5 Cool Gadgets Everyone New To 3D Printing Should Have

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Over the years, 3D printing has gone from an expensive industrial process to something anyone can do right in their home. It's the perfect hobby for creative people, families, and anyone looking for something constructive to do on a rainy afternoon. Cheap 3D printers are available at a number of popular retailers, and the printing process itself has become simple enough that beginners can get up and running without much of a learning curve. You might have to explore some sites for 3D printing projects, but for the most part, newcomers to 3D printing should be able to jump right into it.

The range of things you can make with a 3D printer is part of what makes the process appealing. You can explore 3D projects that can save you money around the house, but you can also dive into creating your own little worlds. Of course, in addition to a 3D printer and some filament, you're going to need the right accessories to get you through your 3D printing projects. There are a number of cool gadgets that can come in handy along the way. We've come up with some of our favorites for 3D printing newcomers, and with the help of customer reviews, we've singled out some specific gadgets worth adding to your 3D printing toolkit.

One of the 3D printing accessories every newcomer should have on hand is a polishing kit. It is, in effect, like a sanding tool for plastic. A polishing tool takes a 3D print from looking raw to looking refined. The Fanttik F2 Master is a cordless rotary tool that can be deployed specifically for such a use case. It comes with a 35-piece accessory kit that includes attachable bits for polishing and sanding. It has five adjustable speed settings that allow you to go through the polishing process in just the right way for each print.

A few user reviews at Amazon claim the F2 Master stopped working for them after just a couple of uses. It is a highly rated product at Amazon, with 93% of customer reviews being favorable and a 4.4 out of 5 overall rating. A polishing kit is a near necessity for 3D printing projects, and the Fanttik F2 Master can come in handy in a number of ways throughout the refining process. It's priced at $90, though deals regularly take place at Amazon, and it reaches as low as $60 often.

Removing a finished 3D print from the build plate is one of those things that sounds like an easy process. But prints can be stubborn about sticking to the surface, and trying to pry them off without the right tools can damage both the print and the plate itself. A set of gadgets like you'll find in the Amervault 3D Print Removal Tool Kit is how you keep your 3D printing projects from becoming a point of frustration. It includes a removal knife and spatula, both of which should make things easier when it comes time to start handling your 3D print.

This toolkit is very well reviewed at Amazon, with 96% of users giving it a favorable review. At $16, you'll find cheaper print removal tools out there, though the tools that come in this Amervault toolkit have a solid build quality. They're made with stainless steel but remain precise enough to handle 3D prints, and the handles are designed with ergonomics in mind. Several 5-star reviewers at Amazon note the frustrations that can come with the 3D print removal process, as well as how well this set of tools helps remove prints without damaging them.

The nozzle is one of the most important components of a 3D printer, and keeping it clean during a project is imperative. Residue from the filament builds up inside the nozzle over time. A clogged nozzle can lead to uneven and failed prints, but regular cleaning makes such headaches avoidable. The Amervault Nozzle Cleaning Kit has received even better reviews than the Amervault print removal kit we discussed. It has an overall 4.7 out of 5 customer reviews at Amazon, and it is a versatile kit when it comes to keeping your 3D printer's nozzle from clogging.

This nozzle cleaning kit goes for for $13, and while that's not particularly expensive, there are cheaper options available. Budget-minded 3D printing newcomers can find nozzle clean kits for around $6, but Amervault's has not received a single 1-star or 2-star review. It includes 10 pieces of flexible needles for nozzle cleaning, as well as a set of anti-static tweezers. It all stows away in a small glass container that can easily be stored in a desk drawer or art bag.

A 3D scanner is one of the more technologically advanced gadgets that can be added to the 3D printing process. Where a 3D printer turns a digital file into a physical object, a 3D scanner does the opposite, essentially. It allows you to scan real-world objects and convert them into digital files that can be 3D printed. Creality is a well-known name in the 3D printing world, and the Creality CR-Scan Ferret SE is a 3D scanner worth considering for your 3D printing projects. A couple of Amazon reviewers report connectivity problems with the device, but 71% of reviewers give it 5-star or 4-star reviews.

One thing about 3D scanners is that they can get incredibly expensive. At $319, the CR-Scan Ferret SE is on the more affordable side when it comes to these devices. But if you're serious about 3D projects, even as just a newcomer right now, a 3D scanner can play a big part in creating 3D prints that have meaning to you. The CR-Scan Ferret SE has an accuracy of up to 0.1mm and a scanning speed of 30 frames per second, each of which helps capture details that bring household items to life through your 3D printer.

One accessory for your 3D printing setup you don't want to overlook is a reliable USB cable. Most consumer 3D printers utilize a USB-B port. This is the same connection port found on many printers, so you may have one stowed away somewhere. But if you plan to use a 3D printer across different input devices, the Sweguard 2-in-1 braided cable is one you should consider. It has a USB-B connector on one end, and both a USB-A and USB-C connection on the other end. The USB-A connection will let you connect more legacy devices, and the USB-C connection is the new USB standard found in more recently released devices.

This 2-in-1 cable is available in lengths ranging from 6.6 feet to 20 feet, and it can get somewhat expensive relative to other USB cables. The 6.6-foot cable is priced at $13, however, and that length is likely to be plenty for most users. The cable has 96% favorable customer reviews at Amazon and an overall rating of 4.6 out of 5. It's capable of transmitting data at up to 480 Mbps, and it's a versatile and necessary gadget for those putting together their first 3D printing setup.

In a general sense, the gadgets we've presented here were selected with the 3D newcomer in mind. Things like cleaning kits and cables are a necessity for the startup 3D printer, while devices like a 3D scanner might appeal to newcomers with big ambitions. When it came to selecting specific products, we paired our knowledge of the 3D printing process with Amazon customer reviews to ensure each pick holds up to the expectations of anyone embarking on a 3D printing project. A gadget that only looks good on paper means little, so customer feedback played a large role in narrowing down the products we've presented here.