3D Printing

I’ve only recently ventured into the fascinating world of 3D printing, and I’m still very much in the early stages. I picked up a Creality Ender-3 V3 SE when it went on sale, and I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how good the print quality is for an entry-level machine. I tried a few different slicer programs before settling on PrusaSlicer, mostly because I like its clean, intuitive interface.

Before printing anything, I read through many websites and forums to find the optimum printer and slicer settings for different filaments like PLA, PETG, and TPU. The research definitely paid off; I haven’t had any failed prints so far (though I haven’t tried printing with TPU yet).

My main use for the printer will be to make my own replacement parts for broken or missing plastic items—especially ones that are obsolete or overpriced. With a digital caliper, I can measure and recreate a part as a CAD model, export it as an STL file, run it through the slicer, and just a few hours later, hold the finished piece in my hand. The printer is also great for creating custom parts with unique designs or specific purposes.

You can see one of these projects under the 3D Printing menu selection. I plan to post additional projects that I think are useful or unique as they come up.