The lost art of 3D printing.

Last Updated or created 2024-09-21

Many people are into 3D printing, more than ever. So why do I say “the lost art”?

I started my 3D printing journey in 2012.
Not having my own 3D printer, I was using the shapeways service,

Using Sketch-up I drew my first printable objects. Upload model and get it by mail.

Welllll .. lets compare.
I’ve bought a bambu labs P1S recently.

  • Buy printer, unpack.
  • Connect to cloud.
  • Add filament and print model (after calibration process)

All fine and dandy, problems? Check YouTube for solutions.

What do you know about 3D printing?

People are forgetting about the knowledge to get at this point ..]…

How does it work, what is needed?

My first 3D printer.
Lets compare:

  • Get printer in parts
  • Assemble
  • Calibrate
  • Manual bed calibration (*)
    5 point calibration step by step, needs user input
  • Test print
  • Fail several times
  • Try different sticky methods
    (hairspray, double sided tape, gluestick)
  • Bed warping? Add tape to underside
  • Feed filament by cutting at 45 degree angle and manual feeding.
  • Load and unload using buttons and feeding until previous color flushed
  • Learn about Gcodes
  • color changing? split part and pause manually, switch manually.
  • out of filament, problem with printing? start the whole print again
  • no out of filament detector, no temperature failsave
  • Filament error? Start again or split gcode by hand and superglue parts
  • Clean plate, clean head
  • Manual change temperature of head and bed when problems arise
  • Using multiple software tools to design and slice
  • Put your gcode on a sdcard to print, or later via octoprint

Every next print start at calibrate in above list.

What did you learn?
How your machine works and reacts.
Fix extruding problems, temperature, filament wetness, starting layers.
Difference between PLA, PETG, ABS in great detail.
Learn to wait
Troubleshooting in general

Never forget where we came from!
40 years old, but getting available to the masses after 2000.

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