3D printing is an excellent way to use and reuse plastic, but when you finish a long print job, you may wonder what to do with your old 3D printer filament spools. Next time you have an empty spool, don’t throw it out! There are tons of creative ways to repurpose and upcycle them. 

Bridging –connecting two raised components of a 3D printed part with unsupported layers of filament– is a finicky process that takes a bit of practice and adjustment to master. However, you can achieve unbelievably long 3D printed bridges if you find the correct settings for your filament, printer, and design.  A 3D printer can bridge …

Different filaments require different temperatures to print, and if the settings are incorrect, it can lead to the filament not being hot enough or overheating your 3D printer.

Extruders are the heart of your 3D printer, and they manipulate your filament and turn it into a viscous liquid suitable for creating a 3D print. However, these blocks — full of various parts — can be confusing if you don’t know what’s under the hood.

PVA isn’t everyone’s go-to filament choice since it can be pretty costly, but it has properties that make it highly desirable for almost any 3D printing project.

Creating accurate designs also hinges on your 3D printer’s ability to preserve detail, and some types of 3D printers do that better than others. 

PETG tends to stick to a 3D printer’s glass bed due to the strong bonding of the thermoplastic filament with the heated surface. You may feel a need to apply force or exert some pressure when using a spatula to scrape and remove PETG models, but that is not an ideal approach.

Allowing your stash to get too large can result in expired filaments, which may interfere with the quality of your 3D prints. 

3D printer bed clips tend to get in the way, and they will interfere with the area available on your print bed. However, what if I told you that you could secure anything to your print bed without using bed clips with a bit of creativity?

Knowing how much useful life you can expect from a 3D printer is therefore helpful when deciding on any purchase.