instructables classes

EASY 3D PRINTING CLASS

4 Lessons Beginner Level

3D printing can be intimidating if you're new to it, but it's easier than you think! This class will give
you the skills you need to make your own 3D printed designs using TinkerCAD- a fun, browser-
based 3D modeling program that anyone can learn in no time. Join us and you'll be a digital
maker in no time.
Enter an Instructables Contest!
If you've used the skills you learned in this class to design something awesome, write an
instructable about it and try entering it in on of our contests to win some great prizes!

Class Author:
JON-A-TRON
Jonathan Odom is a full-time Designer at the Instructables Design Studio (best job ever). His background is in residential
architecture, film set design, film animatronics, media arts, exhibit design, and electronics. He's been 3D printing and 3D
modeling for over 10 years, and he applies these skills to making toys, lamps, art, furniture, and a lot of other things.

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 Lessons

Lesson 1: Tools + Materials

This is a detailed list of tools, materials, and software you'll need to
take the class. We'll also cover service bureaus so you can still 3D
print without your own printer.

Lesson 2: Name That Keychain

In this lesson, you'll get acquainted with the TinkerCAD interface by
making your own monogrammed keychain.

Lesson 3: Using a Slicer

A slicer is the step between 3D modeling software (TinkerCAD) and
the 3D printer. In this lesson you'll learn how to prepare your 3D
models for printing.

Lesson 4: Setup and Print

In this less, you'll learn how to setup and operate a desktop 3D
printer. You'll also learn lots of useful tips and tricks to get the best
results.

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 LESSON 1: TOOLS + MATERIALS

There's really no limit to the things you can make with a 3D printer, but like every other
tool, you need to know how to use it to get the best results. In this class, you'll learn the
most important part of the process: how to design your own 3D objects, no previous
experience required.
Using TinkerCAD, I'll walk you through three simple projects. We'll start with a
monogrammed keychain, dig a little deeper with a pair of numbered dice for your favorite
game, and finish with a portable amplifier for your smart phone.
You'll also learn how to setup and operate a desktop 3D printer. If you don't have your
own 3D printer, you can still take the class and get your models printed at a service
bureau, which we'll cover in the Tools and Materials lesson.
To get you acquainted with the basic functions and features, you'll make your own
monogrammed keychain. You'll learn how to move, scale, cut, and group objects to
prepare them for 3D printing.

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Tinkercad

In this class, we'll be using TinkerCAD for all the 3D design work. It's free and browser
based, so you can use it on any computer or tablet. It's an easy, fun, intuitive 3D modeling
program that's great for designing objects for 3D printing.
Sign Up

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Before you go any further, you should sign up (for free) for a TinkerCAD account. It just
takes a minute or two.
Follow this link to the TinkerCAD page, then click on Sign Up if you don't already have a
TinkerCAD account.
Then all you have to do is enter the country you live in and your date of birth, then move on
to the next page to enter an email and password or sign up automatically through
Facebook, and that's it! You're ready to start designing.

Look Around

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 Now that you have an account, take a minute to look around the interface. The Gallery tab
is a great place to start- you can browse other users' designs and get a taste for all the
awesome things you can create.

3D Printer (Optional)

There are so many desktop 3D printers to choose from, there's no way I could give you a
definite answer on which one to choose. The main factors you have to balance are price,
reliability, and familiarity with machines. Make Magazine has an outstanding 3D Printer
Buyer's Guide that will help you choose the printer that's right for you.
I'm recommending the Dremel Idea Builder because it works for me. Here's why:

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Dremel 3D Idea Builder ($800)

Build Volume: 9” (230mm) (X) x 5.9” (150mm) (Y) x 5.5” (140mm) (Z)
Materials: PLA
Pros: Affordable, reliable, easy maintenance, quiet, great customer support, files pulled from
internal memory, excellent machine interface.
Cons: Inferior support structures for substantial overhanging geometry (3rd party software can
solve this problem).

The Dremel 3D Idea Builder is a sign of things to come: a long established, profitable
hardware company has learned from the startups and entered the market with an
affordable, widely available 3D printer.
Here is my experience with the machine: With heavy, regular use for over 9 months, the
machine is still working well. Filament jams are rare and easy to fix. Printing failures
happen maybe 15% of the time (which in my experience is comparable to the Rep-2).
I recommend this machine because it's ready to use right out of the box using very simple
software. It's the right mix of affordability, build volume, and user-friendliness.
Go to the Glossary for more info on the Dremel and other 3D printer options.

