Quick & concise answers to your questions about 3D printing! As you will notice – this is a work-in-progress, and right now I have some questions I still need to answer. Please be patient with me – and send along any other questions you would like me to address. Thank you!
Questions
- What is Slicing?
- How many types of filament are there for 3D printing?
- How much does filament for 3D printing cost?
- Which type of filament is easiest to work with for a 3D printing noob?
- What are the best 3D printing websites?
- What are the best 3D printing YouTube Channels?
- What is the best 3D printer for a beginner?
- What is the best place to buy a 3D printer?
- Where do I get 3D models to print with my 3D printer?
- How old should my kid be to get a 3D printer?
- What are the different types of 3D printers?
- What are some useful things I can print with my 3D printer?
- What are some things I can 3D print for my kids?
- Is 3D printing safe?
- Do I need a computer for a 3D printer?
- Where should I put my 3D printer?
- What accessories & supplies will I need for 3D printing?
- How big is a 3D printer?
- How do I store my filament for my 3D printer?
- What types of files do I need to download for 3D models?
- What is a 3D printing service?
- What is the EASIEST filament to start 3D Printing with?
- What does a 3D printer cost?
- Can you 3D print with metal?
- How do I 3D print my name or signature?
1) What is Slicing
Slicing a model for 3D printing “slices” the model into successive horizontal layers (2 dimensional cross-sections along the X & Y planes) that can be printed on top of each other – or stacked – to create a 3-dimensional shape. This “slicing” is done – because most 3D printers print one layer at a time, and then move up a notch to print the next layer on top of the previous layer. This is how a 3D printer slowly produces a 3D shape from a bunch of very thin 2-dimensional layers!
That is the narrow definition of what slicing is.
In a broader sense, slicing has commonly come to mean the part of the preparation process for 3D printing a model where you take care of setting up the mechanics of printing your 3D model. It is very similar to what is done through the printer dialog box when you are printing on paper with a regular printer.
When you print something on paper – the printer dialog box is where you select your margin width, any scaling, type of paper, whether you want to print on both sides of the paper, and if so – how to flip it. In similar fashion, it is the slicing software for 3D printing – where you are setting a bunch of variables and parameters for printing your 3D object like the size of the print, the fill pattern, and the types of supports to use. You can read about slicing in more detail here: What is Slicing for 3D Printing? Why Do I Need to Do it? How Do I Do It?
2) How many types of filament are there for 3D printing?
Short answer – there are about 20 or so different types right now of 3D printing filament. However, the number is increasing as 3D printing gains in popularity and in it’s ability to address market need. You can read more about filament in my post here: It’s All About the Filament!
Answers
1) What is Slicing?
Slicing a model for 3D printing “slices” the model into successive horizontal layers (2 dimensional cross-sections along the X & Y planes) that can be printed on top of each other – or stacked – to create a 3-dimensional shape. This “slicing” is done – because most 3D printers print one layer at a time, and then move up a notch to print the next layer on top of the previous layer. This is how a 3D printer slowly produces a 3D shape from a bunch of very thin 2-dimensional layers!
That is the narrow definition of what slicing is.
In a broader sense, slicing has commonly come to mean the part of the preparation process for 3D printing a model where you take care of setting up the mechanics of printing your 3D model. It is very similar to what is done through the printer dialog box when you are printing on paper with a regular printer.
When you print something on paper – the printer dialog box is where you select your margin width, any scaling, type of paper, whether you want to print on both sides of the paper, and if so – how to flip it. In similar fashion, it is the slicing software for 3D printing – where you are setting a bunch of variables and parameters for printing your 3D object like the size of the print, the fill pattern, and the types of supports to use. You can read about slicing in more detail here: What is Slicing for 3D Printing? Why Do I Need to Do it? How Do I Do It?
2) How many types of filament are there for 3D printing?
Short answer – there are about 20 or so different types right now of 3D printing filament. However, the number is increasing as 3D printing gains in popularity and in it’s ability to address market need. You can read more about filament in my post here: It’s All About the Filament!
3) How much does filament for 3D printing cost?
Short answer: About $18 -$25 for a 1Kg spool of 1.75mm filament for your 3D printer. (Click HERE to see updated pricing for filament on Amazon.) Specialty filaments can cost significantly more – but most of the common ones that the hobbyist would be using are right in this price area. You can read more about filament in my post here: It’s All About the Filament!
4) Which type of filament is easiest to work with for a 3D printing noob?
