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How to Spray Paint 3D Models

Painting your 3D models has always been an elusive subject. What kind of paint do you use? Will it stick to the 3D printed material? How will the quality look? These are just some of the questions floating around the heads of many designers and engineers. Over years of trial and error, one method we’ve […]

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4 Considerations to Help You Choose Between Additive and Subtractive Manufacturing Methods

Methods Overview There’s a telling quote attributed to the great Renaissance artist, poet, and subtractive manufacturer, Michelangelo. When asked how he created his masterpiece David from a large chunk of marble, he remarked that he simply “chipped away at all of the stone that doesn’t look like David.” As engineers and artists, before we can […]

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Tips for Prototyping Food-Safe Products

So you’re thinking of making a food-related product that needs to be food-safe — great! This article will help guide you toward the right materials, necessary regulations and approvals, best production processes, and design considerations. Which Products and Components Need to be Food-Safe? It’s easy to remember that packaging and tableware need to be food-safe, but […]

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An Overview of RTV Molds

Injection molding has long been the best method of bulk production, while 3D printing has recently become the best choice for early stage prototyping. But when and how should you make the switch from single volume production with 3D prints to high volume production? With small run production it can be hard to find the […]

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Material Properties Faceoff: RepRap vs Commercial 3D Printers

We get a lot of questions about the performance of different 3D printed materials and technologies, specifically as it relates to parts printed on hobbyist vs commercial-grade machines. There are plenty of off-the-cuff ways of making such evaluations, but empirical data is certainly better. So we were pretty excited when we came across a recent academic […]

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PLA Color Comparison: Color vs. Strength

We recently took a look at a study which measures the material properties of ABS and PLA printed on RepRap printers in comparison to parts printed on commercial machines. The study showed that PLA and ABS parts printed on RepRap printers are relatively comparable to parts printed on commercial machines in terms of tensile strength and elastic […]

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Most Common Hardware Components for 3D Printers

A 3D printing toolbox isn’t complete without the spare components necessary to build, maintain, and fix a machine. Below we highlight what each of those compnents are and what they are used for. Nuts & Bolts & Washers 3D printers commonly utilize metric components, ranging from M2 to M10-12 components for desktop models. The “M” […]

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Overview of Basic 3D Printing Terms

Brim A brim consists of 3D printed material that surrounds and attaches to the base of an object to aid in adhering to a bed/print surface. EEprom EEprom is like RAM for a 3D printer’s electronics. Some values can be stored here and accessed quickly, in addition to what is known in firmware and held […]

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Most Common Tools for Fixing 3D Printers

Building a 3D printer from scratch is hard enough, let alone trying to build it without the right tools. Below we highlight some of the most common tools for fixing and building a 3D printer. Calipers Calipers are used to measure the distance between opposite sides of an object. Although they appear in many industries […]

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Buildbed Adhesives for 3D Printers

Having the first layer stick to your 3D printing buildbed is crucial. See below for a list of common adhesives to avoid print failures and prevent warping. Tapes Kapton tape is used commonly in the aerospace industry and prized for its ability to endure considerable heat without degrading. When layering Kapton tape on a print-bed, it […]