Our objective at the Abbott Library is to make 3D printing as accessible and affordable as possible. We are interested in covering costs and building up a community of makers that are willing to share here in our library environment. The first 45 minutes of any print project is free and then the fee is $1.00 for every 30 minutes thereafter. Additional donations are always gladly accepted!
Files need to be in the Makerbot format before being printed. You can download the Makerbot software and convert .stl files yourself, or you can use our laptop here. Put your files on a portable USB thumb drive. There are many ready-to-go files available for printing on thingiverse.com but you might want to create your own designs. There are lots of free, open-source design programs that are easy to learn, like this one: www.tinkercad.com.
Staff at the library will give you a short training on how to use the printer. When you are printing your design, you need to be near the printer to check on it as the job progresses. Sometimes the print job is interrupted due to a nozzle clog, etc. You will need to work with library staff during the printing of your design to make sure things go smoothly.