A look into my 3d printing setup

Preamble

I am a 3d printing hobbyist that shares his created models for free on Printables and Makerworld.
People seem to appreciate these models and, while absolutely not planned, started to follow me more and more since the 2 years I am doing this.
At this point, I have nearly 750 followers on both platforms combined and my hobby is self-sufficient. This allows me to really not worry about it anymore and purely follow the passion.

I am open to model suggestions and help users when I can but it can be a bit slow since I don't necessarily have a lot of time.
Several times now, users asked me about my setup, so I make this article here as reference for the future as I don't have any social media.
I don't claim it is the best setup, it's just the one I use, that developed over time and that seems to work fine since 2 years.

I wish I could publish this article privately in my account, needing users to enter my account to discover it, to avoid annoying seasoned 3d printers but it doesn't seem to be possible (yet), sorry for the inconvenience.

Being fluent in CAD I tend to fill my 3d model needs myself and while I refer to some of my models in this article, it's neither for my ego nor for clicks so feel free to check out alternatives.
All the links pointing to my own models will lead to Printables as this article is posted there (bambu lab doesn't have a similar feature) but would you prefer you can always find the equivalent model on Makerworld (the title might be slightly different).

My printer and its upgrades

Printer

I have bought a bambu Lab P1S after watching videos and discussing with a 3d printing veteran who considered he lost years trying to make his previous printers work while this one worked flawlessly from the start.
I am happy with it, since two years I only had 1 real issue when the AP board failed resulting in a clog (got replaced for free). I also only made about 6 spaghetti messes resulting in less than 200g wasted filament in total, the X1C wasn't an option in my mind and this confirms it quite well.

The first update I made was to add the Bambu Lab PTFE Guide on top of the print head to avoid any friction with the top of the printer.

Afterwards I looked at stopping the ptfe tube to slowly sneaking inside the printer by designing a PTFE tube stopper that goes on the ptfe tube just as it leaves the printer and prevents it from moving.

For most of the 2 years I used a simple box behind my printer and a wall to catch all the purge material. When I changed my setup temporarily and lost the wall option I made this Purge Bucket for it. When going back, I kept it as the wide variant allows me to really forget about it for a long time.

Add-on

After 9 months I bought an AMS unit for it, I never really use it for real multi color printing (as it's quite wasteful) but it's certainly a nice quality of life update. I don't bother however with trying to keep it dry with desiccants.

To keep the option of using a regular spool holder instead of only limiting myself to the AMS, I installed the AMS No-Catch Y-Splitter PC4-M10. It's handy for using cardboard spools and feeding TPU filament for example.

To close off the unused ptfe tube when I use the AMS I use this PTFE tube cap with grabber model, now with a grabber instead of a ring for hanging it securely on the tube when not in use.

To avoid needing to waste some ptfe tube I made a small PTFE tubes bridge. Depending where the bridge is located, the AMS might be too violent for it and I had to switch some of them to real bambu lab connectors.

To ease the use of the AMS I also wanted to upgrade the funnels where the filament go into so that they would be easier to push and more resistant to wear. Sadly, existing models where not compatible with this new version of the ams so I made my own version of them: New feeders for Updated AMS.

Filament

Source

I am not limiting myself to only one provider, I simply try and find filament at a good price with a good quality.
Over time I used several brands:

• Prusa (special color blends)
• Bambu Lab (bulk filament)
• eSUN (bulk filament)
• Overture (clear PETG and TPU)
• Winkle (ASA and Marble PLA [great for lithophanes!])
• ...

I don't buy filament from Prusa or Bambu Lab with money anymore, only from the points we can obtain by using their sites.

Average filament price is about 20€ for 1kg, it can be significantly less if you buy Bambu Lab filament by 6 (or more during special sales in July/August and December). eSUN filament can also be found cheaper on amazon at around 16€, lower if there is a sale. You can even buy their basic pla at around 12€ but it tends to be weaker than most PLA so I prefer their PLA+.

Use

The first time I use a new filament I make a color swatch from it to keep it in mind for the future.
Plenty exist but I use my custom design grouped by 20 on a custom holder that I made as well.

