FIGURE 95: Some 3D printers have easily accessible heating elements. Avoid touching the extruder assembly when the 3D printer is in
operation. (We turned it off to take this picture!)
There are other components you need to watch. Many 3D printers have belts and rods that move, which can
present pinch hazards. Exercise caution and make sure to keep fingers, hair, and clothing away from the
moving parts when they are in operation (Figure 9-6).
Many 3D printer kits have exposed electrical wires and non-enclosed electrical components. 3D print-
ers also run on electrical power from a wall outlet, so normal wall-voltage electrical appliance caution is
warranted.
When you are removing a print from the print bed with a sharp spatula, watch your fingers to avoid getting
cut. When removing support material from a 3D print, wear protective glasses and make sure your periph-
eral tools (picks, rotary sanding tools) are stored in a safe place. There are more safety tips you will learn
from user forums, the manufacturer’s website, and experience.
TASK 3: CHOOSE THE BEST PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT FOR YOUR 3D PRINTER
One of the nice things about creating a makerspace for your 3D printing work area is that the actual equip-
ment, tools, and accessories can be contained in a relatively small area. Many people even use 3D printers
directly on the same desk as their computer! We recommend, however, that you use a table that is dedi-
cated to the 3D printer, as we learned the hard way, movements, spilled coffee, and bumping the desk are
not conducive to good prints.
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FIGURE 96: 3D printer belt and pulley crushing paper, showing the potential pinch hazards
There are other components you need to watch. Many 3D printers have belts and rods that move, which can
present pinch hazards. Exercise caution and make sure to keep fingers, hair, and clothing away from the
moving parts when they are in operation (Figure 9-6).
Many 3D printer kits have exposed electrical wires and non-enclosed electrical components. 3D print-
ers also run on electrical power from a wall outlet, so normal wall-voltage electrical appliance caution is
warranted.
When you are removing a print from the print bed with a sharp spatula, watch your fingers to avoid getting
cut. When removing support material from a 3D print, wear protective glasses and make sure your periph-
eral tools (picks, rotary sanding tools) are stored in a safe place. There are more safety tips you will learn
from user forums, the manufacturer’s website, and experience.
TASK 3: CHOOSE THE BEST PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT FOR YOUR 3D PRINTER
One of the nice things about creating a makerspace for your 3D printing work area is that the actual equip-
ment, tools, and accessories can be contained in a relatively small area. Many people even use 3D printers
directly on the same desk as their computer! We recommend, however, that you use a table that is dedi-
cated to the 3D printer, as we learned the hard way, movements, spilled coffee, and bumping the desk are
not conducive to good prints.
In the beginning of our business, we had more failed 3D prints than we care to remember. It often took
hours of trial and error to figure out what factors actually caused the failure. You can get a jump ahead by
learning from our experience!
HERE ARE OUR TOP ITEMS TO CONSIDER WHEN CHOOSING THE BEST ENVIRONMENT
FOR YOUR PRINTER:
DOES THE ROOM TEMPERATURE FLUCTUATE TOO MUCH? Garages are notorious for heat and cold fluc-
tuations. In the summer they are too hot, in the winter too cold. Too-high temperatures can negatively affect
the viscosity of resin, as well as causing stepper motors to not work properly and potentially overheat. Find
a place where you can control the temperature and keep it around 70 degrees Fahrenheit. We print in our
garage, so we bought a powerful heating and cooling air conditioning unit to moderate the temperatures.
Check the BTU ratings before you buy, and make sure the ratings match the size of your room.
GOT KIDS? We have a very curious eight-year-old who loves to get his hands on anything that looks even
vaguely interesting…..and 3D printers certainly fit that description! Assume little hands will want to touch
the sound-making, toy-producing machine and place your 3D printer appropriately out of their reach. In
addition to their safety, any stray touch can upset the calibration of the printer bed and cause prints to fail.
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Third-Party Resins
Although many say that the fumes from heating fila-
ment in a 3D printer are safe, we feel it’s prudent to
run a HEPA filter near your 3D printer and/or to have
some sort of ventilation near an open window that
isn’t blowing directly on the 3D printer. The filament
material ABS, for example, smells much stronger than
PLA for a reason. The “S” in ABS stands for “styrene,”
which is a known irritant to the respiratory system.
If you want to learn more, take a look at a study done
by the University of Illinois that tested 3D printers for
fumes emitted by FDM printers. The study found that
3D printers while in operation produced nanoparticle
emissions similar to or higher than cooking with a gas
stove. These nanoparticles can be absorbed more
easily into the respiratory system than other types
of particles so it is important to provide for the best
ventilation you can. The study did not say what effects
those nanoparticles would have on a typical person,
but the study did state that ABS produced 10x the emissions of PLA—which is why we recommend printing
with PLA. As an overarching statement we will say this: any time you are printing with any type of printer,
use ventilation. This applies with odorous filaments, as well as ones you cannot smell. Assume there are fine
particles coming from the printer in the air, and figure out a way to get good airflow in your fabrication area.
Figure 9-7 shows a relatively inexpensive ($250) setup that helps remove odors and particulates from the
print area. The setup is housing two EPAX3D resin printers, but would work well for FDM printers as well.
