Understanding 3D Printing (Volumes 1-4)

Would you like to take an idea, model in on your computer, and then produce a solid, real-life object from that idea? Maybe you are an inventor. Maybe you are an artist. Maybe you need that hard to find part for your dishwasher. Or perhaps you just want to understand the exciting new field of 3D printing. Once the realm of big corporations, 3D printers are now available for just a few hundred dollars and allow you to convert you big ideas into real parts without any special talents or thousands of dollars of machining equipment. In this series you'll learn how 3D printing works, what you can and can't expect from it, what goes into a 3D printer and how to participate in the 3D printer revolution even if you don't want to own your own printer! Al Williams, well known computer software and hardware author. takes you step-by-step through the ins and outs of this exciting new field.

This is all four volumes--the complete set at a 33% discount over buying the volumes separately. The four volumes are also available separately, if you only want a specific topic.

Includes a free bonus chapter: Converting a digital photograph of a flat object into a 3D printed object (with OpenSCAD).

Complete Table of Contents:
Volume I
Introduction
Chapter 1. What is 3D Printing?
Chapter 2. Materials
Type of Materials
Exotic Materials
What Makes Good Filament?
Making the Choice
Volume II
Chapter 3 - The Hardware
The Good News
What is a Printer?
An Alternative: Pulleys
Other Bearings
Extruders
Enclosures
Tools You'll Need
Chapter 4. Electronics
Connecting
Power
Heaters
Fans
Sensors
Controller Programming
Extras
Volume III
Chapter 5. The Software
CAD
Slicing
Print Software
Model Considerations
Chapter 6. Workflow with an Existing Model
Initial setup
Filament loading
Bed Leveling and Z Height
Go Ahead: Print!
Volume IV
Chapter 7. Troubleshooting Printing Problems
Filament Doesn’t Feed
Filament Doesn’t Stick
Filament Balls Up
Curling
Corners Round Out
Edges are Rough
Surfaces are Rough
Print is Offset/Shifted
Temperature is Unstable
Axis Only Moves in One Direction or will not Home
Holes/Circles aren’t Round
Outside or Inside Dimensions are Off
Layers Skipping, Squashing Together, or Hot End Drags
Small Parts won’t Stick
Bubbles or Voids in Surface
Stringy Filaments on Print
Obvious Ridge on Surface
Print Overhang Collapses
Burning Plastic
Plastic Makes Popping Noises/Lets Off Steam
Very Hard to Remove Part
When All Else Fails
Chapter 8. Post Processing
Gluing
Sanding/Filing
Fill
Mechanical Finishing
Painting
Heating
Chemical Treatment
About Post Processing
Chapter 9. The Future
Appendix I: Useful Links
Information and Models
Vendors
Print Services
CAD Software
Appendix II. Getting Started with OpenSCAD
Getting Started
A Simple Panel
Thingiverse Customizer
Appendix III. Formulas
Background
Inches to millimeters
Millimeters to inches
Microsteps per Revolution
Degrees per Microstep
Millimeters per Microstep (belt)
Millimeters per Microstep (leadscrew)
Microsteps per Millimeter (either)
Stepper Mot