To keep the spool together I use this nice small filament clip which doesn't impede the AMS and holds quite well. I print them in more heat-resistant filaments than PLA so that they can stay on while drying without issue. I also print them in 3 colors: for PLA+TPU, PETG and ASA to easily distinguish the materials.

Storage

Before storing the filament, I dry the filament with my SUNLU FilaDryer S2

(Image from the sunlu store)

Here is a table with the default values (handy to have as the interface is quite sensitive and prone to changing values) for it and some that I changed over time

ASA uses the ABS temperatures as these are similar.
For the rare cases when I need PVA I change a setting temporarily to 50°C
I dry my filaments till they are in the 25° humidity range, 40° if they are in a cardboard spool.

This little dryer works really well for it small price.

After drying, I let them cool off a bit then I vacuum seal the filament roll in a 30x34mm vacuum bag with a small motorized pump.

A motorized pump is essential in my opinion as it quickly becomes too much trouble to do it by hand and you tend to not anymore which voids the point.

I use the valve-style bags as they are cheaper than the screw-on ones.
To add more flexibility in which pump you can buy for them I remade the suction insert of the pump I bought.

To help with this step, I put in each bag a small vacuum bag air disc scaled at 75% width, 75% length and 100% height
I also remade the seal clip for them to have replacements in case I lost them. However, now that I bought several packs of vacuum bags, I have accumulated lots of spares so it's less important.

3d printing tools

Printer related

Hexscraper (Bed scraper)
A common mistake I see is that people tend to destroy their printbeds with metal scrapers,
there is really no need for them in my opinion. I use the original HexScraper personally, I tried the remixes with removable blades but they never were strong enough and broke easily. The original tend to last a long time however, especially as I reform their edge with sandpaper once a while.

Isopropanol, soap and microfiber cleaning cloths
The best way to clean up your print plate is with dish soap, a sponge and warm water. However you don't always need a deep clean so I keep a small spray bottle of isopropanol (99%) near my printer to quickly clean the plate (nearly after each print). I buy it in bulk to reduce the cost, it's really useful to have around anyway and especially if you are also into soldering and electronics in general. To clean the plate, I spray a bit of isopropanol on it and wipe it with microfiber cleaning cloth.

Painters tape
To improve the seal on my enclosure I use painters tape when the print is difficult and sensitive to temperature changes. This is for me the case with large ASA prints. The tape helps to keeps the heat from escaping from the seams and leave no marks behind.
I also use it to hold the start of filament to the spool when I rewind filament spools.

Hex-key set
A hex-key set comes handy with 3d printers as they tend to be build using screws with these heads patterns. Having a set that stays together is handier than to keep the loose and cheap ones the machine comes with.

Greases and oils
For the maintenance of my printer I use grease and oil from SuperLube. I put the oil in a needle nose to be more precise than the regular spout.

Rod Cleaner
To clean my printer's rods during maintenance I printed and use the Rod Sloth tool

P1S or AMS specific tools
To disconnect the AMS I use AMS Disconnect Tool

Model creation

Caliper
Probably the most important tool to have for model creation is a caliper (ideally digital with 2-digit precision) as it will allow you to measure what you need precisely. I recommend spending a bit more to have a better quality one as it will be of constant use.
I use this Preciva caliper, it's robust and precise enough but the zero-ing button is sensitive and at a bit of an annoying place

 

Print cleaning & assembly

Flush cutters
Useful to cut and pry off supports from models

I use simple off-brand ones and made a small cap for them as well. They don't need to be the best quality as even these off-brand versions work very well.
Keeping bigger wire cutters around can also be useful to allow you to cut bigger tree support branches.

Deburring tool
To remove brims of models it's useful to have a deburring tool, one blade will be enough for life I think as these were made for metal pipes and no signs of wear can be seen on my used ones yet.

While the 3d printed version can serve as a backup deburring tool, I much prefer the one I bought (off-brand), it's heavier and allows the head to swivel easier which greatly improve its usage.
To use it put your finger in the small bend near the body with the blade facing you, place it on the edge of a model and slowly pull towards your thumb. Try to be as smooth as possible in between movements to make a long continuous movement.

