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Episode-2742- Getting Started 3-D Printing with Jerry Ward — 9 Comments

  1. My favorite 3D printer accessory is a set of cheap digital calipers off amazon. That way you can easily measure the diameter or size things in millimeters for when you design your own things to print.

  2. I found this Libry channel recently, @ctrlpew. It might be of interest to some. I’ll be getting buying a 3D printer in the near future.

  3. Just FYI, the Ender 3 that I got early this year had a very basic/bare-bones manual for assembly, and at a few points I felt it necessary to look things up on the web just to make sure I was on the right track. Perhaps the new Ender 3 V2 has a better assembly manual, but if it doesn’t there’s a wealth of guides and videos out there to help you. Apart from upgraded mainboard & new screen the V2 looks to be put together the same as the original Ender 3, and I bet the original Ender 3 guides would apply just as well to the V2.

    • We didn’t even bother with the manual. Of course, my son recently graduated from the local community college with a degree in industrial automation so he had some schooling in how these things work.

      But yes the manuals are lacking, however, everything you need to know about a common 3d printer is a google search away

  4. Let me know when they develop a plastic forge/extruder to make filament.
    I’ve secured my supply chain for team subtractive; from tree, to sawmill, to kiln, to cnc.

  5. The easiest way to find files for 3D printing is to use Yeggi.com it’s a search engine so to say for places that have STL files and other files for 3D printing. It searches Thingiverse and at least 1/2 a dozen other sites with free and paid files.

    If you have to build your printer as some assembly required. The more time you take making sure everything is square the less problems you’ll have later.

    Also for those who want to get into 3D printing metal with a cheap FDM printer check out VirtualFoundry.com they have filament that with the use of a high temp kiln you can print metal parts with cool materials for way cheaper than you could ever buy a one off part made of the same material.

    Just some FYI.

  6. I use a 3D printer at work and also have an Ender 3 Pro at home. For a CAD program I prefer FreeCAD. It is free, open-source, and there is no need to register and no silly restrictions. There are plenty of resources and tutorials for it on the FreeCAD website and on YouTube. It will work on a 32-bit operating system. A note about the slicing program CURA: your computer needs to run a 64-bit OS. One fun thing to look for on Thingiverse is ammunition, and variants ammo, bullets, etc. I did have to lay out a .950JDJ myself, though.