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Printrbot Play ($400)
Build Volume: 4" (100mm) (X) x 4.1" (105mm) (Y) x 5" (130mm) (Z)
Materials: PLA
Pros: Very affordable, reliable, easy maintenance, great customer support, files pulled from
internal memory, seriously well built.
Cons: Small build volume.

The Printrbot Play is an amazing little machine. $400 for a 3D printer that's this well made,
has internal memory, and has really good tech support is pretty amazing. The only issue
with this one is that it's got a small build volume. If you're looking to get started with 3D
Printing on a budget, this is the printer for you.

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 Creality CR-10 ($400)
Build Volume: 11.8" (300mm) (X) x 11.8" (300mm) (Y) x 15.75" (400mm) (Z)
Materials: PLA, ABS, HIPS, Nylon, PETG
Pros: Very affordable, high quality prints, huge build volume, easy to unclog / repair,
customizable, heated bed (allows for much wider range of filaments and prevents prints
peeling up), on-board computer control, fast nozzle heating.
Cons: Some assembly required, takes up a lot of space, not a simple, self-contained box
(power supply and printer are separate objects connected by cables).

In terms of bang for the buck, this is the best printer I'm aware of. The build volume is huge
but it's still less than $400. It's a bit messy on a desktop because the power supply and
printer are separate, but that's a small price to pay. The print quality is excellent in my
experience, the heated bed opens you up to a whole range of high-performance filaments,
and even though it's sold as a "kit", it basically just comes in two parts that screw together
and a bunch of cables you have to plug in. If you're a little more savvy with machines and
not intimidated by some assembly, this machine can't be beat.

Service Bureau (Optional)

You don't have to have your own 3D printer to take this class. If you want to get 3D prints
made and mailed to you, you can go with a Service Bureau.
A Service Bureau is a 3D printing service available to consumers. They charge on a per-
model basis to print 3D models you upload to their site, and offer a wide variety of
materials using almost every 3D printing technology that currently exists.
Although there are lots of options available for owning your own 3D printer, service
bureaus can be a great way to get a high-quality print of your model in materials that would
otherwise be inaccessible.

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3D Hubs

This service connects local 3D printing services worldwide. You upload a model and local
services bid on producing the model for you. This can result in bargain pricing, but be
careful to pay attention to customer reviews. Sometimes entry level 3D print users offer
their services and can't promise the quality that a professional operation can, albeit at a
higher cost.

Shapeways

This is a service bureau that offers high quality prints in dozens of materials. Metals,
plastics, ceramics, and sandstone are among the options with this site. In my experience,
they offer unparalleled quality, are very responsive, and are reasonably priced for their
excellent results.
I firmly believe the best way to learn about design for 3D printing is to have your own
printer, but if owning your own 3D printer isn't in the budget right now, you can learn one-
piece-at-a-time with a Service Bureau.

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Tools for 3D Printing

3D Printer Filament (varies): Filament is the spooled plastic material that gets extruded
into a 3D object. There is a wide array of options for the material, but for this class we'll
stick to 1.75mm PLA, which is the best option for the Dremel Idea Builder.
Isopropyl Alcohol / Alcohol Pads ($7): Filament has to stick to the build platform. Oil
from your fingers keeps it from sticking. Solution: rubbing alcohol! Add cleaning a 3D
printer build platform to its endless list of other uses.
6" Painter's Tape ($30): Save your build platform, your money, and your sanity by buying
some 6" painter's tape to cover your build platform. It's a great surface for the filament to
stick to and it's cheap, so you can replace it when it gets too rough.
Metric / Imperial Ruler ($6): This will come in handy when it's time to measure your
smartphone for the portable amplifier project.
Old Credit Card: This tool will help you spread out the tape to prevent bubbles and
wrinkles and will help you unstick clingy filament that won't come off the build platform with
your fingernails.

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Next Up

In the next lesson, you'll get acquainted with TinkerCAD by making your first 3D object- a
monogrammed keychain.

