Q & A

Great question, also one without a direct answer. Why? Because the settings you use depend on the part you are slicing, the filament, and the printer you are using. It’s also not that complicated. Copying someone else’s settings may appear easy, but won’t teach you anything, and when you need to slice a new part, or trouble shoot an issue, you will struggle.

I like to start with the slicers default profile for the printer I am using. Tweak that until you get a good 3DBenchy. Don’t worry about printing a strong part, work on print quality first. After that, adjust your wall count, infill type and density, line width, and layer height to get the part to the needed strength.

This is a bit over simplified, but it outlines the basic process. Focus on print quality, and then on printing strong firearm parts. While you can jump right into doing lower receivers and frames, I think it better to print smaller items to get things dialed in first.

Check out the page on slicer settings for more details.

Nozzle temps and bed temps depend on the filament you are using, your printer, and even the type of part you are thinking.

I normally set the nozzle temp in the middle or higher end of the manufactures recommended temp. Higher temps are not always better.

Your bed temp should also follow the manufactures recommendations to start with. Different plastics respond to bed temp differently, don’t assume that a higher bed temp will reduce warping.

Slumping is another problem to consider. Too high of a bed temp can soften the part near the bed and cause it to slump. This can be a big issue with PLA.

Nozzle temps and bed temps depend on the filament you are using, your printer, and even the type of part you are thinking.

I normally set the nozzle temp in the middle or higher end of the manufactures recommended temp. Higher temps are not always better.

Your bed temp should also follow the manufactures recommendations to start with. Different plastics respond to bed temp differently, don’t assume that a higher bed temp will reduce warping.

Slumping is another problem to consider. Too high of a bed temp can soften the part near the bed and cause it to slump. This can be a big issue with PLA.