3D printing has seen a sudden rise in the past few decades and developing a career in painting has become a good option. But, just having a 3D printer is not enough for being a professional artist. You have to be ready with the basic tools for 3D printing to give it a perfect finish. What are these tools and why are they important? Let’s find out.
An artist without his tool kit is as helpless as a warrior on a battlefield without his sword. So, if you are planning to start your career in 3D printing then your tool kit must include all the essential accessories. The right 3D printing tools will help you to make your normal 3D printing machine better than the others in your competition.
It isn’t necessary that you have to buy expensive 3D printing tools to get better results. You can also use the alternate products for the tools as well. For instance, if you are unable to find the glue stick in the market then you can go for the regular hair spray as well. Both serve the same purpose.
You don’t need to buy all these tools for 3D printing at once. You can buy the basic printing machine and then keep filling your Tool Box as per your budget. These pieces of equipment will help you in enhancing the productivity and the quality of your work.
Essential Tools For 3D Printing For Beginners
The most essential tools for 3D printing is the 3D printer and the computer with the appropriate software to make the designs. But, that is not all. You also need to have these basic tools for 3D printing in your tool kit, to give your client the perfect finished product with precision.
1. Glue Stick
Let’s start the list of the best tools for 3D printing with the entity that looks small but serves a great purpose. The item is the glue stick. You might be wondering what is the need for a glue stick in 3d printing? Well, the answer to the question is simple.
You need to ensure that your paint sticks well to the build plate. If it isn’t so then there are chances of the color bloating and it will spoil the print. So, using the Glue stick on the print bed increases the adhesion force between the print and the build plate.
You also have to keep in mind that the glue stick you are using for this purpose is easily wipeable. This is because after the print from the machine sticks well on the print bed, you need to wash away the extra glue from the surface.
You can easily find these glues online as well as offline in your nearby stores.
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2. Hair Spray
If you could not find the glue stick in the market then there is an alternative that has got room in the list of the Essential Tools For 3D Printing that every artist should have. It is a Hirspray. Many people use Hair Spray to increase the adhesion between the print and the build plate.
Hair Sprays are made up of adhesive components and can hold things together that’s why men use them to make “spikes”. We will be using this sticking nature of the hair sprays to increase the adhesion force between the print paper and the printing tray.
Note: This is only the alternative that you should use when the Glue stick isn’t available. Exposing the printer’s build plate to Hair Spray is not recommended.
3. Digital Caliper
Any Physics student here looking for the best tools for 3D printing? If yes, then the next tool we are about to mention will seem familiar to you. The tool is the “Digital Caliper”, it looks like the “Vernier Caliper”, yeah the one we used to measure the radius of the sphere in high school.
Well, this one is digital but looks the same. We know a 3d painting involves a lot of measurements. It is the illusion created on the paper with the designs placed at the perfect angles. So, this digital caliper will help you to measure the distance and the angle between the prints with accuracy and the painting will come out with more precision.
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4. 3D Print Removers
Sometimes you use excessive glue accidently than required on the build plate and this makes the print stuck on the print bed. You cannot use excessive force to pull up the print from the plate. As it might tear it into pieces. What can be done in situations like these?
Well, to tackle the problems like these, the 3d printing artists use the spatula Print Removers. These spatulas are sharp from the front end and have a holding handle at the other end. You can use the sharp end of the object to carve off the 3d print from the print bed. This use of the spatulas makes it one of the most essential tools for 3D Printing.
These Spatula removers are usually purchased in sets. In general, there is a set of 5 spatulas, all having differently shaped front ends with the handle on the other end. These spatulas are as thin as the blade and can be as wide as covering half of the print bed.
5. Filament Container
The most important part of the 3d printer is the printer filament. But, we often forget to care about this part of the machine. The filament is required to be stored away from the moisture. So, our next item in the “Tools for 3D printing” is a filament container.
You can buy these air-tight containers from nearby superstores or online shopping sites like Amazon or Flipkart. These containers lock the moisture outside and create a vacuum to store the printer’s filament. The vacuum created does not allow the filament to come in contact with the atmospheric moisture and you can retain the filament for a longer period.
6. Glass Beds
To make anything big and strong you have to make the foundation better. The same is the case with 3D printing. Although when you purchase the 3D printer from the store you need to do some additions. The manufacturers will give you a print bed along with it. But, using the same bed again and again may hamper the quality and the precision of the print. What can be done?
Well, our next suggestion in the list of the Best Tools For 3D Printing will solve your problem. You can use the extra glass beds instead of the print beds. Print beds may get damaged by the excessive use of adhesives and spatulas. You can use glass beds to get proper and clean 3D prints for your client.
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7. SandPaper
SandPaper is another necessary tool that we would like to mention as the Must have Tools For 3D Printing for beginners. You must be wondering why sandpaper? Well, let us tell you that you will be printing the 3D drawing on the glass or the build bed. Are you sure that you will get the exact smooth print that your client desires with the perfect precision?
SandPaper is for the post-printing process. You can use the rough surface of the paper to smoothen the edges of the 3D painting and give it a perfect look with precision. You can get Sandpaper in any of the hardware stores that deal in painting products.
8. Carving Tools
Next in the list, we have the Carving Tools for 3D printing.
3D printing is not all about what you get from the printer. You have to put in extra effort to give the printing a final touch. This is done with the help of carving tools. You can hold these tools like a pencil in the hand and the sharp fronts of the tools are used to make the tiny details of the print with accuracy.
You can order these tools from online stores and they usually come in the set of 12.
Wrapping Up
This was the list of the 3D Printing essentials that every artist must have at his place. You can buy these pieces of equipment for 3D printing from your nearest stores or you can also purchase them online from the links provided above.
If you find this article on Beginner’s tools for 3D printing informative then do share it with your friends and if you feel we have missed out on any must-have item, then do let us know in the comments section.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What equipment are used for 3D printing?
You need the following items for the 3D printing
- Glue Stuck
- Hair Spray
- Digital Caliper
- 3D Print Removers
- Filament Container
- Glass Beds
- Sand Paper
- Carving Tools
Q. What do you need to do with a 3D printer?
You need to get the following things with a 3D printer
- Computer
- Print Bed
- Assorted tools
- Base Material
- 3D Models
- Slicer
Q. What is a deburring tool used in 3D printing?
Deburring is a carving tool used in 3D printing. This tool is held like a pencil in the hand and the sharp fronts of the tool are used to make the tiny details of the print with precision.
