!

[@mariangies]

Thanks so much for this video. I’ll be getting my first 3D printer this week, it’s a Anycubic cobra max, Never worked on any 3D printer before, total newbie, I have no idea what I’m doing but this video has taught me a few things. Can’t wait to start playing with my new toy and watching more of your videos. Am so grateful! New like and subscriber here. Thanks so much! I’ve joined two fb groups will be joining more. I need all the help I can get. 🙏🏻

[@GeekMustHave]

I just want to say thank you for taking the time to share your knowledge of 3D printing. I'm just opening up an Ender 3 printer to put it together and start my first prints. You have gained a subscriber. Keep broadcasting!!!

[@purplecatty]

Thankyou for your video, I have Tronxy 802D (X6D) bought it last year Jan and didn't use till Nov last year. Some of things I didn't get what I understood on Slicing software now cleared up. Funny thing is that you mentioned about IP camera, I do use it (Outdoor PZT IP Camera with light if needed LOL) and also I use Smart socket (Merkury brand from Walmart cost me $10 and it also sells Smart bulbs, Security cameras ect). I am able to keep eye on my printer while I am at work or anywhere. If my printer is done printing or having failure to print, I can simply remotely shut off printer via Geeni app on phone for Smart socket. I find it very useful. Although my printer is actually fire risk (Chinese printer, do not have thermal run away protection), I put it in garage for safety reason. As for bed adhesion, I use wide blue masking tape and it's very good on adhesion. As for bed levelling, I use paper and when I run printer for bed leveling, Hotend moved and settle on first corner, I shut it off and manually move X and Y Axis quickly and repeat to be sure that paper feel evenly snug on all 4 corners then power up printer and hit "Home All" then ready to print. I realized that squish is but much and it make it harder for me to remove printed pieces. It literally rip blue tape off the bed and I had to peel it off from base LOL. I'll readjust bed to correct "average" adhesion. I have Octoprint installed on RPI 3. I have RPI 4 and noticed a difference between two. (I was using RPI 4 one day then next I swapped to RPI 3 and swap SDHC so RPI 3 is for Octoprint and RPI 4 for my "desktop" pc for temporarily (my son 'borrowed' my system until he have $$ to build his own). I noticed that uploading and adjusting bed temp ect seem to be lagged a bit on RPI 3 than RPI 4. I give it 30 seconds to respond on Octoprint server. I would recommend using RPI 4 with 4GB ram for speedier response on Octoprint server. (I am not sure that Octopi formatted SDHC on RPI 4 then swap to RPI 3 cause performance lag? ) Bottom line is that your video are educational!! Thankyou!!

[@purplecatty]

It's been 3 years since I posted, I upgraded my old Tronxy over the course of 3 years and now it have been modded and changed to bowden. I noted improved printing and have glass bed (borosilicate glass) customized fit for my printbed. I have been printing lot of stuff. Now I have RPI camera on top of RPI 4 to keep eye on print. I have several slicer softwares (mainly PrusaSlicer and Cura), noted both are good and both do have glitch once in a while but it's no big thing. My old modded printer is very useful and planned to buy another 3d printer soon, somthing much better and faster.

[@DPW13]

I didnt realize how old this video was until I heard "the rasberry pie is a cheap 35$ computer" Looks over at my 250$ and 300$ pies......Man I was late to the party.

[@arsenicuu]

real, scoffed when he said that

[@cosmo7816]

13 great points but don't forget model orientation on the build plate is also important for a successful print

[@duanelee7956]

I'm looking at getting my first 3d printer... This is all great info! Cheers!

[@antcri730]

Did you get it? Which one is it? How it working out so far?

[@dancedj2k2]

This is an excellent video. Very well done. You can understand it, it is simple, clear instruction, and good audio. This was very useful information that I direct people to watch before they start printing.

[@goguyted]

Number one on the list when you first buy your 3D printer: Make sure that your bed is leveled before you do the first test print because with an ender3/Pro you can melt the soft magnetic bedplate with the nozzle if it is too low. Yes you can guess how I learned that one, just one day later I purchased the 4mm borosilicate glass bedplate with the black surface on top which provides great bed adhesion when hot and releases prints when cool.

[@Nunya111]

Lmao I read your comment about a week too late

[@meadow9165]

Thank you so much for your explanation with pictures/showing what your talking about. Extreemly helpful for me because this is all noob to me. I look forward to seeing other videos

[@jchau9898]

Great job explaining everything, it was very helpful. I've been 3D printing for about 2 years now but I still consider myself a novice. It was definitely a good refresher. I wasn't aware of the ironing feature, so that was a nice tip. Thanks.

[@epedley10]

Thank you so much! I wanted to buy one for my nursery to make little pots, but I don't think I have the dedication for another full blown hobby. You saved me from tons of frustration. You rock! Eric from East Austin Succulents

[@MongyBongy]

Really glad you remade it, great video, much improved quality, subscribed

[@louisvantonder5068]

I pretty much always print a raft. I get much better final results with my main print slightly "elevated" above the raft. Never comes loose, always works well.

[@ryuvaessen6748]

Also a important note for ABS would be that it's fumes are fairly toxic

[@letsgoBrandon204]

After working with big CNC machines for the past 4yrs, honestly the best thing about CNC is when things go wrong and you have to figure out what. Otherwise it gets old real fast - Oh look I just machined yet another doohickey flawlessly (sigh) Doohickeys are great, but sometimes you crave a bit of drama

[@davekirwin]

Just getting into 3D printing and so this video has been very useful. Thanks.

[@vinc226]

Very nice idea on putting the nodding Buddha.

