Custom engineered, functional designs since March 2013
3D printing, 3D Scanning, Rapid Prototyping, Laser cutting and Engineering Design Consultancy
Servicing Australia wide 24/7 ABN: 83622372430
M: 0415 246 775, E: Click to send an email or see the Contact Details tab
3D PROTOTYPES AND MODELS
Custom engineered, functional designs since March 2013
3D printing, 3D Scanning, Rapid Prototyping, Laser cutting and Engineering Design Consultancy
Servicing Australia wide 24/7 ABN: 83622372430
M: 0415 246 775, E: Click to send an email or see the Contact Details tab
3D PRINTING ESSENTIAL TOOLS
One factor that is very important when buying a 3D printer is budgeting for the tools you need to use it effectively. Often I see people throwing out a budget for a printer of for example $1000, but they do not factor in shipping costs and more costly than that are the tools! If you are in the market for a 3D printer or simply want to know what tools are effective, I have written this guide to help you understand what you need and approximate costs.
There are 3 tiers of tools and equipment I will list here.
Are the essential tools, you absolutely will need these to get your printer functioning properly
Are the useful tools that will be used however you do not need them from day 1, you could go for weeks or months without needing these, you will eventually though
Are the optional tools. When you want to make your life a little easier or experiment, these can help but are not needed to use a printer effectively
1: ESSENTIAL TOOLS
ESSENTIAL – Thin metal spatulas are extremely useful in prying prints off the bed and removing first layers that stuck too hard to the bed. RRP: $5 AUDESSENTIAL – Side cutters are incredibly effective at cutting away supports and rafts from prints. RRP: $8 AUDESSENTIAL – Safety goggles for when you remove supports from PLA parts (the supports are brittle and can shatter rather violently) or post-process parts using rotary tools. Trust me on this. RRP: $4 AUDESSENTIAL – Vernier Calipers are used to calibrate your machine and measure prints. Cost can vary dramatically between brands. RRP: $20AUD – $100 AUD
2. USEFUL TOOLS
USEFUL – Precision screwdrivers are great for spares when you need to fix the machine but they are also very good at prying out supports from hard to reach places. RRP: $10 AUDUSEFUL – Smooth out your prints with a set of files. Circular files are very useful to get printed holes more round. RRP: $15USEFUL – Various grades of sandpaper also help to clean up prints and help prime surfaces to be painted. RRP: $5 AUDUSEFUL – To smooth out ABS parts and make ‘ABS slurry’ for extreme print adhesion, you will need acetone. No effect with PLA. RRP: $10 AUDUSEFUL – Super Glue, cyanoacrylate, is perfectly suited to bond 3D printed plastics together. The higher quality glue does hold much better. RRP: $18 AUDUSEFUL – After using your printer for many hours, you will inevitably need to grease the rods. RRP: $8 AUD
3. OPTIONAL TOOLS
OPTIONAL – A wireless, controllable camera to monitor your printer. It can come in extremely handy. RRP: $90 AUDOPTIONAL – Foam Mats are great for noise dampening and add them to the base of your printer for extra stability. RRP: $10 AUDOPTIONAL – A simple plastic tub used for ‘cold vapour treating’ with acetone, a much safer alternative and recommended to start on. RRP: $4 AUDOPTIONAL – Use a Rotary Tool for serious sanding and smoothing out prints as fast as possible. Costs vary wildly between brands RRP: $50 AUD – $130 AUD
