this post was submitted on 10 Apr 2026
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3D Printing

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I'm pretty excited, I ordered the Kobra X, along with 9kg of various colour filaments.

I'm wondering if I'm missing some stuff like bed glue, a scraping tool or things I haven't even thought of. What do I need in preparation?

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[–] AdrianTheFrog@lemmy.world 2 points 3 days ago

If it doesn't come with the 3d printer, a pair of flush cutters is insanely useful. Just be careful with them, especially if you have a cheap pair. Probably wear eye protection.

If you think you would find them useful, there are also filaments at different levels of softness, bounciness, and foaming variants of those. Particularly useful for the soft ones as you can get different levels of softness by changing printing temperature. For any it helps to decrease weight.

For 3D modeling software, Fusion is good but annoying to obtain, Onshape is good but has a non-commercial license for the free version (and makes all of your files public), Freecad is FOSS, decent but not quite as good, Blender is good for detailed or sculpted things that are more art-y (although it's often very difficult to achieve certain shapes that are easy in actual CAD software)

My modelling advice is to keep in mind where supports will go, what places can be bridged, what details the printer can achieve, what axis the vertical should go on (for strength)

[–] Grimy@lemmy.world 3 points 3 days ago

Fusion 360 has a free version. It seems daunting but it's not too hard to use after a few YouTube videos. Printing is fun but printing something you designed is really something.

[–] Ek-Hou-Van-Braai@piefed.social 3 points 3 days ago (2 children)

Before someone complains about my 3D printer brand choice, Yes I know Fuck Anycubic.

I did countless hours of research, and I know they're a scummy company, but at least they flirt with being Open-Source, and for my first printer, and it being multi colour at that price, it was either this or not buying one at all.

I hate being left wing sometimes

[–] ThePyroPython@lemmy.world 1 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

It's ok mate, the first printer experience I had was at university trying to coax a bricked Makerbot they had back into working... Not a fun time haha.

If you get into the hobby you won't stop at just a single printer, especially if you learn how to maintain and repair them. Then you'll be able to buy a cheap second hand one from a more open source company if that's something you want to do.

So that'd be the next thing to look into: how to maintain and repair your printer and what consumables, spare parts, and tools you need to do that.

If it's an open frame printer, have a look at building/buying an enclosure for it, perhaps with an active heating unit and carbon + HEPA filtered ventilation for the more noxious filaments.

Then after that some method of drying your filament. And either combined with or separate from the drying: air-tight storage for your filament.

Some stick glue (pritt-stick) will be useful, as will a bed scraper, an alternative to stick glue would be something like cat's vomit (a brand of a liquid glue for printer beds, there's a few alternative suppliers around)

Welcome to the hobby!

[–] bishoponarope@lemmy.world 1 points 3 days ago (1 children)

It's cool bud. We all know what life's like right now and finding enjoyment in anything is very hard whilst having principles.

I don't have much to add except maybe an enclosure for temperature/airflow management if you're gonna print temperature sensitive filaments.

I really hope the printer works out well for you, have fun.

Thank you, I appreciate it.

[–] benderbeerman@lemmy.world 1 points 3 days ago

Congratulations on your new toy!!!

Get a good precision screwdriver set. You can get good ones on Amazon for pretty cheap or there's a nice milwaukee one for like $35usd. You will need it. Also consider getting a couple replacement thermistors and heaters and lubricant and rubbing alcohol for cleaning all the parts, and as others mentioned, cheap glue sticks. Needle nose pliers and diagonal cutters are a must for the supports.

[–] KickDownCH@feddit.org 1 points 3 days ago (1 children)

I have a bottle Isopropanol for cleaning the bed before printing.

[–] SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca 1 points 3 days ago

Poor choice. Beds are best cleaned with soap and water. IPA just dissolves oils and redeposits them when it dries.

[–] SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca 0 points 3 days ago (2 children)

Large glue sticks, they will fix 90% of problems.

[–] bunkyprewster@startrek.website 0 points 3 days ago (1 children)

What do you do with the Glue Sticks?

[–] Cort@lemmy.world 1 points 3 days ago

Coat the bed to increase bed adhesion for the first layer.

[–] Ek-Hou-Van-Braai@piefed.social 0 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Do I need special glue sticks, or just any from like a school supply store?

image This?

[–] SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca 2 points 11 hours ago

Yep..boring pva glue