Best 3D Printing Tools and Hardware Everyone Should Own

Here is a list of some 3d printing tools and hardware for 3D Printing enthusiasts that can sometimes be too obvious or hard to find. One thing is for sure they will make your life a lot easier and you’ll be prepared for anything.

A Good set of digital calipers

There is legitimately nothing I use more than my calipers when 3D printing. If you’re planning on designing your own parts or models – you’ll use these things nearly every day.

You’ll also use calipers when printing calibration cubes or other calibration parts when dialing in your printer.

Get a decent pair of calipers – you’ll thank yourself later.

3D Print Removal Tool

A.K.A. Spctula, Paint Scraper, Wall Scraper, Joint Knife, Putty Knife, Scraper or whatever you want to call it. This tool is very useful when using print surfaces like BuildTak, Glue Stick, and other sticky surfaces.

Get ones that have a little bit of flex to prevent damaging your prints. This tool can often be overlooked or be overpaid.

Open-ended combo wrench

These open-ended combo wrenches are perfect for changing HotEnd Nozzles.

Get one that features a 7mm side for MK8 nozzles and a 9mm side for MK10 Nozzles.

Or get fancy with this torque wrench kit and know you’ve tightened your nozzle correctly (and stop getting burned by swapping hot nozzles).

Digital Depth Gauge

This can be very helpful to level your bed. There are many printable STL files on thingiverse.com for clipping these gauges to your printer’s carriage. This makes bed leveling quick and accurate. Check out this thing by cgcrute for a great example of how this looks in action.

Metric Hex Screwdriver Set

You’ll thank me later for this one and it’s well worth the price for a good set that will last. I can’t count how many times I dropped those “L” Hex Keys that come with 3D Printers and Parts. These Screwdrivers really speed things up and make it easy to work on your 3D Printer.

Rod and Bearing Lubricant

I see this request all the time on Social Media “what kind of oil or lube should I use for my 3d Printer?”

This question is totally overthought. Really any machine oil or lubrication will work just fine, such as sewing machine oil or gun oil. I use Super Lube because it had PTFE in it and it seems to last really long. It is also thick enough to not drip all over everything when I put a dollop on the rods.

Raspberry Pi (OctoPrint)

If you’re just seeing this for the first time or you’re like what the heck is OctoPrint? You are seriously missing out on controlling your 3D Printer. Buy yourself a Raspberry Pi and head over to http://octoprint.org/ to install OctoPrint on your pi. This little single-board PC will let you control your 3D Printer through a web interface remotely. You can hook up a webcam and connect to your home wifi. Plus, there are many extensions to extend the power.

Alternatively, if you are looking for a less technical solution you can also check out https://www.astroprint.com/, which is a more beginner-friendly setup or you can even buy pre-installed raspberry pi’s.

Either way, once you buy your pi you should print one of the many cases or thingiverse. I recommend this one by 0110-M-P.

Metric Fasteners

If you’re into upgrading your 3D Printer with STL files from Thingiverse or other sites this kit will save you a bunch of trips to your local hardware store.

I find the M3-M5 kit to be the most useful for 3D Printing Components and Printed Parts.

Other fasteners I’ve bought include:

• These M3 Socket Head Cap Screws:

Snap Ring Pliers

If you’re looking at changing your bearing or want to upgrade to IGUS Style bushings then this tool will come in handy.

This helps remove the Snap Rings in the Pillow Blocks that hold the bearings without the ring flying across the room.

Thermal Paste

It’s a little overkill but I always like to apply thermal paste to the parts of the hotend such as the heater cartridge, nozzle, and heat-break. This provides a much more uniform heat distribution throughout the components. The cheap stuff works just fine.

Conclusion

Overall, there are a lot of accessories you should own for your 3D printer – many that no one else talks about.

There are other tools like calipers, blue tape, multi-meters, and other common tools to have as well.