You’ve got one of the best 3D printersand whether it’s one of the best budget 3D printersor something a little more spendy (like the Prusa CORE One), you need tools to keep it running smoothly.
Yes, you get some tools in the box, but investing in a dedicated 3D printer toolkit will make short work of caring for your 3D printer.
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Table of Contents
- These cheap cutters will leave you flush with spare cash
- Allen, Hex, whatever you call them, you need them!
- I have the power! To screw / unscrew things with no effort
- Unclog your 3D printer like a plastic plumber
- Finish your prints like a pro
- The ultimate cleaning liquid for 3D printers is Isopropyl alcohol
- An illuminating purchase
Lets get the big deal out of the way. This 74 piece 3D printer tool kit from Creality is packed with everything that you need to keep your printer, printing. I love everything about this kit, but the key point is that this is a “one and done” purchase. You get this, and you have everything you need for maintaining any brand of 3D printer.
In the kit you get:
- 34 piece precision screwdriver set (Torx, Slot, Pozidrive, Phillips, Hex)
- Flush cutters
- Brass brush
- Spatula
- Nozzle cleaner and needles
- Tweezers
- Socket wrench
- Files
- Deburring tool
- Pliers
- Tube cutter
- Magnetic project mat
That is a lot of kit packed into a handy tool wrap that you can pick up and work with. If you only get one thing from this round up, it has to be this.
These cheap cutters will leave you flush with spare cash
Whether you are cutting your filament, cleaning out supports or removing cable ties, wire / flush / side cutters are an essential part of the 3D printer toolkit. Sometimes you get a pair with your printer, but if you don’t, or you need a spare set, then I have an alternative source for you.
I’ve got a couple of these cheap cutters. For getting started they are superb. They are useful for 3D printing, electronics and general home maintenance tasks. Sure the metal is a little soft, but for 3D printing they are tough enough to cut through plastics.
Being flush wire cutters means that we get a clean edge to our snip. That’s useful when we need to trim some filament to slide down a bowden tube or for removing stubborn supports. Model makers and electronics hobbyists can also use these cutters. Models makers use them to trim parts from a sprue, electronics users will trim component legs and snip wires.
These are cheap and reliable. In fact they are so cheap, you may as well buy multiple pairs.
Allen, Hex, whatever you call them, you need them!
Allen wrenches, hex keys no matter what you call them, are essential but largely unexciting tools. I first came across them when I was servicing mountain bikes in the 1990s (true story) and I found that the metal used in cheaper tools was almost like butter.
3D printers are generally held together by machine screws sporting an allen / hex head. You will normally get a selected set of wrenches with your printer, and these generally do a good job (unless you overtighten the screws). But having a more durable and expansive set will prepare you for future tasks.
Wera Hex Key Set (covering all the key sizes)
These allen wrenches / hex keys from Wera will elevate the your experience from “cheap hex key junk” to “sublime”. They are exceptionally made in Germany and are precision tools.
I don’t own these…yet!
This metric set covers sizes 1.5 to 10mm and that is typically all you need for your 3D printer.
In the set you get the following sizes of hex wrenches.
- 1.5mm
- 2.0mm
- 2.5mm
- 3.0mm
- 4.0mm
- 5.0mm
- 6.0mm
- 8.0mm
- 10.0mm
All feature a color-code to identify them at a glance, long arm for better torque and a ball-end for those hex screws in hard to reach places.
Yes you pay for the Wera quality, but as the owner of many Wera tools I can stand behind their quality and longevity. Go on, treat yourself!
The print bed on my Elegoo Centauro Carbon is super grippy, and I often need to use a scraper to gently remove the print from the bed. In the case of PLA, it cools down and lifts from the print bed in a few minutes. For my new favourite filament, PETG, it takes much longer to cool down and when I use a brim, the bed adhesion is challenging.
Scrapers are great tools, and your 3D printer will usually come with a plastic scraper, or the STL files to print your own. But what if you need something a little better?
The thin metal blades are designed to get under the print, or if the print is stuck, to gently lift the brim to break the adhesion. Just make sure that you use it carefully; don’t go cutting into your build plate!
We’ve all got some form of screwdriver lurking in a toolbox or drawer. We use them to open PC cases, tins of paint and to fix our spectacles and then we throw them back in the drawer. A few months later, we’re hunting for that one screwdriver to do one specific task and then get frustrated because we can’t find it. This is when you need a dedicated screwdriver set for your maker box.
In my office / workshop I have a general set of screwdrivers for general tasks, and a set of Wera screwdrivers for servicing 3D printers and taking things apart. Sometimes I put things back together with all of their screws, often there is one screw left over.
A good general purpose precision screwdriver set is a necessity. This 49-in-1 set has all the bits that you need to repair electronics and keep your kit ticking over.
What about a general purpose screwdriver to throw in your toolkit? The Hoto 24-in-1 offers a great driver handle with a swivel to aid precise movement. Bits connect magnetically to the handle, and the driver will take 4mm bits, but it comes with 12, double-ended bits which should cover most users. I say most, because the hex bits only go up to 2.5mm and that wasn’t large enough for some of the hex screws on my Elegoo Neptune 3 Pro.
As I mentioned earlier, this will take 4mm bits so if you are missing your favorite bit, you can pick it up and add it to the handle.
I have the power! To screw / unscrew things with no effort
Screwing / unscrewing a bunch of screws can get tiring and that is why I have two electric screwdrivers that I use to build furniture, PCs and take apart electronics for repair. I also use them to quickly tighten / loosen screws on my 3D printers, snugging them tight with my Allen wrenches / manual screwdriver.
