3D Printer Questions

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Trevor Shaw

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Jan 18, 2026, 2:06:11 PMJan 18
to K-12 Fab Labs and Makerspaces
Hi everyone,

Apologies for troubling the group with a question that I'm sure gets asked every few months.

My school is getting ready to upgrade its Makerbot Replicator to something more modern.

In my previous school, we were using a mix of Ultimaker S5s and S3s. I liked these a lot. They were pretty reliable and durable.

I scanned the previous messages on this forum, and I see other people speaking well of Bamboo Labs and Prusa.

I'd like something with the following features:
  • Very reliable
  • Dual extrusion or the ability to use multiple materials on a print
  • Heated build plate
  • Temperature controlled enclosure
  • Automatic build plate leveling
  • Network connectivity
  • Good support / parts availability
After doing a bit of googling, I think I've got it down to the following choices:
  • Ultimaker S3
  • Bamboo Labs P2s Combo
  • Prusa Core One+ w. MMU3
I would love to hear from anyone who has some experience they could share regarding how these three devices compare to each other.

I really like the Ultimakers, but they seem to be MUCH more expensive than the other two. Does anyone have an opinion about whether they are worth that extra money?

Are there other models that I should be considering?

Thank you to anyone who can offer some help / advice.

Trevor

JD Pirtle

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Jan 18, 2026, 2:30:46 PMJan 18
to Trevor Shaw, K-12 Fab Labs and Makerspaces
We have a Bambu X1C at work and it's ridiculously great for the money. Worked with Prusa, MakerBot, Ultimakers and other brands over the last 15 years and the Bambu has the best fiddling-to-printing ratio I've seen in a printer at that price point. Excellent build quality, reliability, software, etc. 

We're about to order a few PS2 Combos for new spaces. Definitely recommend Bambu of the brands you listed. 



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Keith G Braafladt

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Jan 19, 2026, 1:12:27 PMJan 19
to JD Pirtle, Trevor Shaw, K-12 Fab Labs and Makerspaces
I work at a local Pre-k-12 academy and we have 4 of the Bamboo x1C printers, and I agree with JD's assessment completely! (and I love the phrase/criteria "the best fiddling-to-printing ratio" ) 
- not sure about their latest and greatest but the x1C's are good and consistant. 

In my role, I am trying to support students independently using the printers, so I work hard on documentation, workflow, and keeping costs down by trying to keep the filament types to a very narrow selection based on price and type (PLA and just B/W filament - if you want color you bring this in yourself) I've learned from experience that experimenting with different filament types tends to take the machines down much more often than if I stick to a just PLA – although our  high school robotics team has used many many different types for strength/weight, and sometimes flexibility) )

We created a PowerPoint slide deck that walks a student through the steps for using the Bamboo software to print- the bamboo interface changes at times so I'm not always up-to-date on making sure the screenshots are perfect, but I am happy to share this PowerPoint if folks are interested.
I can't remember if this group has a place to store/drop files for others to use, but you can reach out to me directly and I can send you a link or the file.

We also have two older FlashForge Adventure 3 series and actually we use those printers with our youngest as the software is just simpler for them to use and I have taken them apart and repaired them multiple times. They just keep working... I'm not really recommending the Flashforges,  Just saying if you have access or inherit these don't get rid of them.

Keith 
Makerspace coordinator



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Tim Cooper

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Jan 19, 2026, 2:22:54 PMJan 19
to Keith G Braafladt, JD Pirtle, Trevor Shaw, K-12 Fab Labs and Makerspaces
Agree with the Bambu folks. We have two, and they print with 1-many colours. We have !xe and H2D. The H2D has two heads so it prints a bit faster. Both have 4 colour prints (H2D 4 plus support) with AMS attachment. I love Ultimake, but they are concentrating more on the really high-end stuff. My 1xe blows away my S3 in speed, option and price. I don't the longevity of these products. My Ultimakers were solid, and these are more plastic, so we shall see how they compare.  It helps that I bought them from a local company that i can call for support on occasion.

Best,
Tim



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Lucie deLaBruere

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Jan 20, 2026, 8:59:05 AMJan 20
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Keith, 
Thanks for offering to share your PowerPoint how to.  I'd love to check it out. 
I don't see a file storage area capability in this group, but I wonder if you could save it as a PDF and include it as an attachment to a reply. 