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 LESSON 2: NAME THAT KEYCHAIN

In this project, you'll learn how they can make a keychain by connecting letters together to
make a solid object for 3D printing.
I'll be using my Instructables alias, but you can make any word you want.
You can follow along with this lesson by opening the Name that Keychain project for a
step-by-step guide in the TinkerCAD interface.

The Editor

Here's a quick video to get you acquainted with the editor interface where you'll be doing
all your 3D modeling. It covers changing the view, where to find objects, and where the
tools are and what they do.

https://player.vimeo.com/video/198145133?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0

Select Your Letters

https://player.vimeo.com/video/198145416?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0

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If you don't see the panel on the right side of the window, click the arrow in the middle to
expand it.

Expand the Text panel on the right side of the screen, then click and drag the letters onto
the workplane.

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 Drag each letter of your name onto the workplane. Remember: I used the letters of my
Instructables alias, but you should use the letters from your name or any other word you
would like to turn into a keychain.

Align the Letters

https://player.vimeo.com/video/198145588?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0

Select all the letters on the workplane.

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 Select Align from the Adjust menu on the toolbar.

Align the letters so the bottom of each letter is in line with the others by clicking on the
black dot.

Adjust the Letter Height

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 https://player.vimeo.com/video/198145912?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0

Select all your letters and group them into a single object. To do this, click and drag a box
over all the letters, then click the Group button in the upper right corner of the editor as
shown in the picture above. Is your name a little hard to read like mine was? Let's fix this.

Double click on your name to edit the group. Note: You will know you are editing the group
if you see a red rectangle under your letters. The letters should also return to their original
colors while editing the group.

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Select the second letter in your name and use the white dot (handle) on the top to make
the letter shorter than letter next to it.

Repeat the previous step with every other letter in your name. By doing this we will be able
to see each of the letters in the group better when we finish editing the group.

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 Click anywhere on the workplane outside of the red group edit rectangle to finish editing
the group. You should see your name change back to the group color and it should be
much easier to see each letter.

Add a Keyring Loop

https://player.vimeo.com/video/198146088?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0

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Drag and drop to place a cylinder on the workplane.

Shift + Drag the handle on the workplace and make the cylinder 4mm X 4mm in the X/Y
dimensions.

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Drag the Z dimension (vertical) handle to make the cylinder 3mm tall.

Drag and drop to place a second cylinder on the workplane and size it to 2mm square.

Drag the vertical scale handle to 4mm tall.

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Select the second cylinder and make it a Hole in the inspector window.

Select both cylinders and click on Align in the Adjust menu.

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Click the dots to align the cylinders so they have the same center.

With both cylinders selected, group the cylinders into a single object by clicking the Group
button on the top bar.

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Select the key ring and use the arrow keys on your keyboard to nudge the ring into the first
letter of your name.

To complete the key chain, Group your name and the ring together into a single object.

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You're Done!

Good job! Now you've created a solid object you can use to make your own 3D printed
monogram keychain.

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 LESSON 3: USING A SLICER

Now that you've got your first model, it's time to slice it. A slicer is a program that translates
design specifications between TinkerCAD (or any other 3D modeling program) to your 3D
Printer. Think of it as 3D prints being built up of a bunch of 2D slices that have been
layered on top of each other. A slicer creates a set of instructions that your 3D printer can
understand and stack into a physical 3D object.
If you don't have a 3D printer and are using a service bureau like Shapeways, you can skip
this lesson.
What You'll Need

In this lesson, we'll be using Print Studio, which is a free slicer made by Autodesk. Just
click the link to download and install it.
Cura is another popular free option, but we won't get into that in this class.
A lot of 3D printers come with their own slicing programs too (Makerbot, for example), so
feel free to use that one too if you've got it.

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Export You Model

First, you'll need to export the model you made in TinkerCAD. To do this, just click Export
on the top right of the screen.

When you click Export, you'll get a Download window. You can select either "everything in
the design" or "selected shapes". In the case of the keychain, the default option is fine.
Click on .STL to download the file for 3D printing.

