Choosing and running a 3D printer
Getting a 3D Printer for Your Kids? What Makes One Easy and Safe Enough to Start With?
Summary
For ease of use, look for a printer that arrives assembled or sets up quickly, handles bed leveling and other calibration on its own, and warns you when filament runs out. No printer removes the basic hazards: the nozzle and bed get hot and parts move. Flashforge's manual says children and untrained people shouldn't operate the printer alone, so an adult needs to be there.
Setup and calibration
Bambu Lab's beginner guide names five things to look for: easy setup, ease of use (automatic bed leveling, a touchscreen, automatic calibration), support such as spare parts and warranty, print quality, and price.
The Bambu Lab A1 mini comes fully assembled and calibrates the Z-offset, bed level, vibration, and nozzle pressure before every print. It has filament run-out and tangle sensors and power-loss recovery, and Bambu Lab suggests it for schools that move a printer between classrooms. Its build volume is 180 × 180 × 180 mm, so anything bigger has to be printed in pieces.
Flashforge says the Adventurer 5M sets up in 10 minutes or less and levels itself with one click. It prints up to 220 × 220 × 220 mm and isn't compatible with ABS filaments.
Warnings in the Adventurer 5M manual
- Children and untrained people shouldn't run the printer alone.
- Don't touch the nozzle while it's printing, or the extruder and build plate during or right after a print. Let them cool before taking the model off.
- Moving parts can cause injuries, so don't wear scarves, masks, gloves, jewelry, or anything else that can get caught.
- Run it somewhere with good ventilation. ABS can give off toxic gases when heated, and Flashforge suggests printing non-toxic materials such as PLA where children spend time.
- Don't print food storage containers, and don't put printed models in your mouth.
Sources
- Flashforge — Adventurer 5M user manual
- Flashforge — Adventurer 5M
- Bambu Lab — Best 3D Printer for Beginners
- Bambu Lab — A1 mini
Specs and prices are as published on these pages on the date above and can change; check the manufacturer or retailer before you buy.