Exacto knife
Useful to open filament boxes and packaging, to clean up connectors, ... an exacto is a handy blade to have around. Contrary to the deburring tool, the blades damage over time and need replacement but get a lot of them.

Would you wonder, these are much safer than medical scalpels (but still require caution) and are a nice fit for 3d printing.
The cheap off-brand holder that I bought for the exacto blades works, like the deburring tool, better than the one I printed afterwards, over time the plastic weakens and allows the blade to wobble which isn't great.

Various screwdrivers
Flat ones are useful for support removal, especially to slide between supports and your model to break them apart. They are also great to break small tree supports inside voronoi (and alike) models.
Other heads are useful for assembling of models with various hardware.

Various tweezers
Useful to get into tight space. Both straight and curved can be useful, they come usually in a set.
I also use an old set where I broke them in halves to serve as poking tools.

Glue and glue spreader
Glue can be handy to have around for repairing and locking things in place. I never needed gluestick on my printbed however.
I found that Bison universal glue works well to glue plastic parts but there are lots of similar glue brands available.
For bigger areas I use a small spreader that I made.

Clamps
You don't need as many as in woodworking but having a few can be useful for some projects.
2 F-style and duck clamps are already enough for example
For smaller use cases I also made some Small Repair Clamps

Brass Wire Brush
I keep a brass wire brush near my printer to brush the nozzle clean of build-ups without damaging it.
It can also be useful to brush some loose residue off your models.

Heat gun
To reduce blemishes and to bend plastic a bit, a heat gun can be handy but it shouldn't be a priority to buy one.

Organisation

Honeycomb storage wall (with add-ons)
The Honeycomb storage wall (HSW) is a nice system to hang your tools and other things on the wall to get them out of your way and away from your work area. Having a dedicated place for each tool helps with organisation as you are more likely to put it in place, greatly helping you find it next time.
Lots of users have made inserts for it, there are too many to list here as I used lots but it's a great system
I made plenty of compatible models for it myself as well over time

Pastamatic (with add-ons)
Pastamatic is a great tool for the transfer of filament spools, I use it to move cardboard spools to plastic ones an vice versa
I printed some add-ons for it as well to improve its functionality:

• Leadscrew Pin Retainer
• Retention Clips
• Notched Pins and C-Clips
• TPU Wiper + Extra Clearance Wiper Mounts

Screwing it to a plank made a big difference as, before this, the base wasn't necessarily flat which brought movement problems for the balancer.

In the past I used plastic rings around the cardboard spools to make them compatible with the AMS but after some time they loose grip as the cardboard moves, so I stopped. Sometimes, inner plastic rings can still be useful to help cardboard spools spin more easily on a regular spool holder, this is typically needed for TPU as otherwise the printer can struggle to pull the flexible filament in with the added friction.

For Filament related tools see “The Filament Section”

Other

• Other common tools for DIY like a drill, sand paper, hammers, work lights, ...

Process overview:

From box to storage

1. Buy filament
2. Open box and plastic with exacto blade
3. Put on spool if refill, change spool if cardboard or leave as-is
4. Cut filament end off (about 2cm) and put clip on
5. Dry filament
6. ... Printing ...
7. Dry filament
8. Put in vacuum bag with disc and remove the air
9. Store on shelf

Printing methodology

• My printer came with a textured PEI plate and I never need to change it as it prints all basic filaments (PLA, PVA, PETG, TPU, ASA, ...) that I need.
• I never touch my printplate with my hands, except the very edges occasionally. Flexing the plate can be helpful but otherwise always use a plastic scraper to avoid leaving oily residues from your hands on the plate.
• To clean my print plate I use dish soap, a sponge and warm water when it needs a deep clean (every 10 prints maybe and after a ASA print) but otherwise I just wipe the surface with a bit of isopropanol.
• I never need to use gluestick, every print can be removed with a plastic scraper or by flexing slightly the plate. TPU can stick a bit better but a bit of isopropanol near the edges of the print helps to get beneath it.
• My printer is fully enclosed, I never open or close the door of my printer during a print, removing the top lid for PLA, PVA and TPU is enough.
• To print large models in ASA I seal the edges of the door of my printer with painters tape top help print adhesion.
• Due to it being quite wasteful on my printer I rarely print real multicolor objects. I instead make the model multi-part or use filament swaps.

