I tried 3D Printer for the first time

I recently have been using a 3D printer to print stuff, and here are what I printed:

It was a lot of fun! The thing in front is a cable organizer, and the two in behind are the same - a spiral fidget toy. The fidget toy has 2 parts and can be split like this:

This all started when I notice the local library has a 3D printer that anybody can book for a 2-hour session to print whatever they would like to print. The only requirement is the print time has to be within 2 hours and the item is compatible with the printer. I have used 3 sessions so far. The larger fidget takes nearly 2 hours to finish, and the other two takes about 1 hour each.

The printer at the library is called Ultimaker S5. The library offers PLA materials in various colors for us to pick and use for printing. I don’t have a good idea about what grade this printer is, but it is quite easy to use. The library staff helped me during the first session, but for the following sessions I just go and print it on my own.

Here’s a list of steps I need to do:

1. select a design from a 3D printing website called thingyverse and download its file(s)
2. load them into Ultimaker software called Cura, and configure the files
3. load the files into the drive and plug it to the printer
4. load materials onto the printer
5. select the file to print

The library provides a computer for me to choose , and also an USB drive to transfer the file to the printer. Of course for advanced users they can always design their own files at home and bring them here just for printing.

As for the configurations, I have only used a few basic ones:

1. enlarge or shrink the item size: mostly latter to ensure the print time is within limit
2. enable adhesive: the printer will add a layer on the bottom as a foundation so the item does not wobble during the printing
3. choose one or two nozzles: if the item has 2 separate parts then two nozzles can print them in parallel and reduce the print time in half; having two nozzles also allows printing in 2 different colors
4. choose how thick the print is: the thinner the nozzle output is, the smoother the finish will be, with a longer print time

I use the medium thickness for all three prints to ensure the print time is within the limit - can’t remember the exact numbers. It shows if you take a closer look at the finish:

Overall my experience of 3D printer is very good - being able to make a toy or small item out of nothing (almost) is a bit magical. However, the print efficiency is indeed slow, and the finish is def inferior compared with that of actual industrial/commercial items.

My next goal is to explore the printer at the library more and see if I can print things with more complex structure or a better finish.