Hi, all. So my first ever 3D printer is on its way to me. I went with an Elegoo Centauri Carbon, partially for the option of using OpenCentauri firmware. I have been looking at various models on printables.com and Thingiverse, getting excited for the possibilities. I would just like to ask if there are any big pitfalls I should look out for as I’m starting my 3D printing adventure. What mistakes did you make when you were just starting out? What resources do you wish you were aware of earlier? What general advice can you give me?
Thanks in advance, and have a lovely day.
3D printing is generally pretty easy these days. Most of the difficult things from the early days have been largely automated through the use of numerous sensors and firmware improvements, as well as better engineering and materials being used to make the printers.
That said, some things are paramount.
Most filaments absorb water (hygroscopic), and need to be properly dried before use. A quick search should make a lot of resources come up.
The printing surface should be kept clean at all times. Keep a spray bottle of isopropanol and a cloth handy. Wipe the bed after each print.
Calibrate your filaments. Grab Orca Slicer and go through the calibration procedures. Save the profile with the brand and material in the name. Some filaments will diverge depending on colour as well, so if you start seeing different results it’s worth it re-calibrating for the new colour - save it as a new profile.
Most of all, have fun! Experiment, ask as many questions as you have. Don’t be shy. Sometimes what may seem like a stupid one is actually very important and non-obvious.
Thanks for the thorough comment. I’m looking at filament dryers now, and I’ll definitely get some cleaning stuff as well.
A basic food dehydrator does a good job with drying filament rolls (and most can dry more than one at once).
The issue with most of the dedicated filament dryers is one of airflow. They get the filament rolls hot but don’t push the humid air out of the dryer. That’s not to say that they don’t work, but mostly they will work more slowly than a food dehydrator.
Few advice I give people getting started:
- don’t buy to many filament spools ! They are not trivial to store and preserve. I known it’s exciting to get all of the nice colors. It’s better to start with one spool of PLA and finish it before you open the next one. Myself I opened this year a spool I bought when I got started in 2018.
- add a filament dust filter to clean the filament of any dust and debris before it enters the printer. It can be as simple as a piece of paper towel holded around the filament with a clip. This will save you the headache that comes with a clogged nozzle.
- now days, model sites like Printables and Thangs are full of AI slop. Do not even bother to download a model that doesn’t have a real photo of the real printed part. If the creator didn’t bother to actually print his design before publishing, you can be sure it will be a nightmare to print, if not impossible.
- lots of very interesting videos on YouTube to learn 3D printing and 3D modeling techniques for 3D printed parts. MakersMuse a d CNC-Kitchen are good channels. You can skip all of the productsl reviews, focus on the teaching videos.
Are you in the US? I recently discovered the Home Depot 5gallon storage container is perfect for filament storage. It’s airtight and has a clear plastic lid that lets you see inside. Most storage containers are milky white which prevents a clear view of the filament inside.
It’s much easier than the individual cereal box containers I have for filament storage.
I am not in the US, no. I live in Korea. But I’m sure I can find something similar here. Thanks.
I found YouTube a very useful source for tutorials, etc.
Check out CNCKitchen and MakersMuse. Someone else already suggested Zach at VoidStar Labs. He’s really fun and has a great sense of humor.
I love my Centauri carbon (I started on an Ender3 v3 and moved to a Bambu A1, and now I have the Carbon). I don’t like where the poop comes out, and I despise that it levels the whole bed every time instead of just the actual print area, so I only do that once in a while if it seems off
Okay, great. Thanks for the Youtube recommendations. I’ll make some time to watch those channels, for sure.
Oh, and there are a lot of creators in the space angry with Bambu about open source violations while still picking on “the little guy”
If you’re not interested in that, just skip those videos. Stefan (CNCKitchen) acknowledged the controversy, but he doesn’t talk about it beyond that. The other two I mentioned haven’t even brought it up as far as I know
Late to the party, but to add on:
- the glamor shots of finished prints that you’ll see in photos and videos are super misleading. Shine a harsh light at most prints at a steep angle and you’ll see a fairly rough exterior finish in the z-axis
- Ellis’s tuning guide is a good thing to run through. It’s pretty straightforward and will give you a feel for what to tweak and when to tweak it
- I’ve been printing for something like 8-10 years and have never bothered with a filament dryer. I tend to buy 3 kg spools and some of them sit open for quite some time as I work through them. They live in my basement, which does have a dehumidifier in it but is usually around 55% humidity
- keep in mind that FDM printers are basically a CNC hot glue gun and keep your expectations in line
- 45° print orientation can be a cheat code if you have crazy overhangs
- watch the first layer. If you get a good first layer odds are your print will be fine
- different filaments have different physical properties and will print differently. This is true across polymers (ie PLA, PETG, ASA, ABS, TPU, etc), but can also be true across brands, colors, and blends (PLA vs PLA+, etc)
- don’t get hung up on things like acceleration or velocity. Speed is all about flow and the best way to bump that up is bigger nozzles, thicker layers, and wider extrusions
For real advice: get a pair of calipers and print some radius gauges. Then jump into CAD, even if it means learning it. The real magic of 3D printing is in making custom designs. I’m personally a huge fan of functional prints. Once you start seeing opportunities to print replacement parts, make jigs and fixtures, and make your own designs for things you’ll find tons of opportunities.
Excellent choice! I love my Carbon. And they just announced a multi filament attachment coming in August for super cheap. If you need help, you can always ask here - everyone is super nice.
