3D Printing Details

Briefly, these are the steps needed to produce a 3D-printed object.

1. Dream-up the object you want
2. Find a suitable object online, or design one yourself in a CAD program
3. Prepare the CAD file for printing
4. Print the object on a 3D printer

Let's take a quick look at each of these steps.

1. Dream-up the object you want

Not long ago, if you needed to make something, your options were limited. You might craft it from wood or metal if you had the tools, but often you were left thinking, "if only...." Today, it's literally, "if you can dream it, you can make it."

2. Find an object to download or design one yourself

(Note: Each link below opens in a new tab. Close it to return here.)

It's likely you're not the only person in the world you needs a "widget" for some purpose. Many times, you can find just what you need on Thingiverse, or similar 3D file-sharing site. Create an account and browse the offerings. When you find one, download it and move on to step 3 below.

If you can't find what you need on Thingiverse or similar sites, you can design it yourself using free CAD software. DesignSpark offers subscriptions to design software. The Explorer package includes three programs, but we're interested in Mechanical, a free program that runs on Windows PCs.

3. Prepare the CAD file for printing

Whether you download a ready-made file or design the part yourself, you'll end with what is known as an STL file. This intermediate file must be processed by another program called a "slicer" to produce a G-code file that your printer reads to produce the model.

Slicers are free, and usually one comes on a flash drive with the 3D printer. Follow the included instructions to install and use it on your PC.

4. Print the object

An entry-level 3D printer costs about $250, and reads a G-code file to produce the model. Printing time can be long, and varies greatly depending on the size and complexity of your model. Fortunately, you don't need to sit and watch. Start it and let it run – even overnight if necessary.