[@habarirafikiyangu8740]

I'm contemplating starting in 3D-Printing, and I must say this video was an eye opener. Thank you

[@hopelessdecoy]

I always use a brim because it helps with warping in my experience but some are only a 4 line brim and some get more dependant on the item.

[@cjl76]

You have a very natural presenting style which is such a welcome change from the more common, scream-at-the-lens ‘technique’. Thanks for the great info!

[@ScarlettStunningSpace]

I'm glad I waited around ten years to get into 3D printing. Price was mostly the reason why I couldn't get into it back then. Now I can start with a small printer sub $200 that prints well for what it is so I don't have to worry about wasting money on a printer that's $500 - $1000 when I'm just starting out. Even though this guide is a little older, I'm seeing a lot of the same information sticking out that I've seen on other videos. I'm trying to soak in as much information as I can until I get bored enough to finally make the jump.

[@johnstewart8849]

Another thing to know: there must be 25 settings in the slicer software that you need to optimize, in order to get good prints....temp, extrusion, retraction, line width, height, fan speeds

[@hesperaux]

#13. Great advice for anything you care about. I have personally experienced this for several hobbies of mine (electronics design, jewelry, art...). I'm glad you said this first.

[@KalaniHausman]

I wrote the book “3D Printing for Dummies with a co author, Richard Horne, over in England and we were the first book on that technology! I like you 13 things to know when you start! A very good job!

[@adrianhood4368]

I read that book years ago when I first started getting into 3D printing! Thanks for your contribution. :)

[@KalaniHausman]

glad we helped you get going!

[@KalaniHausman]

let us know if we can ever help out your list seems complete! I know Richard and I are always talking about 3D Printing!

[@evanbrown6923]

Great job on the book, very informative and a great primer to 3D printing.

[@KalaniHausman]

Evan Brown Glad we helped you! Let us know if we can help you in any way!

[@favdup2134]

👋🌟I loooove your English, it's perfect! your grammar & pronunciation. Great job!♥️😁👍 Thank you & keep up the great works. 👏😃🙏

[@mnoafield-qu6rm]

Me here in 2024 when he says “we’re in 2018 we don’t need to be using SD cards to load prints” while I’m using an SD to load prints

[@The_Chillguy7]

Same

[@susinator]

Same here. I've had my Ender 3 Pro since 2021, and it's slowly becoming like Theseus' Ship. Also, last week, I finally decided to get Octoprint, however the thing that got me to finally bite the bullet, and make the whole thing seen more user friendly, is the fact that I can install octoprint into an old smartphone that I'm not using anymore. I don't have to fiddle around with a raspberry pi, I don't have to do any major programming, just enough to know what I'm doing, and enough to plug-n-play.

[@mnoafield-qu6rm]

Does this mean you have almost an entire ender 3 lying around disassembled?

[@susinator]

@mnoafield-qu6rm oh no. It's still working, and I use it daily in my streams. It's just that it slowly has upgrades added to it. Like last week, I added an all metal dual gear extruder.

[@mnoafield-qu6rm]

Ok, the idea that you had just built a completely new 3d printer by replacing parts of the ender 3, and now you just have an unbuilt ender 3 lying around was funny to me

[@mythosarts]

Just like Chris Duke, I just got my first printer. This is such a great video for people like me, so thank you! Subscribed for sure.

[@bigredgames3484]

I've been thinking about getting into 3d printing, this video helped my understanding of what I'm actually getting into. Thanks a million!

[@YvesIsabelle]

My favorite solution (not mentioned) was adding a BL touch to my Ender 3 MAX, it solved most of my problem with the MESH. All I need to adjust the Z-offset.

[@davidbarnes4723]

Man this was an extremely helpful video. Thank you from a newbie!

[@jacobh.7076]

I have used rafts on a few tall skinny parts that needed support towards the top. The supports were so thin they wouldn't stick to the plate as it got tall enough so a raft gives more surface area to keep the support upright.

[@daviddunmore8415]

I agree about the glass bed, sometimes prints can stick a bit too well, and that's without adhesive.

[@ProjeKtWEREWOLF]

Freeze the bed for 15 minutes. Print pops right off.

[@realstonehead3436]

For me it stuck so well I pulled of a bit of glas

[@keithbrown2458]

Thanks for sharing your tips my wife just bought me my first 3-D printer a Ender-3 Pro, my son has been using for 2 or 3 years now, I just wish I had one years ago. I’ve been building model airplanes and ships from most all of my life. I started flying control line when it was state of the art and my first radio control plane was what they called a galloping ghost, a single channel rubber escapement rudder only

[@174wolf]

One addition to the leveling: If you use a glass bed, you can likely use your parts cooling fan to level the bed if your nozzle is clean. Turn the fan on 100%, and adjust the bed so that the bed just barely rings with the fan.

[@AaronDaley117]

Just bought my first printer today. This is the 4th video I found. Perhaps Google doesn't hate me.

[@camhart5878]

Just wanted to say thank you. A moment ago I ordered the TEVO Tornado from GearBest using your discount code. This is my first 3D printer and I am very excited. I hope to see more videos from your 3D Printing Zone channel. Cheers from Texas!

[@GinLimeSoda]

Hi there. Just got a printer and im very excited as well. How is 3d printing going for you 10 months later?

[@gidgethebert8670]

I've been researching and talking about trying 3D printing for a year now. My son bought me a voxelab aries for my 51 birthday this December. Printed 4 things, all demos, since then I've been having issues. These videos have given me ideas on what to check and do so tomorrow I'm troubleshooting. Thanks