My 3D Printing Journey

This doesn't work with three tables because I don't have the spool holder that goes on the very top anymore. I also don't have the plexiglass for one of the sides so I just got rid of that top desk.

I started with a Prusa MK3 in 2018. Less than a year later, they released the MK3S upgrade, which I immediately purchased and installed. I went kind of high-end/premium because I wanted a good experience without having to tinker too much (ha!).

I chose the kit because it was cheaper than the pre-built version. It took me about 8 hours to assemble - I remember staying up until 3 or 4 AM because I had to wait until after work to start.

A few coworkers had 3D printers and would bring them to the office, printing stuff while they worked. It was a pretty cool setup that got me interested in the hobby.

The COVID mask project was probably my most memorable early print. In 2020, I printed a mask someone had designed with a front filter, rubber band straps, and padding around the rim. It wasn't super practical, but it met the requirements at the time. One friend said I looked like Bane from The Dark Knight Rises!

I did build an enclosure. I followed the guides for the Ikea LACK tables. People designed couplers for the LACK tables where they stacked on top of each other. I also bought plexiglass to make an enclosure, mostly needed for ABS printing. I've never printed in ABS to date. I still liked it because it gave me a shelf to use for supplies needed for the 3d printer. Flush cutters, 99% IPA, lint free cloth, tweezers and a few other things. Having them close by makes it easier to keep track of things.

Unfortunately, for 5 years or so my 3d printer lay dormant. It was just in my room doing nothing.

Now, in 2025, I have an office at a coworking building and I decided to bring the 3d Printer in. It took a little bit of tinkering to get the first layer z-height dialed in, but I have been able to print a few things on the Prusa Mk3s.

One great thing about the Prusa printers is that they enable you to upgrade your printer, you are not forced to buy a whole new printer and are left with an outdated one. Since the Mk3s there is a Mk3.5, Mk3.9 and Mk4 and Mk4s. I can go directly from the Mk3s -> Mk4s which I was originally fine with.

I have also always been interested in the MMU3 upgrade (Multi-Material Upgrade) which allows printing with 5 different filaments so I bought that too. Around $1100 later I was waiting for my upgrades to arrive. The upgrade kit and MMU3 kit (Kit = put together yourself vs. assembled) were both back ordered and had a 4-5 week lead time before shipment. That was around 3 weeks ago.

Since I ordered the upgrades I found out about the latest and greatest version of the Prusa Printer (in this line, they have others like the resin printer and the Prusa XL) called the Prusa Core One. This is a fully enclosed "CoreXY" printer which is a newer type of printer kinematics or motion system. The Mk3s and Mk4s are "bed slingers" because the bed moves in the Y-Axis (forward and back) and the hot end moves in the X (right and left) and Z (up and down). "CoreXY" the bed moves in the Z-Axis and the hot end moves in X and Y.

To be continued...