Out of the box and 3D printing in just 15 mins

3D printer kits are great fun to build, especially if you enjoy tinkering. However, they're not particularly portable, and there's no "out-of-the-box" instant gratification. This is where "The Cube" from 3D Systems is an ideal solution.  It's small, compact and easy to setup and use.  We had ours out of the box and running in less than 15 mins.

Setting up to print

The 3D Systems cube is an entry level 3D printer. Its compact size makes it light and portable and the simple interface means it's easy to use. The setup process is a breeze and ours needed very little calibration in terms of levelling the bed and adjusting the print head height (the Z Gap). Like other 3D Systems printers, the Cube uses cartridges and can print with PLA or ABS Filament. These simply slot into the printer and the filament is then manually fed into the print head.

Now we're almost ready to print! Whether you download files or draw them up in a 3D CAD package such as DesignSpark Mechanical, the printer comes with some software of its own that allows you to place, position and resize images onto the print bed.  You can then send your files to the printer over WIFI, or print them straight from a USB memory stick.

Before printing, to help your finished print stick to the build plate and also release more easily when finished, it's advisable to use the supplied lubricant. Print time varies depending on the size of the print, but this soon whizzes by as watching a 3D printer is mesmerising and surprisingly therapeutic! 

This is brilliant little printer and I can't wait to try out others in the range.

Here's the Cube in action!