Lucie

Colleen Larionoff

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Jan 20, 2026, 1:20:22 PMJan 20
to Trevor Shaw, k-12-f...@googlegroups.com
Hi! 
We replaced our Ultimakers with Bambu X1C and H2D, and the Bambu printers are much faster, more user-friendly, with fewer failed prints, and so far, less maintenance.  They have all the features you mentioned as well.

 I was hesitant to switch brands because I was concerned about the time investment of learning a different slicing software and new maintenance techniques.  However, between the price difference and our upper school robotics coach’s positive experience with Bambu, we made the switch this summer.  I like the H2D better as it is larger and we got the second filament box for the second nozzle, but for small single-filament prints, they work interchangeably.  I have also found that prints that required support on the Ultimaker can print without support on the Bambu. 

Let me know if you have more questions!

-Colleen 



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On Jan 18, 2026, at 2:06 PM, Trevor Shaw <sha...@gmail.com> wrote:

Hi everyone,
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Adam Singer

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Jan 20, 2026, 7:14:16 PMJan 20
to Colleen Larionoff, Trevor Shaw, k-12-f...@googlegroups.com
I can't say enough about our Bambu printers. We have some A1s and an X1C with the top-loading AMS attachment to hold 4 spools. I find that I get similar print quality from both models despite the huge cost difference.

My one regret is not springing for a dual-extruder model - multi-color prints (on designs with multiple colors not separated into distinct layers) on the X1C with the AMS and a single extruder result in a great print, but there is an enormous amount of material waste spewing out "poops" between each color change clearing out the extruder.

I was just readying our old 3D printers for donation to another school and was reminded how much fussing I no longer have to do with the Bambus.

Adam Singer (he/him)

Technology / Maker Educator

Maker Tech Lab

Davidson Middle School

Instagram: DavidsonMakers

Class wishlist

Pictures of our class  projects on Flickr

Support our class projects on Donors Choose




Lisa Heineman

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Jan 21, 2026, 9:22:00 AMJan 21
to Adam Singer, Colleen Larionoff, Trevor Shaw, k-12-f...@googlegroups.com
I am enjoying reading everyone's comments about 3D printers. I am thinking of adding some newer printers with more features to my lab. Bambu is one of the top contenders, but I am concerned about how to control student use of the printers. The printers I have now have built-in computers that I can lock with a password when I am away or don't want students to use them. I am interested in hearing how those of you with Bambu printers control access to them. I teach High School, by the way, which brings its own set of challenges (especially with extremely resourceful students!).

Thanks!


Lisa Kunkle Heineman, MSME, MEd

Industrial Automation Instructor








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Rob van Nood

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Jan 21, 2026, 12:49:32 PMJan 21
to Lisa Heineman, Adam Singer, Colleen Larionoff, Trevor Shaw, k-12-f...@googlegroups.com

Hi Lisa

 

I run a tinkering studio for 1st-8th graders and have a couple of Bambus (A1 and P1P).  The way I control access to the printers is that I end up doing all the prints.  We use TinkerCad as the build tool and I have access to all the student creations.  When they are ready to print they sign up on a whiteboard in the space which includes their name, the print name and the color(s) they want.  I don’t mind doing the extra work of downloading their creations because I can control when and how they are printed.  It also allows me to do a lot of batch prints for speed. 

 

Last night I ran two machines with about 5 prints on each one.  It’s a lot faster and simpler than having kids do individual prints.  I realize that for a HS class that might be less ideal but I wanted share my process.  Unless I was able or willing to teach a lot of 3D print trouble shooting I think I would be spending countless hours fixing student print issues if I let them do the printing themselves. 


Rob

 

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Catlin Gabel School

 

Office: 503-297-1894

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From: k-12-f...@googlegroups.com <k-12-f...@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Lisa Heineman <hein...@mylcti.org>
Date: Wednesday, January 21, 2026 at 6:22
AM
To: Adam Singer <asi...@srcs.org>
Cc: Colleen Larionoff <lar...@d-e.org>, Trevor Shaw <sha...@gmail.com>, k-12-f...@googlegroups.com <k-12-f...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: [k-12-fablabs] 3D Printer Questions

I am enjoying reading everyone's comments about 3D printers. I am thinking of adding some newer printers with more features to my lab. Bambu is one of the top contenders, but I am concerned about how to control student use of the printers. The printers I have now have built-in computers that I can lock with a password when I am away or don't want students to use them. I am interested in hearing how those of you with Bambu printers control access to them. I teach High School, by the way, which brings its own set of challenges (especially with extremely resourceful students!).