This particular enclosure was actually designed for growing marijuana, but was purchased for a different
but associated (reduce odor) use. If you look at the top of the picture, you can see a metallic duct connected
to a fan on the inside top of the enclosure. This duct vents outside, with odors propelled by the fan. This
design works very well for removing odors, but also carries another risk: If any 3D printer inside were to
have a “thermal event”, otherwise known as a fire, the enclosure may help the flames spread. Keep in mind
the previous advice to always monitor your 3D printer(s) when you are running prints!
FIGURE 97: An enclosure well suited for the removal of
fumes / odors caused by the printing process. Note the
exhaust duct coming from the top, venting to outside the
building.
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BEWARE OF AIRFLOW AND SUNLIGHT. An errant breeze from an air conditioning unit that you cannot feel
unless your hand is behind the printer, can spell disaster on your printing process, cooling some sections of
your print but not others. An open window can bring some unwanted heat or air currents as well. You should
still have proper ventilation, just be sure to place the printer not in line with air currents. If you’re printing
with resin, you will want your print station away from sources of UV light in order to not prematurely cure
your resin.
BEWARE OF UNWANTED MOVEMENT. Whether you have a high-traffic area or an unstable table that
wobbles too much when the 3D printer head is moving back and forth, realize that every bump and shake
of the table can affect your printer in unwanted ways. Earlier we mentioned that it’s not a good idea to have
your 3D printer on the same desk as your computer. This is why.
THINK ABOUT POWER SOURCES. Your workstation should be within good distance of a power outlet that
you can use with surge protectors. People even put UPS (uninterruptible power supply) systems on their
printer’s electrical line so if the power goes out, the print will not be lost. Some printers (like the Prusa
MK3S) have a feature where if the power goes out, then next time the power comes back on, the printer will
warm up, and start printing from the last place it left off. Only a small surface defect will be evident if this
happens (hopefully!).
TABLE PLACEMENT. It’s preferred that your work table not be placed against a wall so that you can move
around all sides freely. 3D printers need maintenance, and some have components located on the back that
you might need to access frequently.
3D PRINTERS MAKE NOISE. Some models can take hours or days to print. We recommend not placing the
printer in your bedroom, or even the shared wall of your bedroom.
If your printer does not come with the ability to self-manage its own prints via SD card, you will need to dedi-
cate a computer to the printing process for the entirety of the print. Make sure your computer does not enter
into sleep mode during the print!
STORE YOUR MATERIALS PROPERLY! We talked about proper storage and handling of both filament and
resin in Chapters 4 and 6 respectively, but it’s worth stating again. Many filaments absorb moisture from the
air, and keeping that moisture out will be one key to successful prints. Though resin does not have moisture
issues, temperature changes can cause failed prints when working with resin.
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SETTING UP SHOP IN YOUR GARAGE? Here are some special considerations and suggestions to keep in mind:
• Dust is not your friend. Keeping the garage area, floor, and workspace free of dust will help
prevent dust from being an unwanted part of your print!
• As mentioned before, try to get the temperature to stay as consistent as possible. We have a lot of
windows in our garage, so using 3M foil tape helped keep the temperature inside more consistent.
• Keep open windows about 6 feet away from your printer to allow for proper ventilation. Or
use a HEPA filter that is rated for VOCs. Weather permitting, open the garage door to get good
ventilation.
• If possible, the environment in your garage should be relatively dry because too much moisture
could render the filament unusable. Filament should remain dry and stored properly in a plastic
bin with silica packs, on the floor of the garage.
• If you keep a refrigerator or freezer in your garage, set up your workspace on the opposite side
of the garage. We don’t recommend that your printer share power outlets with other major appli-
ances like refrigerators, freezers, washing machines and dryers, etc.
• If you are printing with resin, have your disposable gloves and washing station easily reachable
to prevent drips of rein on your floor. Also a paper towel stand is useful for wiping up any spilled
resin (you can even cure that paper towel to harden the resin for easier disposal). Resin printing
requires an extra water source/post-processing area.
• Have at least a 3’ x 3’ x 3’ space for the printer and your work area.
• Get a standard tabletop or workbench. You may need one or two of these depending on the size of
your 3D printer. Each should be at least 24” x 24” with a 28” sitting height.
• Locate and use a nearby electrical outlet with an attached surge protector to protect the printer.
• Allocate a space for your computer (if your printer requires a physical connection to one).
• Have handy a standard USB cable to connect the printer to your desktop computer or laptop (if
necessary). Your printer may have come with one.
PRINTING AND PROCESSING ITEMS TO CONSIDER BUYING:
1. Have one of the following to help FDM prints stick to the build plate: extra-strength glue stick, blue
painter’s tape (try to find 2” wide or wider if possible), or for those of you printing with a heated
build plate, Kapton tape. If using painter’s tape, avoid brands with excessively waxy residue that
might prevent adhesion.
2. Get a 3D printer toolkit (for edging and scraping excess glue off the print bed after printing). Octave 3D
Printer Tool Kit A is a good choice for around $20.
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