make717 has adopted the Prusa Research platform with the exception of our Formlabs Form 2. We have a total of 14 3D Printers available to our members after successful completion of our classes. Below are lists of equipment, approved materials, required training and much more! Be sure to check our page with helpful reminders, announcements, and more.
Below is the contact information for the volunteers for the 3D Printing area
Name | Oversees: | Contact Information |
Jared Houze | General area, Maintenance, Intermediate, Advanced and Expert orientations | jared@make717.org |
Eric Sloan | Beginner Orientation | eric@make717.org |
Dr. Marsha Bischel | Safety expert | msbischel@yahoo.com |
Mark Dilts | Acrylate Safety Training, Formlabs Form 2 Training |
Printer Model | Manufacturer | Required Class(es) | Approved Materials | Build Volume |
Prusa Mini | Prusa Research | Beginner | PLA | 180mm x 180mm x 180mm (7.08 x 7.08 x 7.08 in) |
Prusa MK4 | Prusa Research | Intermediate | PLA | 250mm x 210mm x 220 mm (9.84 x 8.3 x 8.6 in) |
Prusa XL | Prusa Research | Advanced | PLA, *PETG, *TPU,**ABS,**PC,**Nylon (* Additional training required) (** Enclosure and additional training required) | 360mm x 360mm x 360mm (14.7 x 14.7 x 14.7 in) |
Formlabs | Expert with Acrylate Training | All Materials in Formlabs Library | 145mm × 145mm × 175mm (5.7 × 5.7 × 6.9 in) |
Classes are offered on a monthly basis. Completion of the Information Session and Tour is required to register for classes. You must be in good standing meaning no outstanding membership fees or restrictions. Please update your registration to reflect any children, spouses, siblings, etc. so the instructor is aware. Classes are kept strictly at the size indicated on the registration page.
Below are the descriptions of the different classes offered by make717:
Class Name | Frequency of Class | Description | Typical Instructor (Subject to change) | Training Materials |
Equipment Orientation: 3D Printers - Beginner | Monthly | Learn to operate our 3D printers. The class covers safety, design issues, and operation of the hardware and software. This is a required orientation for anyone who wants to use the 3D printers. You must be a monthly member or sign out the library STEMPass to take the class. You must maintain your monthly membership or have the STEMPass to have continued use of the 3D printers. |
Eric Sloan (eric@make717.org) | 3D Printing Beginner class power point 3D Printing policies |
Equipment Orientation: 3D Printers - Intermediate | As Needed |
The intermediate class is now a self paced learning orientation. The instructions and materials can be found below. |
Jared Houze (jared@make717.org) |
Prusa MK4 SOP |
Equipment Orientation: 3D Printers - Advanced | As Needed |
The advanced class is now split into 2 parts. The printer orientation allows you to use the XL with PLA only. |
Jared Houze (jared@make717.org) |
Prusa XL SOP |
Equipment Orientation: 3D Printers - Materials | As Needed | This is the second part of the advanced class. This class is currently unavailable and in development. | ||
Formlabs Acrylate Training | As Needed |
This is the initial class if you want to be trained on our Formlabs Form 2 3D printer. You must sign up for 2 sessions. The first session is a safety class that is mandatory to attend before attending the actual printer class. The second class is where you will learn the software and printer. If you have allergies to particular things like latex and acrylates, you will want to consult your doctor before signing up for this class. You must sign up for the acrylate training and complete it . before your printer training session. |
Mark Dilts (mark@make717.org) | |
Equipment Orientation: 3D Printers - Expert | As Needed |
These classes are required for the Formlabs Form 2. To qualify for this course, you must have completed the Beginner class, but it is highly recommended to tak the intermediate and advanced classes before taking this one. This class is in two parts, the Acrylate Safety Training is required to be able to register for the Form 2 Printer class. The Acrylate Safety course is the mandatory class that goes over safety and procedures for the Formlabs and the chemicals that it uses. Please note, the Formlabs uses acrylates, which some people can be allergic to. People with sensitivities or allergies to latex should consult their physician before taking this class. The Formlabs Form 2 class covers the procedures to operate our Form 2. Make717 uses Formlabs Dashboard to monitor resin usage and set a maintenance schedule. To use the Formlabs, you are required to create a Formlabs Dashboard account at formlabs.com/dashboard and submit the email you used to signup to mark@make717.org. You will receive an email saying that you have been invited to join a group which you will need to accept to be able to use the Formlabs. To register for this class, you will need a registration code which will be emailed to you in your email confirmation after you register for your Acrylate Safety class. Failure to attend or pass the Acrylate Safety class means you will not be allowed to take the Formlabs Form 2 Printer course. |
Mark Dilts (mark@make717.org) | Acrylate Training |
make717 uses Prusa Slicer for the Prusa Minis, Prusa MK4S and the Prusa XL. Preform is the only software that can be used with the Formlabs Form 2. Prusa Slicer and Preform can be downloaded for free for personal use.
make717 provides PLA in many different colors and brands for members to use for a fee. All PLA is $2.20 per ounce with most prints averaging between $0.50-$5.00. make717 purchases its filament, parts, and accessories from Printed Solid in Newark, Delaware.
Members are allowed to provide their own material. We ask that it is clearly labeled and falls under the approved materials list. make717 has an approved material list that is to be strictly followed.
We recommend Jessie 1.75 PLA which can be found here, as it is cheap, reliable, and ships quickly.
If you plan on purchasing 3D filament/resin from a manufacturer not listed below, please submit a SDS to Jared Houze for approval before bringing or using it at make717. Here is a list of pre-approved materials that can be used at the makerspace.
Manufacturers marked with a * have restrictions on machine usage. Please talk to a volunteer before purchasing from these brands. A full detail list is available here.