 

Thanks!



Lisa Kunkle Heineman, MSME, MEd

Industrial Automation Instructor



 

 

On Tue, Jan 20, 2026 at 7:14PM Adam Singer <asi...@srcs.org> wrote:

I can't say enough about our Bambu printers. We have some A1s and an X1C with the top-loading AMS attachment to hold 4 spools. I find that I get similar print quality from both models despite the huge cost difference.

 

My one regret is not springing for a dual-extruder model - multi-color prints (on designs with multiple colors not separated into distinct layers) on the X1C with the AMS and a single extruder result in a great print, but there is an enormous amount of material waste spewing out "poops" between each color change clearing out the extruder.

 

I was just readying our old 3D printers for donation to another school and was reminded how much fussing I no longer have to do with the Bambus.

 

Adam Singer (he/him)

Technology / Maker Educator

Maker Tech Lab

Davidson Middle School

Instagram: DavidsonMakers

Class wishlist

Pictures of our class  projects on Flickr

Support our class projects on Donors Choose

Image removed by sender.Image removed by sender.

 

Lisa Heineman

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Jan 21, 2026, 12:54:03 PMJan 21
to Rob van Nood, Adam Singer, Colleen Larionoff, Trevor Shaw, k-12-f...@googlegroups.com
Thanks for sharing Rob. Other teachers I have talked to use the approach. At the high school level it is useful to have a few experienced students who can manage prints on their own, which frees me up to help other students. 


Lisa Kunkle Heineman, MSME, MEd

Industrial Automation Instructor



Adam Singer

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Jan 21, 2026, 4:34:05 PMJan 21
to Lisa Heineman, Rob van Nood, Colleen Larionoff, Trevor Shaw, k-12-f...@googlegroups.com
As far as workflow, since we are a google district, and I was lucky enough to talk my IT department into creating a google account specifically for the bank of class 3D printers. Students save their designs to their own google drive and share the design file with the class 3D printer google account. They are required to put their name and a desired filament color in the filename (otherwise I default to white filament).
 I have a dedicated computer near the 3D printers that is logged into the 3D printer google account, has that account's Google Drive "Shared with me" page always showing and also has Bambu Studio loaded on it. I can either download the designs and load them myself or have a trusted student do that process. It does take a few extra minutes every morning to get that ready, but it is worth it to me.

Adam Singer (he/him)

Technology / Maker Educator

Maker Tech Lab

Davidson Middle School

Instagram: DavidsonMakers

Class wishlist

Pictures of our class  projects on Flickr

Support our class projects on Donors Choose



nick normal

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Jan 21, 2026, 5:19:42 PMJan 21
to K-12 Fab Labs and Makerspaces
Hello.

I run a lab of x7 UltiMaker S3s and S5 Pros. I personally run Prusa Core One+s. IMHO the UltiMakers are absolutely worth the extra money for the ease of use, the print core swapping, the ease of maintenance when needed. The Prusa ecosystem is highly technical and thus preferred by me, personally. I don't have extensive experience with Bambu's ecosystem but one of the 'heads up' I've heard from a handful of institutional folk is that you have to have 'good access' to your hardline or wireless network in order to properly communicate with the printers. I know a large, non-profit with a budget above $50M who complained they were unable to get the Bambu printing out-of-box because their institution had a 'policy' about IoT devices and wouldn't whitelist the IP of the printer. They had to send out an IT agent to 'inspect' the unit for clearance - this took weeks. If you know your IT person it may go smoother. For me, even in a non-profit with a sub-par IT dept, I was able to connect the UltiMaker S3s to the network and begin printing. Also the UltiMakers have a USB port for local printing; the X1C only has an SD card slot so you have to support file transfer that way (I don't know the P2 off the top of my head). The Prusa ecosystem is the best solution to all of these hangups from others but it's also so technical I don't recommend it for schools or beginners - intermediate+ users only.

Good luck!

Trevor Shaw

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Jan 21, 2026, 5:19:45 PMJan 21
to k-12-f...@googlegroups.com
Thanks, Colleen. Glad to hear about that stuff at D-E.

One thing I found in my research was the use of PVA disolvable filament on the single extruder models with the AMS system.

Apparently, if you print all of the supports with PVA, it would add a ridiculous amount of time to the print because of the time it takes to switch materials. However, there is a setting that allows you to use PVA only on the part of the support where it touches the actual model. This means a less messy and faster dissolving process. Sounds like a great solution.

