@MrChips I suspect I'm going to be having some fun with this. Right now I'm looking to create some custom enclosures for some of the things I've made for around the house, but my first test print of a puppy dog on the SD card got me thinking...

I made a test print of a 1/2" cube with a recess, an object I created in FreeCad and sliced in Cura. Wasn't the best with a lot of layer artifacts but still a nice starting point.

I'm currently printing in PLA+ but want to make the jump to ABS when I have more experience (and a glass bed and a surround).

If you have a link to a place to learn I would appreciate it.

 

A job for the 3D printer pops up every day. I am building a cyclone dust collector for my wood workshop. The cyclone came in today and of course the inlet and outlet ports don't match up with my vacuum hoses. The ports are 50mm diameter. My hoses are 2". So I'm off to make a 50mm -> 50.8mm adapter (with adjustments to make a tighter fit). (Most people would just duct tape it but I'm not most people, OCD shall we say.)

Printing ABS is tricky. Learn the ropes first with PLA before trying ABS.
I don't have a specific link but there's plenty of info in the web. What I have learned comes from experience, trial and error, and of course searching the internet.

When you are ready I will give you my lowdown on printing with ABS.

 

Since you've already printed your first object you have passed the first hurdle.
In any case I will tell you my initial errors made.

1) I missed the instructions on how to set up the zero micro-switch for the Z-axis. I ended up leaving a permanent score on the heating bed. In the end I printed a tiny spacer block that set the correct elevation for the micro-switch in case I ever have to undo it.

2) Make sure that the filament coming off the spool never gets crossed otherwise you end up with a filament jam.

3) Leveling the bed is crucial. You want to squish the first layer by just the right amount. Not enough squish and the object will not stick to the bed.

4) I always monitor the print for the first few layers. After that I check on it occasionally. It's like watching paint dry, as they say. Large narrow objects will fall over. You need to know when to use supports and adhesion. I have had filaments break while printing. You don't want to come back and find a ball of mess on your printer.

Edit: I have copied the last few posts to a new thread:
https://forum.allaboutcircuits.com/threads/tips-on-using-a-3d-printer.176295/

 

I'm shopping for a 3D printer I can manage with one hand. I figure I'll be back at Maker Space before I will have saved enough to get one.