Programs and other tools

Image and vector editing

• Affinity2
  In the past I used photoshop but was always annoyed by their scummy practices and subscription-based payment methods. When I found out about affinity 2 that is 1 payment only to have it forever and had good values, I got curious. I tried it and in practice I would say it's even better that what photoshop has to offer and, for the same price of what I paid for only a month, I got the equivalent of photoshop + illustrator (which I didn't have in my photoshop subscription) forever, so I highly recommend it. It's even worse to think that I had photoshop for quite some years to the point were the new price was double of what I was paying per month so it's even more worth it for your probably. When I left photoshop, their final offer to get me to stay was even worse than what I was paying ... so good riddance.
   
  I use affinity photo 2 for editing all the images related to my makes and publications and I use affinity designer 2 to mostly edit svg before using them in a CAD program (simplifies future work a lot). Using Ai is fully optional compared to photoshop as well.
   
• Inkscape
  It's a free tool but is really useful to transform regular images into vector format (SVGs), it can also simplify these vectors easily to reduce their complexity (the same principle as decimating/reducing a 3d mesh)

CAD

• Fusion360
  Fusion is my main way of making functional models. It has a free version for non-commercial use which I use as I share my models for free. In practice the only thing I miss from the paid version is an improved stl import but while not as nice this can be managed in the free version.
   
• OpenSCAD
  It requires to understand programming but is a powerful tool to make easy models in a parametric way.
  The programming aspect can simplify tasks with automation.

Mesh manipulation

• Meshmixer
  It's a great tool to manipulate objects in a more organic way. I used it to repair, merge and sculpt models.
  This also a great tool to start making voronoi-like models as there is a build-in pattern maker. The difficulty of voronoi is not the pattern is how you prepare the model for it, in which meshmixer can also help.
   
• Blender (also used for image covers)
  It's really useful for model management: grouping, splitting, cutting is really easy in it.
  You can also easily play with the mesh faces, edges and points with it.
  Don't try it to use as a CAD tool however, it's not for making connectors or parts that rely on each other.
  A key concept in 3d model creation is decimation/reduction (reducing the number of polygons of a model), which blender handles really well.
  I also use blender for it's render capabilities which allows me to make nice images of my models for some cover images.

Generating special models

• Lithophane maker
  Lithophane maker allows you to basically make 3d pictures. The principle behind is that the darker the pixel, the ticker the plastic will be at this point so that when you put this model in front of the light it will block more of it and appear darker. With the online tool these are easy to make and are unique objects to give as gifts.
   
• MakerLab
  MakerLab is a bambu lab tool library that constantly grows and that simplifies the creation of models for less technical users. One of them is a nice Ai imageTo3D generator that allows you to obtain approximate models, there is no point in publishing it directly but you can refine the result for your needs. As my sculpting is self-taught and quite basic for the moment it can help me obtain a rough shape to train on as well.

3d scanning

I received the 3dmakerpro Moose 3d scanner as a gift, maybe a bit too soon in my 3d printing hobby as it's a bit underused but I already was able to make models with it that I otherwise wouldn't have been able to do. It works really well and I am really happy with the results. As these were mostly private repairs, I didn't post models from it yet but I might in the future if a non-copyrighted opportunity presents itself.

To improve the scanning comfort, I use these 3d printed add-ons:

• Vertical Mount
• Lens Cover

I found that using Gouache, a water-based paint works well to add texture to an object to help with scanning (for when it has troubles like for dark shiny objects). You don't fully paint the object, you just brush some on randomly to help the scanner locate itself. Once the scanning is done you can then simply rinse the object with water.

Programming

I know several programming languages (Python, Java, C family, Javascript, ... ), so I create when needed my own small programs.
When they relate to a published model, I share them freely on this github repo but they aren't necessarily advanced nor properly made.

Postamble

Thanks for reading through this article, I hope some things were useful to you.
I plan to update this along the way my setup develops, so maybe check it out again at a later date (after some months) if you want but with this you already have a good idea.
I might also do similar articles later, depending on my time and on repeated questions/topics.