3D Printing

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Revision as of 17:43, 14 July 2026 by Chris (talk | contribs)

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:

  1. 🏷️ 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.
  2. ⚖️ 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.
  3. 👀 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).

3D Printers

  • Enclosed CoreXY Printers — Fast, versatile machines good for most work. Enclosure allows ABS/ASA in addition to PLA and PETG.
  • 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 →
  • Prusa MK2 — Reliable open-frame Cartesian printer; good for straightforward PLA/PETG prints. A dependable classic.

Equipment

3D Printers

Item Model Specifications Safety Training Required Owner's Manual & Resources
Enclosed CoreXY (Multi-Color) Bambu Lab X1 Carbon 256mm × 256mm × 256mm build volume; fully enclosed CoreXY; AMS 4-color system; direct drive, hardened nozzle; 300°C hotend, 110°C bed; lidar first-layer inspection; auto bed leveling

Software: Bambu Studio		 Yes — Mandatory [PLACEHOLDER — User Manual]
📄 Full Machine Wiki Guide
Enclosed CoreXY Elegoo Centauri Carbon (×3) 256mm × 256mm × 256mm build volume; fully enclosed CoreXY; direct drive, hardened steel nozzle; 320°C hotend, 110°C bed; auto bed leveling (121-point) + auto Z-offset; filtered enclosure; dual-sided PEI plate

Software: ELEGOO Slicer (Orca-based)		 Yes — Mandatory [PLACEHOLDER — User Manual]
📄 Full Machine Wiki Guide
Large-Format Enclosed (Dual Extruder) CreatBot F430 400mm × 300mm × 300mm build volume; fully enclosed steel body; heated chamber up to 70°C; dual extruders (260°C left / 420°C right); auto bed leveling (25-point); HEPA-filtered; power-outage recovery

⚠️ Advanced — for engineering materials and large parts

Software: CreatWare (Cura also supported)		 Yes — Mandatory [PLACEHOLDER — User Manual]
📄 Full Machine Wiki Guide
Large-Format Open-Frame Anycubic Kobra Max 400mm × 400mm × 450mm build volume; open-frame Bowden extruder; glass plate over heated bed; auto-leveling (16-point); filament sensor; outage recovery

⚠️ Open frame — PLA/PETG only, no ABS/ASA/TPU

Software: Orca Slicer (Cura profile also provided)		 Yes — Mandatory [PLACEHOLDER — User Manual]
📄 Full Machine Wiki Guide
Open-Frame Cartesian Prusa MK2 250mm × 210mm × 200mm build volume; open-frame Cartesian; single extruder; heated bed

⚠️ Open frame — PLA/PETG recommended

Software: PrusaSlicer		 Yes — Mandatory [PLACEHOLDER — User Manual]

Support Equipment

Item Model Specifications Notes Safety Training Required Owner's Manual
Filament Dry Box TBD Keeps filament dry to prevent moisture defects Store hygroscopic filaments (Nylon, PETG, TPU) in a dry box when not in use. Ask a volunteer if you're unsure whether your material needs drying. No —

Post-Processing Tools

Item Notes
Flush Cutters For clipping supports and filament ends
Needle-Nose Pliers For removing supports and brims
Deburring Tool / Hobby Knife Cleaning up edges and seams — cut away from body
Scrapers / Spatula For removing prints from beds — use carefully, away from hands
Digital Calipers For measuring parts and verifying dimensions
Sandpaper / Files Surface finishing — wear a dust mask when sanding

Software & Design

🏆 Use the Slicer That Matches Your Machine

A slicer converts your 3D model (STL, OBJ, 3MF) into the G-code the printer follows. Each machine at GRM has a recommended slicer with pre-tuned profiles — always start with the profile that matches your machine. All of these slicers are free.

Bambu Studio — for the Bambu Lab X1 Carbon
Handles the AMS multi-color system and lidar features.
Download Bambu Studio

ELEGOO Slicer — for the Centauri Carbon machines
Orca-based; ships with tuned Centauri Carbon profiles.
Download ELEGOO Slicer

Orca Slicer — for the Anycubic Kobra Max
GRM Kobra Max profile available — ask a volunteer or check Discord.
Download Orca Slicer

PrusaSlicer — for the Prusa MK2
Prusa's own slicer with built-in MK2 profiles.
Download PrusaSlicer

CreatWare — for the CreatBot F430
CreatBot's proprietary slicer for the F430's dual-extruder / high-temp setup. Cura is also supported.
Download CreatWare / CreatBot Software

Tip: If you already know a slicer like Orca or Cura, most of these machines can be added to it manually — but the machine-matched slicer above is the fastest way to get a known-good result.

