To assure high quality for your prints, post-process the said prints, or just to maintain overall 3D printer health and achieve a long service life for your device, some tools and accessories will be extremely useful. Not all of these tools are absolutely necessary to use a 3D printer but there is a high chance most of them will be useful in the near future. All of these tools will be used in different steps of the printing process and mindful 3D printer users would do themselves a big favor by having most of these equipment in their tools box.
For Printing Glue Stick If you are printing with a filament like ABS, making sure that the first layer sticks to the print surface properly can be an arduous task. Having a glue stick around and applying it before the printing starts will decrease the chances of the first layer not sticking a lot by allowing for better adhesion.
Hair Spray Alternatively, if you don't have a glue stick or you have just run out of it, you can use a can of hair spray for the same purpose. A can of hair spray can be just as effective at making the first layer stick to the printing surface and decrease the chances of a failed first layer.
Blue Tape Also known as painter's tape, blue tape is another effective way of making the first layer of your prints stick to the build table properly. The porous surface of the tape allows materials to stick to the surface more easily. Painter's tape is also heat resistant so it is completely usable with 3D printers that have heated chambers.
Spatula Also known as painter's tape, blue tape is another effective way of making the first layer of your prints stick to the build table properly. The porous surface of the tape allows materials to stick to the surface more easily. Painter's tape is also heat resistant so it is completely usable with 3D printers that have heated chambers.
Nozzle Set Nozzles are a relatively cheap part to buy for your 3D printer and it is always a good idea to have some extra ones lying around. Just like any part, your nozzle will have a certain service life, and when that service life runs out, it is good to have spare ones. You should also have nozzles of varying sizes in case you need a bigger or smaller one for specific prints
Caliper Some filament types have a bad tendency to shrink or warp during the printing process. This will affect the dimensional accuracy of the printed parts and ruin the tolerance of functional end-use products you print with your 3D printer. To assure dimensional accuracy and overall print health, having a digital caliper that you will use for measuring dimensions can be very useful.
Spare SD Card It is always smart to have spare SD cards if you use 3D printers. Whether to update the software of your device or to format the OS, an SD card will always come in handy eventually. One is usually not enough considering they are very small and tend to get lost fairly often.
Flush Cutter You will have to cut filament countless times when you are using a 3D printer. A number of tools can be used for this task but a flush cutter in our and countless other 3D printer users' experience is the most effective way as it allows you to cut the filament at the angle you desire.
For Maintenance Nozzle Cleaning Needle One of the most common problems you will come across in 3D printing will be a stuffed nozzle. If you have a high-quality hot end this will be less likely to happen but the chances of this problem accruing is never zero. That is why it is always good to have a nozzle cleaning needle to unclog the said nozzle easily without needing technical service
Grease and Lubricants Different mechanical parts in your 3D printer, like your belts and drive motors, will need proper lubrication and greasing to function smoothly. A lack of lubrication can cause mechanical problems and overheating. Having the right grease and lubricants will come in handy. Just remember to use the right type of lubricant on different parts.
Screwdriver Set In the service life of your 3D printer, you will eventually have to open up different parts of your 3D printers. Having a variety of screwdrivers will make the process much easier. They are an essential tool that should be in any toolbox and people usually have a couple of screwdrivers lying around, but if you don't and you are going to buy a new set, choose a set that has several tips and size options.
Hex Keys Also known as Allen keys, just like the screwdrivers, you will want to have a couple of hex keys in your toolbox for various tasks. Not only are Allen keys necessary to screw some kinds of nuts and bolts in your 3D printer, but they will also be needed to do calibration of your device, like tightening or loosening the belts.
Cleaning Products Keeping your 3D printer clean will be a big part of proper maintenance. You won't need any industrial-grade cleaning products or something. A bottle of rubbing alcohol, a couple of cleaning cloths or even some wet wipes will be sufficient for keeping the build plate and print head clean.
Wire Brush Every once in a while, you will have to clean the nozzle and hot end of your 3D printing to prevent dried filament build-up and clogging. A wire brush is the most effective way of cleaning the nozzle to get rid of stubborn residue. Remember to turn your device completely off before cleaning your hot end with the wire brush as doing so while the 3D printer is on might cause short-circuiting.
Vacuum Cleaner After using your 3D printer for a while, you will see some debris build-up at the bottom of your 3D printer's chamber. Cleaning the build-up with a brush and a pan but cleaning it with a vacuum cleaner will be much quicker and more effective. Any standard vacuum cleaner that you may have at home will do the trick just fine.
For Post-Processing Pliers When cleaning the supports from your prints, using your hand might not always be the best option. Most of the support can easily be removed this way, but some parts of the support can be especially stubborn. To avoid any harm to your hand, using a plier will be a reliable option.
Tweezers Pliers are useful to remove supports, but the tip of your pliers might not get into the smaller openings in your prints. In these cases, having a pair of tweezers will be a more effective way of removing supports. The sharper edges of the tweezers will also help you get out the stubborn support residue that might be stuck on the surface of your print.
Box Cutter A box cutter is another essential tool that should be present in every DIY household or work environment. You can use the box cutter to effectively cut unwanted parts in your new prototypes for improvements and revisions and also for cutting out support remains you can't get out with tweezers.
Sandpaper Depending on the layer height you used on your 3D print, there will be visible lines on the surface of your print that happens due to the nature of FDM printing. There are a couple of useful methods of post-processing that you can use to smoothen out these lines. Sandpaper is one of these tools you can use to make the surfaces look better.
Acetone Acetone is a substance that can be used as a tool for smoothing the surfaces and getting rid of the layer lines. Acetone can melt the outer part of your prints just enough to give your print a better texture. Not all materials react this way to acetone but it is especially very effective for prints that were made by using ABS.
Paint Some models that were printed with intention of being visual representations of some designs and will be used as display pieces can benefit from a little bit of painting. In our experience, the best paint to use on your 3D prints would be acrylic as it is one of the most versatile and non-toxic paint types.
Coater While acrylic is a fairly versatile paint, it might be a little hard to get good results with it on some surfaces Some materials have a tendency to not hold paint as well as others. To allow your paints to be painted better, you can apply a couple of layers of coater and it will make the end product look much better with certain colors.
Brushes To apply the paint to your prints, you will of course need a brush. A standard paintbrush can do the trick for most users but there are more useful alternatives on the market. If you are going to paint more than one print, using a brush might take too long. In these cases, an airbrush will be a slightly more expensive but much faster solution.
Carvers The designers and engineers will often need to make changes to finished prints for revisions and prototyping. Carvers will be perfect for this job as they allow you to cut pieces off of the prints in the way you desire. These tools are usually sold in sets so you will have several tip options when you invest in one.
