Topic outline
- General
General
A 3D printer can be a finicky piece of hardware, and you don’t want to be dealing with a filament problem or breakdown right in the middle of making your latest work of genius. Like any machine, you need to take care of it. This rule applies to 3D printers more than most, because – let’s face it, the quality of manufacture of most consumer 3D printers isn’t quite where we’d like it to be.
This is where 3D printer maintenance comes in. To get the cost of the hardware down, some (not all, but some) companies have tried to get away with lower-quality components, requiring owners to do far more regular maintenance and modding than on your standard household appliances (or even on your old non-3D printer – can you remember the last time you put any maintenance into that)? The quality of 3D printers is coming up, but right now, it is what it is.
Not to fear. Let’s go over some of the best ways to take care of your 3D printer and keep it happy. Every 3D printer is different, and online forums can be helpful for particular manufacturers, but here are some general 3D printer maintenance tips that apply across the board.