Slicer Basics — Tutorial Videos

Video Description Link
3D Printing Slicer Basics for Beginners General walkthrough of what a slicer does and the key settings — good first watch [PLACEHOLDER — Tutorial Link]
Bambu Studio Beginner Guide Setup and first print with the X1 Carbon and AMS [PLACEHOLDER — Tutorial Link]
Orca / ELEGOO Slicer Walkthrough Covers the Orca-based interface used by ELEGOO Slicer and Orca Slicer [PLACEHOLDER — Tutorial Link]

3D Model Sources

Site Cost Notes Link
Printables Free Prusa-run community library; high-quality, well-tested models printables.com
Thingiverse Free Large, long-running model library thingiverse.com
MakerWorld Free Bambu-run library; profiles integrate with Bambu Studio makerworld.com
Thangs Free Model search engine and community thangs.com

3D Modeling / CAD Tools

Software Cost Notes Link
Tinkercad Free Browser-based; the easiest entry point for beginners and youth tinkercad.com
Onshape Free (hobby) Full parametric CAD in the browser; great next step after Tinkercad onshape.com
Fusion 360 Free (personal) / Paid Professional parametric CAD autodesk.com
Blender Free Open-source; best for organic/artistic modeling and sculpting blender.org
FreeCAD Free Open-source parametric CAD freecad.org

Safety & Usage

General Safety Rules

  • Complete mandatory training before using any printer
  • Sign in on the equipment log
  • Never leave the first layer unattended — it's the most common failure point
  • Check in on long prints periodically
  • Report jams, failures, and maintenance issues
  • Clean the bed and remove scraps when you're done

Operating Procedures

  1. Complete mandatory training before use
  2. Sign in on the log sheet
  3. Load your model in the machine's recommended slicer, using the matching profile
  4. Verify the correct filament is loaded and the correct plate/surface is installed
  5. Confirm the bed is clean and (where applicable) adhesion aid is applied
  6. Start the print and watch the first layer
  7. Stay reachable during the print; check in periodically on long jobs
  8. Allow parts to cool before removing from the bed
  9. Clean the bed and remove supports/scraps
  10. Sign out on the log sheet

FDM Printer Safety

  • Hot surfaces — nozzles reach 250°C+ (up to 420°C on the F430) and beds reach 110°C+
  • Do not touch the nozzle or heated bed during or immediately after printing
  • Do not touch the nozzle or bed during auto-leveling
  • Allow parts to cool before removing from the bed
  • Use scrapers and cutters carefully — cut and scrape away from your body
  • Keep flammable materials away from printers
  • Do not reach into a machine while it is running — moving parts can pinch or injure
  • Ensure adequate ventilation, especially for ABS/ASA (use enclosed machines only)

Fume Safety

Material Fume Risk Ventilation / Machine Requirement
PLA Low Recommended; any machine
PETG Low–Medium Recommended; any machine
TPU / Flexible Low–Medium Use a direct-drive machine (X1C, Centauri, F430); not the Bowden Kobra Max
ABS / ASA High — styrene fumes Enclosed + filtered machine only (X1C, Centauri, F430); never on open-frame machines
Nylon Medium — may emit irritants Enclosed machine; keep dry
PC (Polycarbonate) High Enclosed, heated-chamber machine only (F430) — requires approval

Approved Materials by Machine

Material X1 Carbon Centauri Carbon CreatBot F430 Kobra Max Prusa MK2
PLA ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅
PETG ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ (with care) ✅
TPU / Flexible ✅ ✅ ✅ ❌ (Bowden — jams) ❌ (not recommended)
ABS / ASA ✅ (enclosed) ✅ (enclosed) ✅ (enclosed) ❌ (open frame) ❌ (open frame)
Nylon Caution — keep dry Caution — keep dry ✅ (heated chamber) ❌ ❌
PC (Polycarbonate) ❌ (no chamber heat) ❌ (no chamber heat) ✅ (with approval) ❌ ❌
Carbon-Fiber filled ✅ (hardened nozzle) ✅ (hardened nozzle) ✅ (hardened nozzle) ❌ ❌ (nozzle not hardened)

When in doubt about a material/machine combination, ask a volunteer before printing. Open-frame machines (Kobra Max, Prusa MK2) cannot hold the ambient temperatures ABS/ASA need and should not run them.

Prohibited / Restricted Practices

Practice Reason
Running ABS/ASA on open-frame machines Warping/cracking and unfiltered styrene fumes — enclosed machines only
Running TPU/flexible through the Kobra Max Bowden tube causes flexibles to buckle and jam — use a direct-drive machine
Abrasive (CF/GF) filament in a non-hardened nozzle Wears out brass nozzles quickly — hardened-nozzle machines only
Leaving the first layer unattended Most failures happen in the first layer — stay present
Printing unknown/unlabeled filament Unknown melt temps and fumes — verify material before printing

Material Storage

  • Keep filament dry — store hygroscopic materials (Nylon, TPU, PETG) in sealed containers with desiccant or in the dry box
  • Label spools clearly with material type
  • Return shared filament and tools to their storage location when done

Waste Disposal

  • Failed PLA prints and supports — regular trash
  • Failed ABS/PETG/other prints — check local recycling options
  • Keep scraps off the floor and out of machine rails

Emergency Procedures

  • Fire extinguisher location: [TO BE FILLED IN]
  • First aid kit: Near the bathroom inside the main makerspace room
  • Emergency contact: Chris Kaminsky — 616-802-7088 — chris@grandrivermakerspace.org
  • In case of uncontrolled fire: Evacuate immediately and call 911
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