Help getting started in 3D printing  

RE: Help getting started in 3D printing

I'm relatively new to 3D printing (got my MINI+ about two months ago) but I have learned a ton since then, and printed almost every day. Let me tell you that you won't regret your purchase. The possibilities are endless and I (and my wife and kids) keep coming up with useful stuff to print. Also, repairing things is much easier when you can 3D print your own replacement parts.

I'd recommend getting the "Basics of 3D Printing" book from Prusa, either the paper version here or the free downloadable version (here, but somehow I don't see a download link on my machine). It's a nice high-level overview of the whole pipeline from explaining what 3D printing is to modelling, slicing, filament types and more. I think it's also a nice little coffee table book for the uninitiated to take a look at.

After you grasped the basics either by reading the book above and/or some other online materials, the 3D printing handbook that comes with your MINI+ is a great overview of what's needed for operation of your printer. It gets more into the nitty-gritty of it while being easy to understand and a good reference to keep around.

Before I received my MINI+ (which took a long time), I actually spent much of my free time doing these things:

• Reading the Prusa blog backlog (there are some great articles and guides there, you will learn a lot of useful techniques, don't worry if you don't get it all at first; there's a lot to learn)
• Learning Fusion 360 by watching YouTube videos (I tried FreeCAD and it was a crashfest, Solvespace was great but too limited, TinkerCAD is too basic, so I settled on Fusion 360 even though I don't like the fact that it's cloud-based)
• Playing with PrusaSlicer even though I couldn't print anything yet, to get acclimated (watched a few tutorials too)
• Browse prusaprinters.org and thingiverse.com for inspiration. Taking a look at which models require supports or not (and why) is instructive.

After that, when I received my printer I hit the ground running and immediately started printing my own things. After the obligatory nut, bolt and frog, of course 🙂

RE: Help getting started in 3D printing

Other useful links:

New User Guides : https://www.prusa3d.com/new-user-guides-for-original-prusa-mini/

Knowledge Base : https://help.prusa3d.com/en/tag/mini-2/

Leaning about troubleshooting is also a good idea so you have an idea of what can go wrong and what to do when something does:

https://help.prusa3d.com/en/category/troubleshooting_194

RE: Help getting started in 3D printing

@fortinmike

Thanks so much, that is hugely helpful! Plenty to read and experiment with while I wait for the printer! 😀 

RE: Help getting started in 3D printing

A lot of good info here too:

All3dp

RE: Help getting started in 3D printing

I also did my fair research before buying my first printer.

Many hours of youtube (these where my main sources):

MakersMuse

Make Anything

Teaching Tech

3DPrintingNerd

Chris' Basement

Vector 3D

RCLifeOn

Proper Printing

CHEP

I had many wishes when first looking for a printer, but altho i set my budget to 2-400 euros the main point was a local seller (I was set to about 2h car ride away).

I really wanted a MK3 but at the time is was way out of budget.

I also made sure the seller would be able to give me a basic lesson the printer, how it works, what stuff is installed, how to use it, load filaments, basic slicer lesson and preheat and start a print. I also bught the same filament types seller used so i had a good startingpoint on my own.

Now i understand this might be difficult during pandemics etc, but local maker spaces, friends, neighbor or business nearby are usually ok with helping out a new hobbyist.

RE: Help getting started in 3D printing

I'd put some effort into getting good at modeling too.  Unless you only plan to print what others have already designed.

I use the free version (personal use only) of Fusion 360.  There are some good beginner tutorials here Kevin Kennedy's Tutorials

RE: Help getting started in 3D printing

Posted by: @venezian

Hi

After much hesitation, I have finally just ordered Prusa MINI+, and am very excited for its eventual arrival.

I am a complete newbie when it comes to 3D printing however, and I wondered if anyone could point to a good guide or even book that is an easy and clear guide to getting started in this world? I have done research into which printer to buy etc, but would still like a beginner's guide to actually printing, from the printer itself to slicing software etc.

Thanks

I would see if there is a local 'makerspace' or 'technology cooperative' in your area that offers (often times free) classes in 3d printing.  Some community colleges often have these as well.

This is how I got my start, and learned the basics of how to draft 3d models and how to operate the actual printers.  The sessions I took covered basic drafting, how to lay out and slice a model, and, of course, how to and how not to make the actual print.  I also took a course in using a 3d laser scanner to capture real-world objects for modeling and 3d printing.

RE: Help getting started in 3D printing

Mhh... Using the printer should be covered in the manual and dealing with the slicer should technically be documented in it too - Plenty of videos on that should be found on YouTube so I'm kinda puzzled by those two examples. Technically all you MUST do to get your first print running is Open an STL with PrusaSlicer, orient it to your best liking for it to either perform best once in use / has the least amount of support material / takes the last amount of time to print and export the Sliced file to the medium that will hold the file during the print ( AFAIK, USB Stick on the Mini? ) and from there on its again the Printer Manual ( or just some common sense? while looking at the display ) and some patience.

If your issue is with 3D Modelling though I'd suggest looking into a free Autodesk Fusion 360 subscription and the use of Lars Christensen's F360 Absolute Beginners Guide on YT. Most practical things you MUST design YOURSELF because you're unlikely to find THAT part you need on Thingiverse & Co. benefit from parametric CAD software like F360 and the workflow in F360 is much better - especially in the long run with bigger projects once you've advanced into more difficult projects - than with other CAD ( paid or free ) and learning a new program just because you skimped on a program's capabilities/value will sting - a lot.

RE: Help getting started in 3D printing

Thanks all!

It has arrived! Assembled, calibrated and a successful test print of the Prusa logo. Now just need to decide what to print next...!

RE: Help getting started in 3D printing

I've mostly printed parts for various things around the house that had broken parts.

The wheels on my dishwasher rack.

Knobs for various tools.

Spacers to align things.

Add-on organizer parts for workstations around the house.

RE: Help getting started in 3D printing

@HeneryH out of curiosity, in what material did you print your dishwasher rack wheels and do they hold up properly long-term with the intense heat and moisture?

I was thinking about fixing my dishwasher rack by printing a part too but I'm not sure what to print it out of (PETG?) and if it's a good idea at all.

RE: Help getting started in 3D printing

Posted by: @fortinmike

@HeneryH out of curiosity, in what material did you print your dishwasher rack wheels and do they hold up properly long-term with the intense heat and moisture?

I was thinking about fixing my dishwasher rack by printing a part too but I'm not sure what to print it out of (PETG?) and if it's a good idea at all.

PETG does indeed warp a bit in dishwashers with heated drying cycles.  I would go with a filament with a higher rating if I were to do it again.

The wheels are a little oval now 🙂  Top rack might be worse.

You can let me mid-level mistake be a learning lesson for your future prints.