Technologies
Best 3D-Printing Accessories: Make the Most of Your 3D Printer
From tiny 3D-printer scrapers to giant machines, we have everything you need to level up your 3D-printing experience.
With some hobbies, extra tools and accessories can make them even more fun. 3D-printing is one, and the addition of a good set of extras will make your 3D-printing time much easier. Often these accessories are simple — a set of snips for cutting filament or a bit of glue to help bed adhesion — but there are also new pieces of hardware that can significantly improve your print quality or give your 3D printer powers it never had before. More than that, though, good accessories can make even the best 3D printers run above and beyond their normal scope.
I’ve amassed a huge number of helpful accessories after nearly a decade of 3D printing and have researched many others. Amazon is a great resource for finding basic 3D-printing accessories, and California-based MatterHackers has everything you need for more advanced upgrades and gear.
Best accessories for beginners
While every 3D printer comes with a paint scraper that you can use to remove models from the build plate, not all are created equal. Most 3D printer scrapers don’t allow you to get the blade low enough to lift a model without damaging the build surface. I use the Buildtak 3D printer scraper because it can swipe under the model without gouging down, making them pop right back up.
These little storage caddies are incredibly helpful for more than just storing shower products. The separate compartments make it easy to store all of your hex key wrenches, scrapers and filament cutters in a way that makes it easy to move them around your workspace with the handy handle. I have three of these in my workshop and I use them for 3D-printing tools, assorted glues and sandpaper. It makes life a lot easier.
A digital caliper is a helpful 3D-printing accessory, especially if you’re creating your own models. Most can measure details down to a thousandth of a millimeter, which lets you design with a high degree of accuracy.
Having a set of calipers also helps you measure your prints to make sure they’re printing in the correct size and shape.
Having a central place to store your materials is important to keep them safe and dry. These cabinets from Home Depot are expandable and easy to build. They’re perfect for stacking your filament or resins safely, and if you add a small dehumidifier or desiccant packets, you can keep everything dry, too.
Most 3D printers come to you with a 0.4mm nozzle, which is fine for most uses. There are a lot of cool projects you can make with larger nozzles, though: Try making thick vases using a 0.8mm nozzle or detailed miniatures with a 0.2mm nozzle. Having a variety of nozzles will expand your horizons to no end.
These Mk8 nozzles are designed for the Creality Ender 3, but many printer companies either use the same Mk8 nozzles or variety packs of their own.
Magigoo is like a glue stick on steroids. It is specifically designed to hold 3D prints to the build plate while printing but comes loose easily when the bed is finally cooled. It’s incredibly satisfying to print models that are barely touching the build surface that act like they are held down with cement. A small bottle goes a long way too, so it’s worth the price.
Did you know that the 3D-printing community uses so much Aqua Net hairspray that Amazon’s «Frequently bought together» section shows filament and replacement printer beds? Aqua Net is used as a transition adhesive that both helps your filament stick to the build plate, and when it gets cold, makes it easier to remove. You have to be careful not to spray it onto any moving parts, but if you take off your removable build plate and spray it gently and evenly you will see better results immediately.
Models often have sharp edges when they first come off of the build plate, especially if you’ve used a brim to anchor them down. A deburring tool like this smoothes those edges with a simple swipe across the corner. It takes a little getting used to, but if you’re making something for people to handle, a deburring tool is a must.
If you live here in the US, you may well have a set of hex wrenches that you use for most things. However, 3D printers are made using metric measurements, and not inches, so they will either be loose and damage the nut or not fit at all. A good set of metric hex wrenches are affordable and make 3D printing easier.
Desiccant is a much needed tool in the fight against moisture. Even the best 3D-printing filament can be degraded by absorbing too much moisture, and if you live in a damp climate, storing your filament in a cool dry place with a desiccant pouch is a great way to keep it usable for longer. These pouches are a little pricier than some, but they can be recharged by heating them up so you can use them again and again.
Like the hairspray, glue sticks help hold a print down, while also adding a barrier between the print and the plate. Some materials stick a little too well to a build plate and can tear a mat or even crack a glass plate. Glue sticks are water soluble too, so it’s easy to wash off with soap and water.
Accessories for intermediate and advanced users
If you’re hoping to print a filament like ABS, you’ll need your 3D printer to be very hot with no breezes. If you live in a particularly cold climate an enclosure is a helpful way to warm up the area around your 3D printer without having to pay a fortune on heating bills. The Wham Bam HotBox has two sizes, so even if you have a bigger machine you can reap the benefits of a warmer build area.