The EASIEST filament to start 3D printing with if you are a beginner is PLA – or Polylactic Acid. It has a relatively low melting point, is not prone to warping, adheres well to an unheated build plate, is non-toxic, and produces the fewest noxious fumes. This is the easiest material to succeed with and likely to cause you the fewest frustrations. So if you are just starting your 3D printing journey – the first filament type you should be using is PLA! You can read more about filament in my post here: It’s All About the Filament!
5) What are the best 3D printing websites?
- All3DP.com
- Hobby3DPrinting.com (This website)
6) What are the best 3D printing YouTube Channels?
- Make Anything
- 3D Printing Nerd
- Makers Muse
- RC Life On
- TED (3D Printing)
- Thomas Sanladerer
- Design Prototype Test
- Ivan Miranda
- Just Vlad
You can see more about each of these channels in my complete post here: Best 3D Printing YouTube Channels!
7) What is the best 3D printer for a beginner?
When we recently decided to pursue 3D printer as a hobby we did a lot of research to determine which 3D printer would be the right one for us to start our 3D printing journey. After looking at a lot of different printers, reading /watching a ton of reviews and learning a tremendous amount about this new hobby of ours – we decided that the Creality Ender 3 Pro is the best 3D printer for beginners who are looking for the most value! It is a tremendously capable 3D printer that can be purchased for a very modest price of around $200 and has a large community!
You can read more about how we made our decision in my complete post here: Best 3D Printer for a Beginner in 2021? The Winner is the Creality Ender 3 V2!
8) What is the best place to buy a 3D printer?
For a beginner – Amazon is really the best place to buy a 3D printer! Why? It’s really convenient & familiar (most everybody has bought something from Amazon), the prices are very fair & reasonable, and Amazon has an very easy return policy. That is where we bought ours from after doing our research and weighing the various options! We did an entire post evaluating the various vendors for 3D printers – which you can find HERE.
9) Where do I get 3D models to print with my 3D printer?
There are a lot of repositories for 3D models online. These are our favorite 2 websites to go and get 3D models from.
10) How old should my kid be to get a 3D printer?
I think that the maturity of the child AND the level of supervision from an adult are both going to be big factors in determining the right age for a kid to start a hobby in 3D printing. My oldest daughter started when she was 10 years old – and has proven to be mature and responsible enough to navigate any of the potential dangers associated with this hobby.
See my compete post on some of the safety concerns regarding 3D printing here: My Kid Wants a 3D Printer – What Do I Need to Know?
11) What are the different types of 3D printers?
There are 2 main types of 3D printers available at the consumer / hobbyist level: FDM, which stands for Fused Deposition Modeling, and is sometimes also referred to as FFF, for Fused Filament Fabrication, and SLA stands for SteroLithography Apparatus.
FDM is the more popular and safer of the two types.
See my compete post on some of the safety concerns regarding 3D printing here: My Kid Wants a 3D Printer – What Do I Need to Know?
12) What are some useful things I can print with my 3D printer?
Really – you are only limited by your imagination and skill! But check out the 2 big 3D model repositories for some ideas and models to start with!
13) What are some things I can 3D print for my kids?
I will try to answer this more completely at another time – but for right now I would suggest maybe a name tag with your child’s name, their favorite cartoon or game character – or some of the mechanical models I list in my post Best Mechanical Toys & Models to 3D Print for Kids! For some other ideas check out the “Cool Ideas” category on this website.
14) Is 3D printing safe?
3D printing does present some safety issues for children, especially with regards to fumes and the materials used in the 3D printing process. However, I feel confident as a parent of younger children that some reasonably simple measures & precautions can be taken to greatly mitigate and reduce such risks associated with our FDM 3D printer.
You really should read my post Is 3D Printing Safe for My Children? for a more complete answer.
15) Do I need a computer for a 3D printer?
Technically – no. But as a practical matter – most definitely! For a overview of the printing process and the equipment you need please see my post Making 3D Printing EASY for the Beginner!
16) Where should I put my 3D printer?
You should definitely not put your 3D printer in your living quarters. The basement or garage are better choices for places to keep you 3D printer – because of some of the health & safety concerns. See my compete post regarding the safety of 3D printing and strategies to mitigate the risks. Is 3D Printing Safe for My Children?
17) What accessories & supplies will I need for 3D printing?
- Filament -Start with PLA PolyLActic Acid.
- Glue sticks – for bed adhesion – or getting the model to stick to you 3D printer’s bed.
- Needle nose pliers – for removing supports from the printed model – if supports were needed.
- Air tight plastic bags – to store your filament in and keep it dry.
- Desiccant – to place in the plastic bags to absorb any moisture that makes it in there when you are storing your filament.
