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By Mitch, June 2024

I’ve looked in previous articles at what 3D printing is and which printer to choose as a beginner in 3D printing. In this article, I’m going to show you some things you may need to consider before you enter the fascinating, exciting but also sometimes frustrating world of 3D printing.

First Steps

The temptation when starting any new hobby or pastime is to go in headfirst and buy everything that you can lay your hands on. You may then be left with the scenario I like to refer to as “all the gear but no idea!”. This means that you could possibly have spent hundreds or even thousands of your hard-earned cash on something that you don’t really know how to use. You may also find that, after trying the hobby, you don’t like it, you change your mind or life just gets in the way. Then you’re left with a pile of expensive tech that either gathers dust or you sell on for a loss.

So, it’s best to take a step back and think what the bare necessities are that you need to get started with 3D printing.

I’ve written before about the two main formats of 3D printing available to the home user and these are of course, FDM and SLA. Have a read of my other articles to familiarise yourself with these.

The first thing to do then is decide which method of 3D printing you want to start with and what you need to get going. To help with this, I’ll show you what I would recommend for each format.

FDM

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As you are hopefully aware, FDM 3D printing uses a thin filament to build layers and create a 3D model. So, you will first need to decide on the 3D printer you want to buy and then what materials, tools and accessories you might need.

To make things simpler, here is a list of the basics you need.

• An FDM 3D printer - Have a look at my article “How to Choose the Right 3D Printer” for my personal recommendations of which 3D printer to choose

• A roll/spool of filament – I’ll be looking at different filament types in future articles but it’s best to start with 1.75mm diameter PLA

• A safe and well-ventilated workspace – This should ideally be a space which isn’t used for daily living (for instance a bedroom isn’t a good idea but a garage, shed or office space would be). While ventilation is good, you’ll also come to value the use of a printer enclosure but more on that as you progress

• Some basic tools - Your new printer will come with the essentials but adding tweezers and a craft knife would also be handy at this stage

• Access to a computer, smartphone or tablet – In order to print either your own designs or those you download, you’ll need to be able to save these to a usable file

• The Creality Cloud app – As you are reading this you have made the right choice already! The app will become an essential tool in using and operating your 3D printer

In future articles I will go into more detail about each aspect covered above but feel free to comment below if you have any questions or need advice.

SLA

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SLA or resin printing will obviously require a different type of 3D printer but you’d be surprised at how many times I get asked if one machine does everything. Unfortunately, it’s not possible to do that yet so whether you decide to go straight into SLA printing or to add it to your printing “stable”, you will need to buy a separate machine.

So, for SLA printing you will need similar things to those required for FDM printing but with some notable differences.

• An SLA printer – Again, please read my previous article on this subject

• Some liquid resin – This will be determined by the exact brand and type of SLA printer you buy but this again will be covered in future articles

• A well-ventilated and safe area – The importance of this with SLA printing is paramount as it can give off some toxic fumes that can be both harmful and smell unpleasant

• A spatula or scraper – This will likely be the only tool you’ll need at this stage as there aren’t really and user serviceable parts in SLA printers

• Protective gloves – The resin can cause skin irritation so it’s best to avoid any contact

• Goggles – Again to protect against the resin but also the light source in the printer

• A curing and washing machine – Not the type with which you do your laundry, but this is for post processing of your printed work

Some experienced users may think that certain items in this list are “overkill” but I always err on the side of caution when it comes to dealing with chemicals.

Again, I’ll be looking more closely at these in the future but for now this will give you an idea and enable you to look at costing your new hobby.

And finally…

That was just a short piece to give you a rough idea of the essentials you’ll need to get started in 3D printing. There are probably things that other users will think you must have but I will be looking at more accessories in my next article “How to choose the right accessories and components for your 3D printer”.

Hopefully then, you’ll soon be enjoying your new 3D printer (or printers!) and will get to grips with producing some quality 3D printed items. In the meantime, feel free to ask me anything you want about 3D printing and why not have a look on

https://www.creality.com/

for the best prices on all of your 3D printing needs.

 What preparations do you need to make before entering 3D printing?