One of the best upgrades to be released in recent years is the Revo rapid change system from E3D. Available for a huge number of 3D printers, this hotend replacement adds the ability to quickly swap out your nozzles without the use of wrenches and pliers. You can remove the filament, let the nozzle cool down and twist it off with your fingers.
Being able to easily swap nozzles opens up new printing techniques with larger nozzles for strength and smaller ones for detail. It is a must-do upgrade for any compatible machine.
Nozzles are consumable in 3D printing and you can expect to use them up fairly frequently. If you print materials with abrasive materials such as carbon fiber, wood or even glow in the dark, your nozzle could be destroyed in just one eight-hour session. The ObXidian nozzle is specially hardened to reduce wear and tear and keep your nozzle printing for much longer.
It’s also a part of the Revo system I just mentioned, so can be easily swapped out for different sizes or other nozzles easily.
The Palette 3 is a multimaterial unit that lets your standard 3D printer print multiple colors or types of filament. It opens up a huge amount of variety in your 3D printing and can help you create a truly unique model. You can even take an existing digital model and «paint» colors onto it so that when it prints, it is a multitude of — well up to eight — colors.
The RepBox is a community favorite for a number of reasons. The creator is an awesome advocate for 3D printing and the box itself is a fantastic design that can be mounted or sat on a workbench. The RepBox holds six 1kg rolls of filament and comes with several dehydrating cases to keep them fresh. The filament is fed out of the box directly into a Palette system or multiple printers without ever touching the moist air.
3D printer accessories FAQ
What’s the best 3D-printing tool for beginners?
When you first start 3D printing, the most important thing to get right is your first layer. It takes time to get the build plate level enough to print consistently, so any tool that can help with that is important. Any of the bed adhesives in this list will help your first layer lay down better, and make it easier to remove the print once it is done.
Glue sticks and hairspray may seem like low-tech solutions for a high-tech machine, but they work and they’re cheap.
How does nozzle size affect 3D printing?
Nozzle size determines how much material you can push through at any given time. The standard nozzle has a 0.4mm hole in it, but there are nozzles available from 0.2mm to 0.8mm and beyond. A good rule of thumb is that if you want a stronger print, go big, and if you want detail, go small.
I would say that there is a move to replace 0.4mm nozzles with 0.6mm nozzles as a standard, as you lose very little detail in the change, but the models print quicker and tend to be stronger too.
More on 3D printing
Technologies
Today’s Wordle Hints, Answer and Help for July 5, #1477
Here are hints and the answer for today’s Wordle for July 5, No. 1,477.
Looking for the most recent Wordle answer? Click here for today’s Wordle hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.
Today’s Wordle puzzle is a pretty tough one. I grew up on a farm, so I know the word, but I didn’t put it together right away, even though the letters are common ones. If you need a new starter word, check out our list of which letters show up the most in English words. If you need hints and the answer, read on.
Today’s Wordle hints
Before we show you today’s Wordle answer, we’ll give you some hints. If you don’t want a spoiler, look away now.
Wordle hint No. 1: Repeats
Today’s Wordle answer has no repeated letters.
Wordle hint No. 2: Vowels
There is are two vowels in today’s Wordle answer.
Wordle hint No. 3: First letter
Today’s Wordle answer begins with the letter B.
Wordle hint No. 4: Down on the farm
Today’s Wordle answer describes a piece of farm equipment.
Wordle hint No. 5: Meaning
Today’s Wordle answer refers to a machine for making paper, hay, or cotton into bales.
TODAY’S WORDLE ANSWER
Today’s Wordle answer is BALER.
Yesterday’s Wordle answer
Yesterday’s Wordle answer, July 4, No. 1476 was CURVE.
Recent Wordle answers
June 30, No. 1472: BLINK
July 1, No. 1473: MOLDY
July 2, No. 1474: INCUR
July 3, No. 1475: POPPY
Technologies
Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for July 5, #489
Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle for July 5, No. 489.
Looking for the most recent Strands answer? Click here for our daily Strands hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.
The theme of today’s NYT Strands puzzle isn’t terribly tough, but at least one of the words is unusual and really, really long to unscramble. If you need hints and answers, read on.