I think we have decided to go with the P2S. From the things I've read, it's very similar to the X1C. While I'm thrilled about the low price, I'm just a little nervous about the idea that "you get what you pay for," but everyone I've talked to seems to rave about the Bambu's, so hopefully we will be happy with it.

Thanks to everyone who replied. It was very helpful.

Trevor

Lisa Heineman

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Jan 21, 2026, 8:23:12 PMJan 21
to Adam Singer, Rob van Nood, Colleen Larionoff, Trevor Shaw, k-12-f...@googlegroups.com
Thank you Adam! That gives me some ideas for ways to work this out, such as having a dedicated laptop with the software that can be locked up if students aren't supposed to be printing.


Lisa Kunkle Heineman, MSME, MEd

Industrial Automation Instructor



Katie Topper

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Jan 22, 2026, 1:47:40 AMJan 22
to Katie Topper, k-12-f...@googlegroups.com
I love Adam’s idea! Genius!

My approach is similar to Rob’s with a twist. Because my students use Tinkercad and I have access to student files, I could do the direct download myself. However, I think it’s important that students learn the workflow- how to export a file, name it (with preferred color), then upload it to a Google Classroom assignment - all while preserving the file extension.  I also have them make a queue on a white board. 

I usually have to do a bit of tweaking with the original file but at least I have access to their original file. 

One thing I do have difficulty explaining to middle schoolers is how 3D printing is not for creating huge dioramas - shoebox style! 

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Rob van Nood

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Jan 22, 2026, 12:05:55 PMJan 22
to Katie Topper, Katie Topper, k-12-f...@googlegroups.com

Here is a picture of the whiteboard I have up for students to let me know they are finished and ready to print.  On the left you can see the three requirements that I have for them to print.  Mostly its about making things that are not just going to be tossed out OR that are just a bunch of shapes stuck together without any “work” being done to them.  I also created a document that has all the TinkerCad icons on it so kids remember how to use everything.   On the left hand side I make notes of things (either that something is printing at the time or if there is something not quite right with the file that a student needs to go back and change,.

Adam Singer (he/him)

Image removed by sender.Image removed by sender.

 

 

Adam Singer (he/him)

Jeremy Mularella

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Jan 22, 2026, 4:36:42 PMJan 22
to Rob van Nood, Katie Topper, Katie Topper, k-12-f...@googlegroups.com
Since we're sharing 3D printing workflow ideas, I use AirTable to manage all of the 3D print requests at my school. Students fill out a form like the example below. They select 
their name(s), choose a reason for the request, choose a filament color, and upload their STL file. (The form below is a copy. The original form is connected to another database with all student names in the building.)


I view all requests as a kanban board (https://airtable.com/app88zUvzrHYwdaCB/shrzSrdKHWGb16hgF/tbly4xD677eiKveU0) from a computer near the 3D printers. Students sometimes prepare their own models, but I do it 95% of the time.

I take a photo of every item once it's printed and have an automation set up in AirTable that marks it as completed and sends the students an email with that image telling them their request is ready to be picked up. I have another automation set up where it sends them an email with feedback if I am unable to print it for some reason. 

The automations would probably require a paid plan, but this could otherwise be done with a free personal AirTable plan.

Jeremy

Ian Klapper

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Jan 27, 2026, 3:15:09 PMJan 27
to Jeremy Mularella, Rob van Nood, Katie Topper, Katie Topper, k-12-f...@googlegroups.com
I recently heard that the new Bambu Lab H2C AMS Combo has less filament/jamming issues. With this said, for those of you who have Bambu printers, is there a local service provider you 
are working with in the event the machine needs to be repaired?

All the best,
Ian

Ian Klapper
Technology Integrator and Support
CIty and Country School



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Ian Klapper
Technology Integrator and Support
City and Country School

Justin Schmidt

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Jan 27, 2026, 3:29:38 PMJan 27
to Ian Klapper, jmula...@shrewsbury.k12.ma.us, Rob van Nood, Katie Topper, Katie Topper, k-12-f...@googlegroups.com
This doesn't directly answer the question, but fwiw - I've found that servicing Bambus is pretty easy. There are fairly clear guides online, the parts are easy to order, and I've only had to screw/unscrew and plug/unplug things to swap parts so far.

I did have to replace a part on an AMS that required me to find a 3D model and print it in something stronger than PLA (I think I went with PETG), but that was fairly easy as well once I figured out what was wrong.

