Hello!

Congratulations on your win and welcome to the personal 3D printing community! I thought I could be your latest resource and give you some useful info on getting started with, and maintaining your future/new 3D printer. On a similar note, I think you just opened up a door to a whole new world of awesome!

We've conversed a couple years ago over email; I'm the one who sent you those 3D printed dragon bookmarks from Thingiverse and the silver-gray dragon forepaws from one of your first 3D Three-Tail models. (A bit of a quirky gesture on my part in retrospect, but it was the only portion of your model that I could print cleanly at the time and I wanted to share).

First of all, welcome to Reddit! I'm sure the Lulzbot team will give you a head start and answer most of your questions. Chances are though that most of your questions have already been answered elsewhere on Reddit or on one of the many other 3D printing forums (links below). 3D printing can often be a tedious and sometimes frustrating hobby, especially if you want to get the most out of your printer, so never hesitate to ask a question.

Again, I think the Lulzbot team will get you started with all the software and printing profiles/configs you'll need, but nonetheless, I think you'll be using Slic3r (to convert .stl to .gcode) and Printrun/Pronterface (to talk to the printer). It might be wise to download these now if they haven't already told you what to do. They have a Download section, though I don't see your printer's config profiles listed there yet. Hint: Get familiar with Expert Mode in Slic3r so you can tune your printer to perfection and get to know how it works (File -> Preferences -> Mode).

Most of a 3D printerist's time is usually spent not only calibrating config profiles to get a finer and finer print quality, but it's also keeping up with general maintenance and upkeep. Keeping your printer's bearings greased up for example will help keep the noise down as well as increase the longevity of the metal rods and z-axis lead screws. I use White Lithium Grease and remove and reapply an application every few months. (Never use WD-40! It's not a proper lubricant!). Likewise, keeping your belts and screws tight will help ensure the highest accuracy and repeatability from your hardware. Beyond that, at some point you might need to learn how to unclog a nozzle or replace a noisy bearing, though hopefully not for a while. In the meantime, after getting your printer up and running, you might want to consider printing accessories for it such as a filament filter to mitigate clogs.

This simple message alone is by no means an introductory lesson. I encourage you to ask me and/or anyone else in the 3D printing community any questions you might have throughout your 3D printing journey. Let me know what knowledge you have on the subject too and where I can fill in the blanks, if any.

Finally, some helpful links:

• r/3DPrinting (great for asking questions and showing off)
  
• r/reprap (great for help and questions about open-source printers, which yours is)
  
• Lulzbot Forums (built by dedicated Lulzbot users)
  
• RepRap Forums (much more active then the above with plenty of topics and sub-forums related to both hardware and software)
  
• Google (need to know what temps to use for which plastics? what about the effects of a fan? Google is always your friend here.)
  
• YouTube (Plenty of tutorials and how-to's)
  

And for when you are up and running solid:

• 3D Hubs (post your idle 3D printer as a service for others and make money!)
  

You can message me as you wish by email at [email protected] or through this PM.

I look forward to seeing what you make on your 3D printer. Likewise, keep up with the awe-inspiring artwork!

All the best,
Michael