I go into depth about the rules for Strands in this story.
If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections and Mini Crossword answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.
Read more: NYT Connections Turns 1: These Are the 5 Toughest Puzzles So Far
Hint for today’s Strands puzzle
Today’s Strands theme is: Every second counts.
If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: Does anybody really know what time it is?
Clue words to unlock in-game hints
Your goal is to find hidden words that fit the puzzle’s theme. If you’re stuck, find any words you can. Every time you find three words of four letters or more, Strands will reveal one of the theme words. These are the words I used to get those hints but any words of four or more letters that you find will work:
- DIAL, SOLE, MOLE, MOLES, SHAKE, CHEEP, ROLE, HOME, LOCK, MEAT, TAME, TAMES, ROLES, ROON, TRON
Answers for today’s Strands puzzle
These are the answers that tie into the theme. The goal of the puzzle is to find them all, including the spangram, a theme word that reaches from one side of the puzzle to the other. When you have all of them (I originally thought there were always eight but learned that the number can vary), every letter on the board will be used. Here are the nonspangram answers:
- CLOCK, WATCH, SUNDIAL, HOURGLASS, CHRONOMETER
Today’s Strands spangram
Today’s Strands spangram is TIMEKEEPERS. To find it, look for the T that’s four letters down on the far left, and wind across.
Technologies
Microsoft Is Eliminating Passwords in August: Here’s What You Need to Do to Prepare
Microsoft Authenticator has already stopped autofilling passwords, but the biggest change comes next month.
In June, Microsoft Authenticator stopped letting users create new passwords. In July, it turned off the autofill password function. And in August, the login app will stop supporting passwords entirely, moving to more secure passkeys, such as a PIN, fingerprint or facial recognition.
Attila Tomaschek, CNET’s software senior writer and digital security expert, says that passkeys are a safer alternative to the risky password habits practiced by 49% of US adults, according to a recent survey by CNET.
«Passwords can be cracked, whereas passkeys need both the public and the locally stored private key to authenticate users, which can help mitigate risks like falling victim to phishing and brute-force or credential-stuffing attacks,» Tomaschek said.
Using the same password for several accounts or adding personal hints can be a convenient way to remember your login. But that puts you at a big risk for scammers, identity theft and fraud. Here’s more on Microsoft’s plan for eliminating passwords and how to make the switch to passkeys before August.
When will Microsoft Authenticator stop supporting passwords?
Microsoft Authenticator houses your passwords and lets you sign into all your Microsoft accounts using a PIN, facial recognition like Windows Hello, or other biometric data like a fingerprint. Authenticator can be used in other ways, such as verifying you’re logging in if you forgot your password, or using two-factor authentication as an extra layer of security for your accounts. In June, the company stopped letting users add passwords to Authenticator, but here’s a timeline of other changes you can expect from Microsoft.
- July 2025: You won’t be able to use the autofill password function.
- August 2025: You’ll no longer be able to use saved passwords.
If you still want to use passwords instead of passkeys, you can store them in Microsoft Edge. However, CNET experts recommend adopting passkeys during this transition. «Passkeys use public key cryptography to authenticate users, rather than relying on users themselves creating their own (often weak or reused) passwords to access their online accounts,» Tomaschek said.
Why are passkeys a better alternative to passwords?
So what exactly is a passkey? It’s a credential created by the Fast Identity Online Alliance that uses biometric data or a PIN to verify your identity and access your account. Think about using your fingerprint or Face ID to log into your account. That’s generally safer than using a password that is easy to guess or susceptible to a phishing attack.
Passkeys aren’t stored on servers like passwords. Instead, they’re stored only on your personal device. More conveniently, this takes the guesswork out of remembering your passwords and the need for a password manager.
How to set up a passkey in Microsoft Authenticator
Microsoft said in a May 1 blog post that it will automatically detect the best passkey to set up and make that your default sign-in option. «If you have a password and ‘one-time code’ set up on your account, we’ll prompt you to sign in with your one-time code instead of your password. After you’re signed in, you’ll be prompted to enroll a passkey. Then the next time you sign in, you’ll be prompted to sign in with your passkey,» according to the blog post.
To set up a new passkey, open your Authenticator app on your phone. Tap on your account and select «Set up a passkey.» You’ll be prompted to log in with your existing credentials. After you’re logged in, you can set up the passkey.