 And hi to Jeremy - I grew up in Shrewsbury, nice surprise to see it in your email address. Happy to connect sometime - I'd be interested to hear about your makerspace(s).

Best,
Justin​

Justin Schmidt
Instructor

K-12 Maker Lab | MIT Edgerton Center

Email | LinkedIn


Jacob Kordeleski

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Jan 27, 2026, 3:31:18 PMJan 27
to Ian Klapper, Jeremy Mularella, Rob van Nood, Katie Topper, Katie Topper, k-12-f...@googlegroups.com

Bambu Lab has a robust self-repair and maintenance wiki. Their machines are reliable, parts are readily available, and repair is streamlined to a basic workflow of identify broken part, order, and replace. They do have a limited warranty, but no repair service. I know certain ed-tech distributors may offer included repair services and there are private repair businesses out there, but of course that costs lots of money.

 

These machines deserve praise for reliability, but they will absolutely break and many of the models are still in early or first production runs. There are identified manufacturing defects – for example, the mechanical arm which triggers the A1 filament sensor is prone to failure. Straightforward fix, but these machines are best suited for use by someone who is comfortable learning to repair them.

Jamie Back

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Jan 28, 2026, 9:48:20 PMJan 28
to K-12 Fab Labs and Makerspaces
I also love our Bambu Lab printers (H2D, X1C, and P2S).  We use the Polar Cloud to manage print single color jobs for X1C, with P2S support coming soon.  It's a huge time saver.  Students can send print jobs to the Polar Cloud directly from Tinkercad, and adults can send jobs for younger kids from a Tinkercad classroom to the Polar Cloud.  Students can upload designs from other software (Fusion, etc) to the Polar Cloud.  Print job management and slicing occur in the Polar Cloud. Most students just create print requests when they upload their file. If a student has been certified by me to manage the printers, I can give them access to manage the print requests, print queue, and slice jobs.  It's a huge time saver and well worth the yearly subscription cost for schools

The Polar Cloud is compatible with many printer models -- I've used it for years with our (retired) Flashforge Inventor IIs and with Flashforge Adventurer 5M Pros, which ship with Polar Cloud integration. To use Polar Cloud with Bambu Lab printers, you have to install the Polar3D Bambu Lab Agent on a computer that is on the same network as the printers. I've been using the agent for a few months now, and it works well. 

Jamie Back
Director of Makerspace and Innovation Design
Cincinnati Country Day School
Cincinnati, OH

Anna Delia

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Feb 3, 2026, 7:29:02 AM (13 days ago) Feb 3
to Jamie Back, K-12 Fab Labs and Makerspaces

Far less technical idea here than the many excellent suggestions I’ve seen. But this has been a trick to speed up workflow for us. If you are printing high volume and especially for younger learners, may I suggest you print everything in one color, then plan time for students to paint their prints (“sculptures”).

 

We have saved significant time while allowing continued “hands-on” and personalization by getting all project files together for a print, then providing acrylic paints, palettes to mix colors, and small paintbrushes. The results often look more tailored to the project and the student feels more involved in the actual making.

 

Examples of this:

  • shapes project we did with younger students for a class valentine’s exchange:
  • Interviewed a friend to learn about their favorite shape, color, etc
  • Designed a shape on paper and in tinkercad, learning about 2D –> 3D design
  • We printed all the shapes at once in one color
  • They came to observe the printing and then paint it whatever color they wanted
  • Created their own wrapping paper and wrapped the “gift” to exchange as a class on valentine’s day

 

 

  • Habitat projects:
  • Selected an animal from thingiverse that went with their project and was printable
  • Modified it or designed on their own in tinkercad
  • We printed all of them in the same color
  • Students custom painted to make the animal more life like – this really worked well for the project and looked far more realistic than printing it in a base color close to what they would have wanted
  • Placed the animal within a habitat they built by hand

 

Our space works with hundreds of students and projects like this need to move quickly, so it has really worked well in that kind of scenario, and it adds an element of making for the students instead of a machine just kicking out something they found online.

