Tell Me What's In The Box . . . The 3D Printing De-Supporting Box

Hinged plastic box for 3-D printing desupporting tools

I've mentioned my 3D de-supporting kit before, and people have asked what's actually in it. Hopefully, this will answer some of the questions and serve as a good starting point for people just getting into 3D printing. My contents vary over time as I find better tools for the job, but this is what's in there as of this morning:
 
First, there's the box. I don't even remember where I got this – craft store or dollar store or yard sale – but a decent box to put your tools in is essential so that you can find them easily and the cat doesn't put them under the furniture. 
 
Then there's the matter of what's in the box. 
 

Tool for 3-D printing

  1. Gloves. Cheap gardening gloves from a discount store are fine; you want some protection from the sharp ends of supports, which have an unerring tendency to focus on the most vulnerable parts of your hands. The dollar store is a good source.
  2. Nippers. If you're already a model builder, you probably have some. Get good ones; they'll cost you between $10 and $20. If I had only one tool, it would be these.
  3. Mini diagonal cutters. Excellent, in particular, for FDM (filament printing) supports. Mine came from the jewelry tool section in a craft store, but just about anywhere (hardware store, DIY home center, etc.) will do.
  4. Round-nose pliers. They get into tight spaces and are especially good for tearing loose hollow FDM supports – and a thousand other things. If I could have only two tools, the second one would be these.
  5. Flat-nose pliers. Frequently sold in craft stores in sets with diagonal cutters and round-nose pliers. Particularly good for resin printing, where you can use them to tear off a whole row of supports at once.
  6. Craft knife. X-Acto or off-brand. Great for cleanup of support bumps and leftover bits.
  7. Tweezers, both straight and angled. Mine are iFixit because I got them cheap, but any tweezers will do as long as they have narrow ends to get into where they're needed.
  8. Picks. You can get them from craft stores as vinyl weeders, but they're much cheaper at hardware stores. Don't pay the "craft tax" if you don't have to. Essential for FDM support removal and frequently useful for resin.
  9. Child-size toothbrush. Great for tiny supports, FDM stringing, and the like. I generally do a quick swipe over any print when I'm done, just to get the little things I missed. Available at discount stores.
  10. Nylon brush. You can find them in hardware stores, sometimes only in multi-packs with brass and steel brushes. The brass-bristled ones might be useful as well, but nylon is the one that goes in my box.
  11. Emery boards. You need stiff files in a variety of grits, and I like disposable ones because my steel needle files get clogged up with plastic after a few uses. The dollar store will sell you a whole blister pack for cheap.
 
You likely already have a lot of these things around the house. (Who doesn't have an X-Acto knife?) For the rest, if you're just getting started, get yourself nippers, round-nosed pliers, and some emery boards, and you're in business. Add the rest as you go.

-- Jean McGuire