Tools for makers · 3D printing
3D printer
Turns a digital design into a real plastic part, layer by layer. Print stands, cases, knobs and whole mechanisms for your electronics projects.
- 86 lessons
What it is for
A 3D printer melts a thin plastic thread, called filament, and lays it down one layer at a time until a solid part grows on the build plate. The most common kind for makers and schools is the FDM printer, and a good beginner model costs less than a games console.
For electronics, a printer changes what you can build. A breadboard circuit becomes a finished gadget: a lighthouse that really glows, a rain gauge that stands outside, a dispenser with moving parts. Our lessons come with free STL files you can print, and every part is designed to print without supports.
Start with PLA filament. It is easy to print, doesn't smell and comes in every colour. Use PETG for parts that live outdoors.
Tips
- Level the build plate carefully before your first print; most failed prints start there.
- Print our parts at 0.2 mm layers with 3 walls and 15 to 20 % infill, unless the lesson says otherwise.
- Measure the real part with calipers before you design a hole for it, and add 0.2 to 0.4 mm of clearance.
- Never leave a printer running unattended for long, and keep it away from curtains and paper.
- Ask an adult to help with the hot nozzle and with cutting supports or brims off a print.
