I remember putting together my first 3D printer kit almost 10 years ago. I had pieces of laser-cut plywood and hours of Youtube videos to go through for the instructions, then fiddling with settings, more fiddling, and finally I had a working 3D printer.
It’s not that hard nowadays. Basically:
- Spend less than $300 to get a printer. I am recommending the Creality Ender 3 Pro which is available on Amazon for about $280 (or less)
- Get a box which has everything you need to start printing, including the tools for assembly. You’ll spend about 2 hours putting it together with the enclosed instructions (and yes, there’s a Youtube video also).
- Connect to your computer or a Raspberry Pi running Octoprint.
- Use one of the models that come with the printer and print your first 3D object.
Using non-toxic materials like PLA gives very satisfying results and also means you are not limited to running your 3D printer in the garage.
As we’re putting together the prospectus for this online course, aimed at middle- and high-school age (and above), please do check back for updates.