3D Printing

Makerspace has 6 Ultimaker 3D printers available to students, staff, and faculty:

  • Three S3 printers
  • Two S5 printers
  • One S7 printer

Please see the 3D printing rules and guidelines on this page.

Makerspace strives to be as sustainable as possible. Please be mindful of how and why you use materials.

Where to Start

3D printing can seem intimidating but getting started is easy! Creating an Identity Token is the first step for anyone wanting to 3D print at Makerspace. Click here to learn more about Cura and Slicing!

Identity Token Tutorial

All new Makerspace 3D printer users must complete this beginner project as their first 3D print and before printing anything else.

3D Print in 2 Colours

Ultimaker’s double extruders means double the colours! Follow this tutorial to learn how to make multi-coloured prints.

Onshape

A step up from TinkerCAD. Includes self-paced courses for learning it’s features and capabilties.

Onshape for Education

Onshape is a professional-grade, cloud-native CAD platform that students and educators can access for FREE. Click here to access website and sign up.

Ultimaker Cura Walkthrough

The basics of using the Ultimaker Cura software.

Callum Prints

3D Printing Rules

Our guidelines are designed to increase access to 3D printing, encourage original design and creativity, encourage eco-friendly practices, and cut down on unsuccessful prints.

Getting Started

  • You must finish the identity token tutorial on our website and agree to these rules before you start printing.
  • If you don’t follow these rules, you might not be allowed to use the 3D printers anymore. Staff always has the final say on printing.
  • If there’s a problem with the printers, please tell a staff member right away.

What you can print

  • You can print ready-made designs (like those you find online) that take under four hours.
  • You can print your own designs that will be done by 9AM the following day.
  • Longer prints require the permission of the Makerspace Librarian. We’re more likely to say yes to prints you’ve designed, improved through trial and error, or that have a significant purpose.
  • Absolutely no weapons, weapon parts, items that look like weapons, or anything that’s copyrighted.

Printing Process

  • Printers are available on a first-come, first-served basis, or you can reserve some online through our website.
  • Ask staff to assign you a printer. Only print on your assigned printer.
  • Prints must be checked and approved by staff before being sent to the printer.

When a print fails

  • When a print fails and you want to re-print it, please fill out a “print failure report” explaining what happened and give it to staff when you’re ready to re-print the object.

3D Printing Guidelines

Materials

  • PLA is the material most objects are printed with in the Makerspace. It is the least expensive and easiest to print with material.
  • Advanced materials (PVA/BVOH/TPU/Wood-based PLA) can be used once you’ve printed a few (2-3) objects and where they make sense for the print.
  • Do a test print with PLA before you try a new print with more advanced materials, especially if it it a big print.
  • Large or complex prints using advanced materials may be referred to the Makerspace Librarian.

Settings

  • Start with these settings unless you need different settings for a specific reason:
    • Infill: 10-20%
    • Resolution: .15-.2mm
    • Adhesion: on
  • We want you to experiment with settings but test them on a small print first if you haven’t used them before.
  • Talk to staff before changing advanced settings in Cura or any settings on the 3D printers.
  • When you are done, reset the settings for the next person.

Support

  • For most things use PLA as your support material.
  • When using PVA/BVOH as support material explore the “interface” setting for big items to increase the chance of it working.

General Tips

  • Explore how changing the orientation of an object can decrease the print time, the need for support material, or increase the quality of the print.
  • Try prototyping large or complicated objects by printing smaller test versions or parts of objects first.

Did Your 3D Print Fail?

3D prints fail for all sorts of reasons — the print didn’t stick to the bed, the design needed adjusting, the material ran out, or the printer had an error. This is normal. Figuring out what went wrong is an important part of learning to 3D print.

When a print fails and you want to try again, you need to fill out a 3D Reprint Plan form. Forms are available at the front desk and on the poster near the printers.

The form has two sections:

If your print failed on its own: Fill out the bottom section. It will ask you what you think went wrong and what you plan to change. Bring the completed form to a staff member when you are ready to reprint.

If a staff member removed your print: We filled out the top section to explain what happened. You still need to fill out the bottom section before we can help you reprint.

Strategies for fixing failed prints

Most print failures come down to a small number of common causes. Here are the most useful things to check and change before you try again.

  • Make sure your first layer sticks. Many print failures start at the bottom. Check that your model is lowered all the way to the build plate in Cura and that adhesion is turned on in your slicer settings.
  • Change your orientation. Rotating your model in Cura can reduce the amount of support material needed, decrease print time, and improve quality. Try a few orientations and watch how the estimated time changes.
  • Lower your resolution. A resolution of 0.15–0.2mm works well for most prints. Higher resolution (a smaller number, like 0.08mm) adds many more layers and takes significantly longer without improving quality for most designs.
  • Lower your infill. 10–20% infill is enough for most projects. Higher infill makes prints take much longer and use more material, but usually does not make them much stronger.
  • Reduce or rethink your supports. Not every overhang needs support. Try reorienting your model first. If you do need supports, tree supports use less material and are usually easier to remove.
  • Check your material. Make sure the right filament is loaded and that there is enough to finish your print. Wait five minutes after your print starts to confirm the material is coming out correctly before you walk away.
  • Do a small test first. Before printing the full object, print a small section of it. This lets you check your settings and design without spending hours on a print that needs changes.
  • Ask staff before you print. Staff and Student Ambassadors can look at your slicer file before you submit. It is much easier to fix a problem before printing than after.

Sample Projects

  • Origami Carabiner by ddf3d.com

3D Printing Project Posts

Take a look at some of the more recent projects our staff, student research assistants, or community members have made.