3D Printing Services

Pearsall Library has a LulzBot TAZ 6 3D printer.  3D printing using the TAZ 6 is available to current students, faculty, and staff of NC Wesleyan University.  

• Cost: 10 cents per gram of filament.
• Maximum print area of 11" x 11" x 9.8".
• Print jobs over 4 hours will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis to determine feasibility/scheduling of time for the print job. 
• All print jobs must be submitted in the .STL file format.
• Files are printed using Cura software.

To request/schedule a 3D print job, use the form on the Request an Appointment tab.

The printer may only be used for lawful purposes and the library reserves the right to refuse any 3D print request.

1. Open Cura.
2. Go to File > Load Media File.
3. When you see your file, you can zoom in and out by scrolling. You can also left click and drag to rotate the display.
4. Click on your model, and adjust the rotation and scale.
5. You can click Lay Flat to make sure it is sitting flat on the plane.
6. Click Print Support Structure to create a scaffolding around your model.
7. Go to the upper left corner of the screen and click on Normal View. Go to Layers view, and use the scale to go through the layers to see if there are any structural issues to anticipate. Even after clicking Lay Flat, there may still be some adjustments to be made.
8. Remove the printer enclosure.
9. Turn on the printer. Open Control in Cura.
10. If you see a lot of marks on the print bed, use Control to extend the bed forward and move the print head up for cleaning.
    • Turn off the printer.
    • Soak a glue rag in warm water, and wipe the print bed with each side of the rag.
    • Spray area lightly with 90/10 water/alcohol solution, and wipe with an alcohol rag.
    • Let dry. (the glue pad will vanish!)
    • Apply glue in straight lines to reapply glue target area.
11. Set the Temperature to 230 degrees Celsius, and the Bed Temperature to 85 degrees Celsius. Click Set for each.
12. Choose your printing filament.
13. On the right side of the printer, fold down the upper extension, fold up the lower one.
14. Attach the tube to the upper extension.
15. Load filament, with the end forward and above the roll, into the tube.
16. Push it into the head until you see filament melting out of the bottom. Lock in the filament.
17. The printing head must be hot to clean. DO NOT use anything metal or conductive to clean it. Use a sponge pad.
18. Use a sponge pad to keep the filament from leaking too much.
19. Click Print!
20. Put the enclosure back.
21. Monitor the progress of the printer. DO NOT stop a print job unless it is an emergency.
22. When it seems to be going smoothly, clean the rags if you used them.
23. When printing is finished, remove enclosure. It will automatically extend when dry. Remove carefully with spatula on thin side.
24. Clean up your object's support structure pieces, put the filament, rags, and sponges away, and log out of the computer.