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Set Printer Type or Connect to Printer

When you open Print Studio, you'll need to choose your printer type. Click the Type button
in the upper left of the screen. You can choose from 10 popular models or setup a USB or
Wifi connection. I've got a Dremel Idea Builder 3D20, so I pick that one from the list.
This selection adjusts the platform size so that it matches your printer, and sets the
maximum size of an object that can fit in the printer.
Some 3D printers don't have a built-in computer, so they'll need to be controlled directly
from a PC with a USB cable or wifi connection. If your 3D printer doesn't have a built-in
computer, you can also use a slicer to control your 3D printer via USB. Your 3D printer
should come with instructions on how to run it, and a lot of 3D printers come with their own
control software and slicers.
Print Studio is free, easy to use, and will work with most 3D printers, but if your printer
comes with its own software or a recommendation for which software to use, I would
advise following the company's instructions.

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Import Your Model

Next, you'll need to import your model. Click the Import button on the top of the screen
and select the STL file you saved from TinkerCAD.

Choose Units

The units in TinkerCAD are mm by default, but you can change them to Inches if you want.
When you import a model into a slicer, make sure the units are set to the same ones you
had set in TinkerCAD, otherwise your model will be way too big or way too small!

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Rotate Model

Rotation is important to get the best results. Avoid overhanging parts wherever you can,
and try to get the biggest, flattest part of a model to be flat on the printer bed.
The keychain model should have a flat back, when you select the model and click on Move
in the toolbar on the left, you can drag the Rotate handle to rotate it back by 90º.

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Preview

There's a toolbar at the top of the screen that walks you through the slicing process. When
your model is placed on the bed, you can just skip ahead and click the Preview button.
You shouldn't need to repair the model, and you don't need any supports to make it print.
You should now get a Slice Preview window on the left side of the screen. Drag the slider
to see the model build up layer by layer. This will give you an idea of how the model will be
built.

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Export

Now just click the Export button at the top of the screen and give your file a name. This
will save a special file that your 3D printer can read. For the Dremel Idea Builder, Print
Studio will make a .3drem file.

You're Ready to 3D Print!

That's it! All you have to do now is use the file you made in this lesson to run your 3D
printer. In the next lesson, you'll learn how to setup and run your 3D printer to get great
results.

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 LESSON 4: SETUP AND PRINT

In this lesson, you'll take the model you designed in the last lesson and print it out on your
own 3D printer or send it to a service bureau.
WHAT YOU'LL NEED

3D Printer or Service Bureau: Pretty much any consumer grade 3D Printer will do for this
project. I'm using a Dremel Idea Builder, but there is no shortage of options. If you want to
buy your own printer, start with Make Magazine's 3D Printer Buyer's Guide, it's an
excellent resource:
http://makezine.com/comparison/3dprinters/
If you don't want to buy your own printer, you can setup a free account with a Service
Bureau, upload your STL file to their service, and have them do the work and ship it to you.

Prepping the 3D Printer

If you're doing lots of prints, I find it's very helpful to have a disposable surface you can
replace quickly. An FDM 3D printer builds an object by sticking thin layers of plastic to the
build platform, then sticking successive layers on top of each other. It's good to have a
removable "sacrificial" layer on top of the build platform because if the surface gets beat up
in the printing or cleanup process, you can just peel it off and add another layer when you
make a new print.
You can use 3M ScotchBlue 2090 Painter's Tape as a build surface because it's large
enough to cover the whole bed.

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Apply the Tape: The first step is to line up the tape on the bed so that it doesn't cover up
the slots for the build platform's clips. It's really important to smooth out the tape so there
are no bubbles. I've found that my driver's license is the best tool for this job.

Sand with 220 Grit Sandpaper: This removes the slippery finish on the tape, allowing the
filament to stick to the bed easily. You can also use a specially made Build Platform Tape
and skip the sanding step. I used the key knife from my keychain (on the right) to get a
clean cut on the edge of the tape.

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 Wipe Down with Isopropyl Alcohol: This removes the dust leftover from sanding and any
oil from your fingers that might still be on the tape. Be careful not to touch the tape once
you've wiped it down- getting oil from your fingers on it would defeat the purpose!

Level the Build Platform

For lots of FDM printers, including the Dremel 3D Idea Builder, the build platform must be
level for prints to build properly. I've found that with near-constant use, I only had to level
the platform once in three weeks. If the filament doesn't seem to be sticking to the bed at
the very beginning of a print, there's a good chance the build platform isn't level.

