You need to get a 3D printer, or get direct access to one. There are an increasing number of options for getting past this step. You can create your own design from scratch. You can assemble the parts for a preexisting design. You can buy a kit. You can buy an assembled printer. You can even buy a printer that has been assembled, calibrated, and successfully printed something already. You can also find someone who is themselves pursuing one of those options and make friends with them.

Keep in mind that the more you pay for your printer the more likely it is to try to make your life easy. That means that important controls will be pre-configured. It will probably work just fine at first. But over time things will go wrong, or you will want to do more, and it might be harder to get access to the power-user level of control. The more a printer and/or its software tries to do for you the more likely it is to create complex interactions so that you can't change one thing without unknowningly changing other things (if you can change things at all).

To a lesser extent, you can simply use a printing service. However, you will have so little control over what they actually do that it will be nearly impossible to learn, or apply what you know to affect the outcome.

If you already have a printer, or access to one, then you need to get the proper tools and materials for it. If you skimp on this part you will only be able to get good results through luck.

The reason this section is first is that what you do here lays the foundation for everything that follows. If you run into some problem or limitation that seems to have no explanation, it probably means there is a problem in these founding choices. Maybe the printer you chose has motor drivers that are not properly tuned to the stepper motors. Maybe the brand of painter's tape you chose was manufactured to low tolerances so it peels up unpredictably. Maybe the filament you chose has air holes inside or changes diameter each meter. It can sometimes be nearly impossible to prove these sorts of things are the root cause.

• a 3D printer
  • FFF (Fused Filament Fabrication)
  • cartesian
  • less popular alternatives like stereolithography and delta-style to be added later
• plastic filament
  • ABS
  • PLA
  • less popular alternatives like nylon to be added later
• precise measurement
  • vernier caliper
  • micrometer
  • IR thermometer
• tools
  • pallet knife
  • screwdrivers
  • hex drivers
  • knives
  • files
  • needlenose pliers
  • tweezers
  • sharpies
• tape
  • kapton
  • painter's tape
• fluids
  • acetone
  • rubbing alcohol
  • lubricant
• computer
  • personal computer
  • USB cable
• software
  • 3D model creation software
  • 3D model manipulation software
  • host software
  • printer firmware

• the reader is already familiar with the idea of 3D printing
• the reader already has a 3D printer, or direct access to one
• the reader wants to make the most efficient use of their time

• describe the history of 3D printing
• compare and contrast all of the available options
• host general discussions

If you're building a printer you designed yourself, awesome.

If you're building a printer someone else designed, good luck ;)

If you're building a kit you purchased, don't be shy about bothering the manufacturer.

If your printer is already fully assembled and ready to go it's still a good idea to skim through here as an educational thing.

• Read the instructions all the way through before starting
• Keep good notes
• Measure twice, cut once
• Don't take risks with your eyes and hands
• Respect the danger of things that get hot, power tools, and fumes in confined spaces

• The linear motion elements must be rigid (no flex), consistent (same dimension everywhere), and tough (high wear resistance)
• all moving parts must be properly lubricated
• all fasteners must be properly tightened
• all wires must be secured so that they do not catch on moving parts, rub on edges, or bend too sharply
• anything that heats up must be isolated (distance, active cooling or insulation)
• anything that heats up must be allowed to expand and contract

• anything that comes in contact with molten plastic will wear out sooner or later

• The X, Y and Z axis must be perfectly aligned
  • If there are two linear controls for one axis they must be parallel
  • Each axis must be perpendicular

I'll fill this in last.

• focus on the math, science and engineering that is common in all cases
• avoid diving into the specific ways each individual tool handles things
• make as few assumptions as possible and clearly document them

• open source developers tend to start from scratch in at least one area; this will help them solve their unique problems
• open source users are often left to puzzle through incomplete documentation; this will help them fill in the holes
• everyone who uses 3D printing will benefit from a common core; this will help them leverage 3D printing's strengths while avoiding its weaknesses