3D Printing
From Grand River Makerspace Wiki
3D Printing Area
⚠️ SAFETY GLASSES REQUIRED WHEN REMOVING SUPPORTS OR POST-PROCESSING ⚠️
⚠️ NEVER LEAVE THE FIRST LAYER UNATTENDED — CHECK LONG PRINTS PERIODICALLY ⚠️
📋 Before You Print — Member Checklist
A few quick steps every time you start a print — please don't skip these:
- 🏷️ Label your print with a sticky note. Write your name (and a phone number and/or email if you can) on a sticky note and attach it to the printer you're using. If a print fails or there's an issue, we need to know whose job it is and how to reach you.
- ⚖️ Write down the filament weight. Note the weight the slicer estimated (in grams) on your sticky note. This is how we track material use for paying for filament — jot it down before you walk away.
- 👀 Don't hit print and leave. Stay for the first few layers and make sure they're going down cleanly with good bed adhesion. The first layer is where most prints fail — catching a bad start here saves your whole print (and everyone's filament and time).
💵 Paying for Filament
Once you know your print's weight, pay for the material you used. There are three easy ways:
- Deposit bucket — drop your payment in the deposit bucket inside the 3D printing room
- Scan the QR code — posted in the 3D printing room
- Pay online — use the links below for the material you printed with
| Material | Pay Online |
|---|---|
| PLA | Pay for PLA → |
| ABS / ASA / TPU | Pay for ABS / ASA / TPU → |
| Polycarbonate | Pay for Polycarbonate → |
3D Printers
- Enclosed CoreXY Printers — Fast, versatile machines good for most work. Enclosure allows ABS/ASA in addition to PLA and PETG.
- Bambu Lab X1 Carbon — Fully enclosed, AMS multi-color/multi-material, lidar first-layer inspection. Our most automated printer; great for reliable multi-color prints. 📄 Full Machine Wiki Guide →
- Elegoo Centauri Carbon (×3) — Enclosed CoreXY workhorses; our primary everyday machines. Fast, easy to use, filtered enclosure. 📄 Full Machine Wiki Guide →
- CreatBot F430 — Large-format, fully enclosed, heated chamber (70°C) with dual extruders reaching 420°C. For engineering materials (Nylon, PC, CF) and large industrial parts. ⚠️ Advanced machine — training required. 📄 Full Machine Wiki Guide →
- Elegoo Orange Storm Giga — Massive-format open-frame printer (800×800×1000mm) with four independent heated PEI beds. Upgraded to the custom Open OrangeStorm operating system — it runs differently than our stock machines. ⚠️ Guidance required — see a volunteer before use. 📄 Full Machine Wiki Guide →
- Anycubic Kobra Max — Large-format open-frame Bowden printer (400×400×450mm). GRM's go-to for oversized single PLA prints. Open frame — PLA/PETG only. 📄 Full Machine Wiki Guide →
- Ultimaker 3 Extended — Open-frame dual-extrusion printer with swappable print cores and auto nozzle-lifting.