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Easy 3D Printing Class: Page 36
 The instructions on the touch screen are pretty straightforward. Basically, you just put a
piece of paper between the nozzle and the bed and adjust the screws until the gap feels
just right. The paper should easily slide in and out in the gap while having a very small
amount of friction.
With some FDM printers such as the Printrbot Simple, bed leveling is automatic, so there's
no need to do any manual leveling.

Unload / Load Filament

Filament is the spooled plastic material that FDM 3D printers use to build objects. Filament
comes in a bewildering array of colors, opacities, and material properties, but for this class,
we're going to stick to PLA (Polylactic Acid). It's made with corn starch, sugar cane,
tapioca roots, and potato starch. This means it's biodegradable and non-toxic (barring
additives for color). ABS is another popular option with desktop FDM printers, but it's tricky
to work with and requires a heated build platform.
Filament comes in different diameters, so be sure the filament you buy matches the
diameter of your extruder! The Dremel Idea Builder has a 1.75mm nozzle, which is the
most common. Dremel sells their own filament on spools that fit perfectly on the spindle
built into the machine, so I usually just buy their stuff for most projects.

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Now, let's load our filament!

LOAD
To load filament, just follow the directions on the screen again. The motor will run
automatically for a few seconds to load the filament into the extruder. Check the nozzle
and make sure a little filament has come out before printing. You may need to go through
the load process again to make sure it's totally full. If the extruder isn't full when a print
starts, it's possible that filament won't come out at the very beginning of a print, which can
cause problems with your print down the line.

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 UNLOAD
You'll need to unload filament when you want to switch to a new spool.To unload the
filament on the Dremel, just follow the menu. It'll heat up the extruder if it isn't already
preheated, then ask you to press the extruder intake spring and pull the filament out.
PRO TIP: To avoid filament jamming, push the filament in for about half a second, then
pull it out. I've found that this clears the extruder of any leftover filament blobs, which can
create jams if you let the extruder cool down again before loading more filament.

Preheat and Print

Preheating is a good way to ensure that the extruder is warmed up and ready to go. I had
the best results by preheating the machine for about 5 minutes, then loading the file.

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Easy 3D Printing Class: Page 40
 Loading a file to print is really easy with this machine because the touch screen gives you
a preview of the model! Just pop in the SD card, select the model from the list, and tap
Build.
NOTE: Files may FAIL if they're not in the MAIN DIRECTORY of the SD card. I found that
using sub-folders on an SD card made about half of the files fail, so be sure to keep
everything in the main directory.

Removal and Cleanup

With the print finished, all we have to do is remove it from the platform and we're done.
This part is small and has no support structures, so it's easy to remove- just wiggle it until it
pops off, then peel the raft off of the bottom of the part.
When things get more complex with larger rafts and support structures, sometimes a
plastic spatula is necessary to get the part off of the bed, and sometimes support
structures leave remnants on the part surfaces.
Believe it or not, I found the best tool for scraping the support structures off of the models
was the can opener on my Leatherman Multitool. It's not sharp enough to cut you if you slip
and poke yourself, and the pointy end is great for digging into the little crevasses, which
will be necessary if you've printed a complex object that needs support structures in order
to print properly.

Tinkercad + Minecraft

If you're into Minecraft, hopefully you've already taken Penolopy Bulnick's Minecraft Class.
She goes into a lot of detail about how to get TinkerCAD models into Minecraft, but I'll give
you a quick overview of the process here.

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On the main TinkerCAD page, click on the GALLERY to find a cool model to try out.

You can browse by Hot Now, Newest Models, or Staff Favorites which is where I found
the Mesopotamian Ziggurat model by LukeMordente1738.

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Click Copy & Tinker to create your own copy of the model and save it in your own project.

When you bring a model in, it's as if you made it yourself. You can add, subtract, ungroup,
or delete parts you don't want as you please.

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Click the Minecraft icon in the upper right corner, and you'll get a preview of what the
model will look like if you bring it into Minecraft.

Click the Block Size buttons on the upper left to cycle through different resolutions.

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When you've decided on a block size, just click the Export button to get a file you can
import to Minecraft. Remember, the Minecraft Classhas lots of detailed information on this
process, so be sure to sign up for it!

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