 

Best,

Anna

 

 

Anna Delia

Chair – ISACS Accreditation  |  Fab Labs & STEM Support

Hawken School  |  Gates Mills, Ohio

Phone: 614-330-1542

Blogs and Projects at fabplay.hawken.edu

Instagram: @hawkenfabplay

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From: k-12-f...@googlegroups.com <k-12-f...@googlegroups.com> On Behalf Of Jamie Back
Sent: Wednesday, January 28, 2026 9:48 PM
To: K-12 Fab Labs and Makerspaces <k-12-f...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: Re: [k-12-fablabs] 3D Printer Questions

 

I also love our Bambu Lab printers (H2D, X1C, and P2S).  We use the Polar Cloud to manage print single color jobs for X1C, with P2S support coming soon.  It's a huge time saver.  Students can send print jobs to the Polar Cloud directly from Tinkercad, and adults can send jobs for younger kids from a Tinkercad classroom to the Polar Cloud.  Students can upload designs from other software (Fusion, etc) to the Polar Cloud.  Print job management and slicing occur in the Polar Cloud. Most students just create print requests when they upload their file. If a student has been certified by me to manage the printers, I can give them access to manage the print requests, print queue, and slice jobs.  It's a huge time saver and well worth the yearly subscription cost for schools

Nate Gordon

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Feb 3, 2026, 7:51:44 AM (13 days ago) Feb 3
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Anna,

I love the idea of having students paint. Do you find that the acrylics work on dark colors or do you generally print in light/white?

Nate

Anna Delia

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Feb 3, 2026, 1:49:12 PM (13 days ago) Feb 3
to Nate Gordon, K-12 Fab Labs and Makerspaces

Not sure if it matters, but I know I’ve done this with white, clear, and gray (light and dark). I think you’d just use another coat of paint for darker plastic.

 

Perhaps a color that makes sense for the project, like using brown or green for something about plants, so the entire thing doesn’t “have” to be painted… if you are that organized…

Nate Gordon

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Feb 3, 2026, 3:00:52 PM (13 days ago) Feb 3
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Chatted with our art teacher about this - he did something similar earlier this year which I had forgotten, and used Paint Pens for painting on printed filament. He agreed that light or neutral colors are easier, but acrylic should cover just about anything, might need a thicker coat on darker colors. I have an upcoming print of 49 mazes created by 4th grade, so will try something like that. 

Thanks,
Nate

Patti Hockensmith

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Feb 3, 2026, 3:40:04 PM (13 days ago) Feb 3
to Nate Gordon, K-12 Fab Labs and Makerspaces
I have used permanent markers on white and they have worked great! 



god...@skillmillnyc.com

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Feb 4, 2026, 8:39:04 PM (12 days ago) Feb 4
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We print everything with white filament  and then use permanent markers to color them.  This is the simplest method we have found and it has been very successful and much less messy than paint.  Just offering this as another alternative

Godwyn
Godwyn Morris
Director
Dazzling Discoveries/ Skill Mill NYC

Tim Cooper

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Feb 5, 2026, 3:39:01 PM (11 days ago) Feb 5
to god...@skillmillnyc.com, K-12 Fab Labs and Makerspaces
+1 for pasca marker (paint markers), We have a Bambu that prints in multiple colours and the Bambu slicer is easy to paint basic stuff. It is slowly getting to be more and more a part of the workflow.

Best,
Tim



--

Tim Cooper, M.Ed OCT (he/him)

Technology Teaching and Learning Coordinator, Design and Programming Teacher

Design Dept Co-Chair | THE YORK SCHOOL

416.926.1325 ext. 1458

E - tco...@yorkschool.com -- T - @tcoops -- LinkedIn - ca.linkedin.com/in/tcoops




Lisa Heineman

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Feb 10, 2026, 10:06:14 AM (6 days ago) Feb 10
to Anna Delia, Jamie Back, K-12 Fab Labs and Makerspaces
Ha ha...I teach high school and try to avoid painting at all costs! But I will definitely file this away to use with a community makerspace I am involved in.


Lisa Kunkle Heineman, MSME, MEd

Industrial Automation Instructor



Trevor Shaw

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Feb 10, 2026, 3:54:15 PM (6 days ago) Feb 10
to K-12 Fab Labs and Makerspaces
Hi Everyone.

I want to thank everyone who offered their advice. We ended up going with the Bambu Labs P2S Combo Unit. Being able to keep four open spools of filament in a climate-controlled enclosure to facilitate easy switching of filaments was a big plus.

The printer is fast, accurate, and reliable.

If we had a little more money available, I might have pushed for the one with dual extruders. While you can perform multi-color prints with the P2S, it requires the filament to be changed, and it can be slow and wasteful.

But the overall verdict is that this is a great printer at a very affordable price.

Thanks again to all who offered advice.

Trevor

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