November 2017 – Page 37 – 3d Printer reviews and information

So you know someone who has a 3d printer, and you are looking to get them a gift, but you aren’t quite sure what to get them? Here is a printer agnostic idea guide to get you started! The categories are broken down by cost range. I’ll use amazon links where possible for simplicity. These items may possibly be available elsewhere for lower cost. Please feel free to add your own ideas as well!Note: Since there are so few resin printers out there, I’m concentrating on filament based printer ideas here. This also isn’t the “I want to buy a 3d printer for someone as a gift” idea thread. It’s intended for the “they already have a 3d printer what should I buy them” idea seeker.$1-$30A nozzle variety pack $6 – Most, though not all 3d printers use an E3Dv6 compatible nozzle these days. Grabbing a variety pack can give some options to your 3d printer , and if they don’t fit they were only $6 (it’s the thought that counts right?)http://ift.tt/2j8Xcns cleaning bits $13 – Require a steady hand to use and are fairly fragile, but these can come in very handy for cleaning a blocked nozzle. http://ift.tt/2ApjfdT edger $14 – A leather edger is useful for removing brim and edge defects on long flat surfaces and is in several cases preferable to a deburring tool http://ift.tt/2jbuKBh portable parts organizer $15 – as you 3d print more things, you will tend to generate a collection of various sized bolts and spare parts and whatnot. Having someplace to put those, especially a portable unit can be useful! http://ift.tt/2ArQxJe Barrel crimp tool for wire terminals – $16 – 3d printers have wireing harnesses that need modification or upgrade from time to time. These barrel crimpers for larger wires and barrel pin connectors come in handy for making those connections securely and much better than those generic crimpers in the store. http://ift.tt/2j8XdI2 reamer $17 – 3d printers don’t always print clean holes, especially for parts sitting on the heated bed. A tool like this will clean up the edges of the hole and make it easier to pass bolts through. http://ift.tt/2Apjg1r thermometer $18 – 3d printers have various components that knowing what temperature they are operating at is key. While not 100% accurate, this type of thermometer will allow a 3d printer user to troubleshoot hotend, bed, and motor issues with a fair degree of reliability. http://ift.tt/2jbuLoP spatula – $21 – This part removal tool looks odd, and I bought it on a whim, but I find I really use it quite a bit as my primary part remover these days. http://ift.tt/2ApjghX gun – $26 – Good for smoothing small stringy fillaments http://ift.tt/2j8XevA Mango II Deburring tool $26 – This tool is very useful for removing brim remnants or other plastic bits from a 3d printed part http://ift.tt/2Asb8No assorted metric bolt kit $26 – 3d printers usually use metric measurements for various reasons, so using metric hardware can be very useful. Having a kit on hand with assorted lengths can be useful when designing things. http://ift.tt/2j8XeM6 bag of heat set inserts and an inserting tip $29 – It can be very useful to add nut threads into a 3d printed part, but many people aren’t sure how to do that or where to get the inserts or insertion tools. The links below go to a tip to insert M3 heat set inserts and the inserts themselves. You will also want a locally sourced soldering iron (hence the $29 estimated cost) http://ift.tt/2yFdED3 http://ift.tt/2Atf2pF saver vaccume bags and dessecant packs ~$30 – Unused plastic fillament, particularily PLA and Nylon needs to be kept from humidity. A good way to do that is reusable vacuume storage bags with a dessecant pack. You can also go with a more expensive food saver style powered vacuume sealer as well in the $99 range. The larger 5lb spools require a fairly big 16″ x 16″ x 7 inside size bag. Most of the smaller 1.2 lb spools will fit in an 8″ x 8″ x 6″ bag. http://ift.tt/2j8Xf2C http://ift.tt/2Asb93U Digital verneir calipers $40 – These are a set of very accurate, well built digital calipers with a port for using an optional computer output. About the best calipers you can find in the price range short of the $300 units. http://ift.tt/2j8Xg6G TPU 3d printing flexible filament $51 – Ninjaflex is a flexible rubber like material that can be 3d printed. It comes in a variety of colors, sizes and weights. You will want to know what size filament your 3d printing giftee uses before buying this, but filament is basically printer ink for a 3d printer, so you can never have too much. http://ift.tt/2Apjh5v or Woodfill 3d printer filament $37-ish – filled fillaments are basically PLA plastic with wood or metal powder embedded into the plastic. The resulting parts look and feel similar to wood or metal. It’s one of those products that are fun to play with, but cost more than normal plastic so a 3d printing enthusiast might not buy it for themselves. Comes in different sizes and weights, make sure you know what size filament your printing friend uses http://ift.tt/2yF3XV6 http://ift.tt/2Apjhm1 vernier caliper – $30 to $50, 150mm 0.02mm accuracy http://ift.tt/2j8XgUe MS8229 Multimeter $42 , great to find problems http://ift.tt/2Apji9z E3Dv6 hotend – $64 – Regardless of what type of 3d printer you have, a spare hotend is always a welcome addition. This works as either a spare, or a future upgrade kit. Comes in 2 sizes, so find out what kind of filament your 3d printing friend uses (3.00mm or 1.75mm and decide accordingly) http://ift.tt/2j7COTN Inc. PAD-11 crimp pin tool – $68 – 3d printers have wire harnesses, and they often need repair or modification. These are the best pin crimpers on the planet. The $40 PA-09 smaller handle crimpers also work very well. Links for both below http://ift.tt/2m1KO9N http://ift.tt/2j9h4Xs Openbuilds part store gift certificate (or any other 3d printer part supplier for that matter) $howevermuch you want to spend – Some people prefer gift cards. You can buy lots of extrusion goodies at the openbuilds store, and that one supports open source designs. Other good choices are the makerstoolworks store, E3D, or whatever manufacturer made their 3d printer. http://ift.tt/2ApjiX7 plusAn E3D Titan Aero extruder for 1.75mm filament $123 – One of the newer more compact 3d printer extruders on the market, the Titan Aero is new enough that most 3d printers aren’t going to already have one. They do make a larger size version for 3.00mm filament as well, so you may want to find out what size filament your 3d printing buddy uses before buying one of these. But they are a neat upgrade project for a technically savvy 3d printer user. http://ift.tt/2j8Xhrg infrared camera for your smartphone – $180 – $200 – A picture is worth a thousand words, and being able to see exactly where on your heated bed or 3d printer motor set a problem is at can save so much time. Plus they are useful for checking house insulation and window seals. They come in a variety of flavors, for android or apple style smartphones (standalone units also exist but expect to pay $400) Be sure to select android or Ios-apple accordingly: http://ift.tt/2ApjjKF delta 3d printer $340 – Wait, what? They already have a 3d printer? The only thing better than one 3d printer is 2 3d printers! And the delta style units use a different mechanical setup than most 3d printers out there. If they don’t already have a delta 3d printer (if it looks different than a large triangular-ish tower it’s not a delta) then this can be a fun way for them to try a new 3d printing technology. There are lots of printer kits out there, check reviews and budgets and purchase accordingly. http://ift.tt/2yDD2cd http://ift.tt/2m1KPKT