3D Printing for Educators
3D Printing has fast become a hot topic in the maker community and is rapidly spreading across classrooms and out-of-school spaces around the world. We have assembled a collection of articles, projects, and other resources to help you bring 3D printing to your youth-serving program.
Introduction to 3D Printing
Becoming familiar with the core concepts of 3D printing, including what 3D printing can and cannot do, is an important first step in understanding what this technology can do for you and the youth you work with.
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Getting Started with 3D Printing
Now that you have a basic understanding of 3D printing and what the technology can be used for, you are ready to get started by setting up your 3D printer. These resources are aimed at helping educators to setup a 3D printer, with a specific focus on the Printrbot Simple printer, which is what is included in our 3D Printing Starter Kit.
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Designing for 3D Printing
Understanding 3D design is a crucial skill for teaching 3D printing. We have tested many types of design software with our youth and Tinkercad is our favorite. We have a collection of tutorials for Tinkercad as well as an introduction to other design software tools we find useful.
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Preparing Designs for Printing
It is important to know that not all 3D designs are suitable for 3D printing. Some 3D designs are intended to be used as 3D graphics in video games and others might be better suited for CNC routing or carving. These articles will help you understand more about how a 3D printer creates an objects from a digital design.
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Controlling Your Printrbot Simple
Once your Printrbot Simple is up and running, you may encounter issues or want to make changes to improve the quality of your 3D prints. These resources will help you learn to better control your printer and make it work best for you.
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Controlling Your Flashforge Finder
Once your Flashforge Finder is up and running, you may encounter issues or want to make changes to improve the quality of your 3D prints. These resources will help you learn to better control your printer and make it work best for you.
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3D Printing Projects
Whether you are ready to take your 3D printing projects to a new level, or add some new element to your 3D printing projects, these are the resources for you!
