If you’re new to 3D printing - congratulations! You’ve officially entered a hobby that will turn your house into a filament storage warehouse, a mildly warm plastic factory, and a spiritual journey involving layer lines, clogged nozzles, and late-night slicer troubleshooting.
But before you start printing dragons, helmets, or that giant Flexi-something you found at 2 a.m., there are a few must-print first tools that will save your sanity, protect your printer, and help you get better results right from the start.
These are the top 5 3D-printed tools every beginner should print first.
1. Filament Guides & Bowden Tube Holders
Your filament has one job: feed into the printer.
Your filament, however, often has other plans—like bending at angles that violate several laws of physics and possibly one rule from your HOA.
A simple filament guide or Bowden tube holder keeps the filament moving cleanly and smoothly. These guides prevent:
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Sharp filament bends
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Tangling
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Drag across the gantry
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That moment you give your printer the “I’m not mad, just disappointed” side-eye
Print time? Shorter than explaining to your spouse why you suddenly have 12 rolls of silk PLA.
2. A Nozzle Organizer or Nozzle Case
If nozzles freely roam your desk, they will disappear. It’s not your fault. It’s not gravity. It’s not even the cat (this time).
It’s nozzle physics.
3D print yourself a simple nozzle holder or storage block so they stay:
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Organized
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Visible
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In one place
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Less likely to vanish into the multiverse
Plus, your workshop instantly looks 10% more professional—even if the rest still resembles the aftermath of a filament tsunami.
3. A 3D Printed Bed Scraper
A plastic bed scraper is one of the best early prints because:
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If you jab your build plate, you won’t create a crater deep enough to attract NASA.
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It’s stiff enough to remove prints, gentle enough to save your sanity.
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There’s something wonderfully satisfying about using a tool you printed on the machine that printed it.
Metal scrapers have their place, but plastic ones are perfect for beginners and far safer for your print surface.
4. A Build Plate Holder
If you use a magnetic or flexible plate, eventually you’ll remove it—and that’s when chaos begins.
Build plates have a habit of:
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Sliding behind the printer
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Falling on the floor
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Hiding under the cat
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Somehow ending up in another room
A simple 3D printed build plate holder keeps them:
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Upright
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Clean
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Flat
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Accessible
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Not acting like rogue Frisbees across your shop
It also makes your workspace look like you actually have things under control. Wild, I know.
5. The Calibration Cube (AKA the Printer Tattletale)
Before you print a giant Flexi dragon or that 20-hour helmet, print a calibration cube.
The calibration cube exposes:
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Extrusion issues
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Belt tension problems
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Z-wobble
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Every insecurity your printer has
Think of it as your printer’s way of saying:
“Hey… here’s everything wrong with me before you try something complicated.”
Skipping the calibration cube is the 3D printing version of skipping leg day—your prints will suffer, and the community will judge you.
Bonus: The Benchy — Your Printer’s Final Exam
A Benchy isn’t just a fun boat. It’s a judgment.
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If it looks clean → You’re ready for real projects.
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If it looks like a candle melted in a hot car → Back to the calibration cube, my friend.
Print Smart, Print Early
These five simple tools will save you:
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Hours of frustration
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A pile of failed prints
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A large portion of your sanity
Print these before the big projects. Then go wild with the dragons, helmets, props, and whatever else keeps you up slicing at 3 a.m.
Welcome to the 3D printing community!
“The best tools aren’t bought—they’re built… and sometimes held together with glue and hope.” - Bryan DeLuca