The Market of One

Starting to create your own objects can be a hard process but it doesn’t have to be. The most basic step to making your object a reality is by getting an STL File ready to print. These “STereoLithography” files provide your object in a format printing software like MakerWare or ReplicatorG can then “slice” into layers and create commands for your printer. The best way to become familiar with these files is to look at Thingiverse and load them into your software of choice. You can experiment with the settings for your printer and dial them in for the best print quality or allow printing more complicated objects.

In order for the STL file to be able to be printed you have to make sure it is water tight, even the smallest gap can cause printing problems. These gaps will stop any printing software from being able to process it, but can generally be easy solved. NetFabb  is one of the easiest methods of doing so. You can upload your STL file to their website and you will be provided with an watertight STL ready to print. Once you have your STL file ready to print you should visualize how it will slice and print. Every print is only as good as it’s first layer, if you have a print that won’t stick to the bed no settings can every fix it. You can tackle this problem by aligning your print to have print on the side with the most surface area first, or adding on pieces like break off “ears” to the corners. In addition to having your print stick to the bed you also should think about how its features will print.

Building layers upon layers can sometimes be used to your advantage to have the process better reflect the objects features. Screw holes for instance might print more accurately vertically then horizontally. You might also be able to minimize the amount of “bridging” where the printer quickly drags filament across a gap which can sometimes result in problems. Learning how to best use your printer is always a long process but it is important to remember that filament is cheap and there is nothing wrong with a few failed attempts.