Have you just bought your first 3D printer or are you about to do this? Wait! Instead of purchasing such an expensive machine, you could also employ a 3D print service in order to create products and/or prototypes. Furthermore, this company can also deploy CNC machining services for your project if this is deemed necessary. Of course, having your own 3D printer is very cool, even though it is rather costly to buy the equipment. Are you still planning on purchasing one? Read through the tips below so you get off to a good start!
Read the manual
Have you just ordered your very first 3D printer? Congratulations! Usually you will have to tinker with the 3D printer a bit before you really can get started, although it is possible to buy a fully assembled copy as well. Assembling this machine can be quite hard. Therefore, it is recommended to read the manual before you start doing this. On top of that, you could also watch videos on YouTube about how you should do this. After all, you are not the first one to purchase that specific 3D printer and others have useful tips on how to assemble it perfectly. However, it is advised to do this yourself, as you will instantly get to know your 3D printer by assembling it on your own.
Ask for help
This ties in with the tip above. If you are unable to figure out how you should assemble your 3D printer for example, just ask for help! You should also do this when you are struggling to create high-quality prints. There are a lot of people online who have way more experience when it comes to 3D printing than you and most of them are very willing to help newbies get started. Of course, it is also a good idea to ask your friends or acquaintances if they absolutely love additive manufacturing. Thanks to their experience you will quickly find the right solution to your problem. Just that one tip can make the difference between tons of ruined prints and the perfect print.
Prints will fail
No matter how good or expensive your 3D printer is and no matter how good your filament is, in the beginning prints will fail. It is that simple, unfortunately. After all, 3D printing is a hobby you can easily get into, but it comes with a steep learning curve too. Through time and through all the experiments and trials you get better and better. 3D printing is a very complex process and there are many factors that determine whether a print is successfully completed or whether you end up with a mess. You have to get mentally prepared for these failures. Have you had a failed print? Look for solutions, do research, and try to improve. Also, do not get frustrated!
Start with simple prints
When you purchase a 3D printer, an SD card or USB stick is often included with files of 3D models that you can print. By printing these supplied designs you are able to test whether your machine does what it is supposed to do. This way you can virtually rule out that if things do not go quite right, it is because of the printable file. These files are already sliced specifically for your 3D printer and should thus look perfect after they have been printed. This way you can discover whether you are using the right temperature for your heated bed and for your hotend. After figuring this out, you are able to print your own models.