You can get a good USB-charged electric screwdriver for very little money, or you can pay a little more and get something a little more stylish. I started out with a cheap Temu driver and it worked well, but the lure of Hoto’s precision driver soon won me over and I don’t regret it.
Let’s get this out of the way. I bought this screwdriver with my own money and I use it almost every day. Heck I even designed a cradle that hangs the screwdriver from my IKEA shelves while connected to a charger via a magnetic cable. This is a great screwdriver and well worth the money.
The S2 bits are made from a hardened steel which means they won’t chew up and lose their edge. The bits are standard 4mm size, so you can use bits from your other precision screwdriver. The Hoto precision driver only has one speed and the battery capacity is only 350mAh, which provides around 500 operations, but those two things are its only downside. When charging the unit will show a white light next to the USB C port. When it goes out you are fully charged.
The driver is made from metal and the ridges help grip the driver as you work. Button operation is easy; just press and hold to screw / unscrew. The included case is lovely, if a little bulky. I ended up 3D printing a magnetic stand for the bits to accompany the cradle that supports the driver.
All in all, a great electric screwdriver for makers, tinkerers and those eager to service their 3D printers.
Unclog your 3D printer like a plastic plumber
3D printers will get clogged. No matter how much money you spend, hot plastic being pushed through a 0.4mm hole is going to cause a clog someday. Dealing with a clog is fairly simple, but you need the right tools as you will be poking around the hot end while it is well and truly hot, around 200C.
Poking a clog with a thin needle works most times, but when you absolutely, positively need to blast that clog out, the Creality Clog Poke (yes, that is its name) is there to help. Instead of inserting it into the nozzle, we insert the poke into the filament path, specifically the path from the top of the extruder to the nozzle. The 1.5mm needle won’t reach the nozzle, but it will push any plastic trapped inside the extruder. Molten plastic should then pour down onto the build plate.
Using this should reduce the need to completely disassemble the extruder, and make quick work of a blockage. Of course there will be times when you need to disassemble the extruder. About a year ago I had to disassemble the extruder on my Elego Neptune 3 Pro as it had a serious clog. Some pliers and a lot of time later, I was printing again. Perhaps with this tool it wouldn’t have been such a big job?
The nozzle on your 3D printer is user replaceable, and you can swap it out for a different sized aperture for finer detail prints (0.2mm) or for when you need to print large functional parts (0.6 to 0.8mm). But to remove the nozzle you will need a wrench, so here is what I suggest.
For less than $10 you get needles to clean the nozzle, brass brushes to remove grime and plastic from the hot part of the nozzle, tweezers to remove detritus without burning your finger. But the best part for me are the two nozzle wrenches. Designed with an L-shape, they keep your fingers away from the hot bit, and give you a little more torque to persuade the nozzle to come loose.
Even after heating the nozzle, it can become stuck, so a little extra force is needed to remove it. The problem is that the heat makes the nozzle too hot to touch. The nozzle is cupped by the wrench, so you just need to concentrate on removing it. Then, drop it on the build plate to cool off.
The extra tools are useful. In fact the brass brushes are extremely useful to clean burnt plastic from the hot end, and I used them to remove a little rust from a long lost pocket knife.
Finish your prints like a pro
Yes, you can just use a scalpel / knife to remove the brim, or neaten up the edges. But, take it from someone who sliced the top of their finger off, buy a deburring tool instead. Some 3D prints need a little post-processing. The edges may need to be cleaned up, common when using a brim for bed adhesion, or if your print squeezed down on the print bed a little too hard and caused an “elephant’s foot”. A deburring tool uses a curved blade with a ball-end. The ball traces the contours of the object, while the blade shaves off a little plastic to neaten up your work.
So what do you get for the money? Firstly, an aluminum handle which feels light and strong. Next we have lots of spare blades, which are easily replaced via a quick change system. The AFA deburring tool is more expensive than the $2 version, but it is built to last!
This is the deburring tool that I bought and it has been a lifesaver.
I printed some parts in PETG and left the brim option to “auto” then realised I had to cut out so much waste plastic. But there was no problem with this tool. A few minutes later I had a bin of plastic shavings and a clean print. I also learnt an important lesson, don’t trust the auto brim option.
The ultimate cleaning liquid for 3D printers is Isopropyl alcohol
Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA) is a key part of 3D printing, because whenever we touch the buildplate, even with clean hands, we leave oils that can impact bed adhesion and turn our prints into spaghetti. So let’s get some IPA and clean up our act!
I buy IPA in bulk, seriously. I use it to clean my 3D printers, tools and even my PC case, when it’s not full of dust. I dispense it into dollar store spray bottles, the ones used when traveling. I mark the bottle to identify it as IPA and just grab it when I need it. Yes, 99% is overkill, heck its medical grade for first aid use, but if you really want to eke it out, get some distilled water and water down your mix to 70%. I don’t because it works well as it is. My top tip though is to not spray it when the print bed is hot. There is very little risk of fire, but it will evaporate rather quickly.
An illuminating purchase
How the heck did a flashlight get on the list? Trust me, when you are working in tight spaces you need as much light as you can get, and a flashlight is really handy to point the light exactly where you need it. You don’t need to spend big bucks on a flashlight, but there are some excellent choices out there.
I own a Wuben C3 but I wish I had this one instead. With 1800 Lumens of light, USB Type-C charging, IP68 rating, baseball cap clip and a magnetic base this is a great flashlight. The 1800 Lumens brightness is at max power, dial it down and you will get many hours of use. The magnetic base means it can be connected to a metal part of your PC case or 3D printer, leaving you with both hands free to get work done.
Buy this now!
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