Arduino/Clone Kits![]()
Most of us print toys and the random Print of the week cough furry lion cough but I like to think I print important things as well. These Arduino based kits are cheap and give you great places to start. A lot of people will tell you to just buy the electronics you need but it’s hard to plan for that. I think of Arduino kits as Idea starters. They come with enough stuff to build the outlines of an idea then you just need to refine it and buy the remaining parts. with kits like these, you can draw up a small version of the idea Say building a CNC and test codes using the provided stepper and driver then build something bigger. Once you have your base, Arduino, you can buy smaller ones or build your own into whatever project you’re working on. If you have one of these kits around you can also fix a 3d printer board like the MKS base if the bootloader is wiped or missing. Check that out here How to Fix a Bricked 3D Printer board.
25 Piece 3D Printer Tool Kit
This is one of those things we all should have but don’t either because we think we already have all these tools or we don’t think we need them. It’s not hard to find everything separately but it’s not going to be much cheaper than this kit. Glue stick aside everything there is a must-have if you own a 3d printer. from getting the print off the bed to clean up. you will easily spend more than $30 shopping for those separately. If you look hard enough I’m sure you can get them cheaper but if you just want a catch-all kit that you can put next to your printer this is a great start.
Extruder Nozzle cleaning kit
If you don’t have a nozzle cleaning set or you are thinking about buying a printer make sure you get one of these or something like it. I have this exact set. It costs a bit more than others you find on amazon but you can’t own a 3d printer and not have these. Well, you can but you will get a clog from hell one day and wish you had a .4mm drill bit. I like these more than something like a guitar string which does work but the bit grabs the plastic and pulls it out where the wire will just push it around. What’s nice about this set is the wide plastic grips that make turning the bit by hand much easier. If you don’t have these do yourself a favor and get some even if they are the cheap $2 Chinese ones. You will thank me when that clog happens.
NANCH Precision Screwdriver Set
I picked up this set a couple years back and it is my favorite driver set. It fits all standard Precision bits so even if you don’t see one that you need in it getting more isn’t difficult. What sets this apart from most is the longer than normal bits. It makes me just built 3d printer and the design wasn’t the greatest for driver location. The long thin bits made getting into those tight spaces much easier. On the topic of building 3d printer kits make sure you Loctite ever single screw and nut. Seriously I had to take the whole printer back apart and Loctite everything because 2 days after assembly it had vibrated loose enough to wobble like it was made of jello.
XTC-3D High-Performance 3D Print Coating
By now it’s been on the market long enough to have a good reputation. I mostly print in abs so smoothing involves acetone but pla and other filaments don’t smooth as easy this is a godsend. Some details are so difficult to sand smooth enough to paint. This just makes things so much easier. I give everything a light sanding to both smooth things out and give the coating more to grab onto then apply as directed. If you want to print things to make molds from this is the best way to go. This stuff makes mold making from prints less time consuming and irritating. I use a food-grade silicon to make chocolates and other candies this time of year and this year I decided to use this on my prints before applying making my molds. things turned out so much better this year.
Sources
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These are great kits which everyone should own if they have one of these printers.
Not required but a disclaimer is always nice if you are going to use affiliate links like that.
I think thats a great idea if Nathan doesnt respond i will pass this on to him.
Updated
Brilliant guys, thank you for being so responsive. I only meant for future posts. Disclosure and transparency are good and actually add credibility, especially if you own the items too.
Great post, the only thing I would add is those tiny drill bits take a VERY steady hand. Really easy to snap them off inside the nozzle/hotend, Which really compounds a clog with a broken bit inside. That leads to complete disassembly and a learning experience. 🙂 And a new set of bits.
thanks good info
Kept meaning to order nozzle cleaning set, this guide is awesome and reminded me!
Some great ideas here.
Peace!
I’ll agree with most of your suggestions, but I think that, unless you are buying it as a gift, the 25 piece toolkit is a pass. You can usually assemble your own kit for about the same price and end up with higher quality items. It’s not a terrible idea to buy a kit. Especially if you are brand new to 3D printing, but many folks will have of the toolkit already laying around their house. You just need to gather them together.
If you are a beginner a kit will give you a better idea of what is needed. Buying your own is fine but a pre assembled kit will give a nice well rounded starting place.
I want that screwdriver set! The XTC Print Coating Is safe to coat food molds with? I never thought about making food molds but that sounds interesting. I have piles of tools all around the house/garage I need to put in one place! I’m sure I could find a lot of what I need but I would like to have a dedicated set of tools just for the 3D printer. These all look perfect for the job. Thanks!