Essential Tools and Supplies

Start with what came in the box

Printer makers usually ship the tools their machine needs for setup and routine maintenance. Prusa's CORE One+ package, for example, includes a Phillips screwdriver, needle-nose pliers, a 13 mm wrench, a universal wrench and sets of Allen and Torx keys Maker spec. Formlabs ships a finish kit with its resin printers. Keep these together; the maker's maintenance guides assume you have them, and their sizes match the machine's fasteners.

For every printer

Item	What it is for
Side cutters (snips)	Snipping supports, brims and filament ends cleanly. Formlabs includes a pair in its finish kit for careful support removal.
Calipers or another measuring tool	Measuring parts against the design and checking test prints (see Resolution, Accuracy and Precision).
A bed cleaner your sheet maker approves	Removing grease and fingerprints from the print surface. See the FDM section below.
Lint-free cloths	Cleaning optical parts. Formlabs' finish kit includes lint-free cloths, which it reserves for the printer's optical parts.

Formlabs' caution about sharp tools applies to both processes: tools slip easily on slippery surfaces, so orient sharp tools away from yourself, especially when cutting or scraping.

FDM supplies

• Bed cleaning. Prusa recommends 90 percent isopropyl alcohol for its smooth, satin and textured steel sheets with PLA, ABS and many other materials Maker spec (it says never to use IPA on its PA Nylon sheet), warning that lower concentrations may contain unsuitable chemicals and oils. When adhesion fades even with IPA, Prusa suggests a few drops of dish soap and warm (not hot) water. Prusa says not to use acetone on its textured and satin sheets. Other surfaces have their own rules, so check your sheet maker's instructions before using any solvent. Prusa also notes you do not need to clean before every print if you have not touched the surface.
• Filament storage. Prusa states that most FDM materials are hygroscopic (they absorb moisture from the air), and that wet filament can cause poor layer adhesion, blobs, bubbling and smoke during extrusion. Prusa's advice is to store spools in a closed box with desiccant, in vacuum bags, or in a dedicated dry box, and to give the most moisture-sensitive materials priority. See Drying and Storing Filament.

Resin supplies

Resin supplies are mostly about keeping uncured resin off your skin and out of the environment. The resin's own safety data sheet (SDS) is the authority; read it before buying.

• Gloves. Formlabs says to wear chemically resistant gloves such as nitrile or neoprene, not latex, when handling liquid resin, printer parts or unwashed prints. Formlabs' finish kit includes disposable nitrile gloves for removing and finishing prints.
• Eye protection. Formlabs notes that eye contact with resin may cause eye irritation. Use the eye protection your resin's SDS specifies.
• Ventilation. Formlabs' Grey Resin SDS says to use it only with adequate ventilation; check your own resin's SDS. Plan where the fumes go before you open a bottle; see Setting Up a Safe Workspace.
• Rinse containers with lids. Formlabs' finish kit uses two rinse buckets with snap-closed lids to limit solvent evaporation, and a basket to move parts between them.
• A scraper and a part-removal tool. Formlabs separates these: a plastic scraper for inspecting the resin tank and a metal scraper for the build platform, with a warning not to use the metal one on the tank. Follow your printer maker's guidance on which tool may touch which surface.
• Waste containers and labels. Formlabs says liquid resin, resin dissolved in solvent, partially cured resin and anything contaminated with liquid resin must be disposed of according to environmental regulations. Keep a dedicated container for gloves, towels and used solvent until you know your local rules.

Protective equipment is covered in detail in Resin Protective Equipment, and the room itself in Setting Up a Safe Workspace.

What can wait

Upgrades, special nozzles and finishing gear can wait until a print tells you that you need them. The items above cover the first weeks of printing on most machines; buy the rest when a specific problem calls for it.