- Scraper/putty knife – to help remove the 3D printed model from the build plate.
- Tweezers – to help remove small debris, imperfections from the finished model.
- Exacto knife – to help cut away supports or small imperfection on the printed 3D model.
- Sandpaper (various – from course to fine) – to smooth the printed model – if necessary.
- File – to smooth printed model – and where sandpaper just won’t cut it!
- Paper clamps – to help secure the removable build plate to the bed.
- Nozzle cleaning kit – to keep the printing nozzle clean and working properly.
For a more complete list, please see my post: 3D Printing Starter Kit.
18) How big is a 3D printer?
There is some variation in the size you can expect a consumer oriented 3D printer to be – based on the volume of the prints it is able to produce and the type of printer. For planning purposes, consider most 3D printers available at the consumer level to be something similar in size and scale to that of a large microwave oven.
19) How do I store my filament for my 3D printer?
3D printing filament needs to be kept DRY! Moisture can greatly affect your filament, and therefore 3D printed model, in a negative fashion! So you should use air-tight, resealable plastic bags with desiccant pouches inside to store your filament and make sure they are not exposed to any moisture. You can read more about storing your filament here: It’s All About the Filament!
20) What types of files do I need to download for 3D models?
Generally, STL files.
STL = abbreviation for STereoLithography. It is the most widely used 3D printing file format today (2020). The file format was originally developed for 3D Systems by the Albert Consulting Group in 1987 as a means to transfer 3D models to their commercial SLA 3D printers. The STL file format generally only contains information about the 3D object’s shape – in contrast to the OBJ file format which contains information about the 3D model’s geometry, texture, color and the original mesh that was used to create it – in addition to the object’s shape. OBJ files are typically larger than STL files for the same object.
When people go to one of the many 3D model repositories such as Thingiverse, Cults3D or Pinshape – the are generally downloading STL files. It will be interesting as 3D printing becomes more ubiquitous and sophisticated to see ultimately which file format wins. I would expect in the not-to-distant future, that there will be more information regarding color and texture associated with the average 3D model as technology improves and features like dual extruders on FDM/FFF 3D printing machines become more mainstream!
21) What is a 3D printing service?
A 3D printing service is just that – a company that people send 3D Models to for 3D printing. If you do not have a 3D printer, or don’t want one – but are interested in having a 3D model printed, you can send (upload on the web) the model to a 3D printing service to print the model. They utilize much more sophisticated, industrial grade 3D printers that are far beyond what is available at the hobbyist and consumer level. Additionally, even if you have a 3D printer but are not able to print a model in some of the more exotic materials like steel or titanium – you could hire a 3D printing service to do so. There are websites like All3DP’s www.CraftCloud3D.com, that compare various 3D printing services and can help you find the best value.
22) What is the EASIEST filament to start 3D Printing with?
The EASIEST filament to start 3D printing with if you are a beginner is PLA – or Polylactic Acid. It has a relatively low melting point, is not prone to warping, adheres well to an unheated build plate, is non-toxic, and produces the fewest noxious fumes. This is the easiest material to succeed with and likely to cause you the fewest frustrations. So if you are just starting your 3D printing journey – the first filament type you should be using is PLA!
23) What does a 3D printer cost?
As of writing this response (May 2021) a rough guideline for range of cost for 3D printers would be ~$200 for a reasonably good low-end printer and ~$1,200 for a higher-end model. This is pricing for some of the most highly rated 3D printers on Amazon, at the present time. Low-end: Comgrow Creality Ender 3 Pro, mid-range: Creality 3D Printer CR-10 V3, and higher-end: QIDI Tech X-Max.
24) Can you 3D print with metal?
As a consumer level hobbyist 3D printer – the answer is generally no – you will not be able to 3D print with full metal, but rather only a composite mix of metal & plastic filament. Full metal printing is well established – but only at the industrial level. However, that may change in the future – or even near future, with the rapid rate of change in the 3D printing industry!
25) How can I 3D print my name or signature?
3D printing you name is the easier endeavor – and can be done so in TinkerCad by choosing the pre-made letters from the menu and arranging them to form your name. Make sure to either connect them or put them on a background so they stay together.
3D printing your signature is a much more involved process! The easiest way is to:
- Create the signature electronically with a program like Microsoft Note or WhiteBoard,
- Uploading it to a website like convertio.co to convert it to an SVG file,
- Then convert it to a STL file using SVG2STL.com
- Upload it into TinkerCAD to manipulate (optional)
- Slice it in Cura
- 3D print it with you 3D printer.
For more detailed instructions – please see my post entitled: How to 3D Print Your Signature or an Autograph
