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The big day

You built a printer, calibrated it, mastered filaments, and printed a project of your own. Now it is time to show it off. Today each contestant presents their capstone project to the class and the judges.
Bring your finished project (or your best attempt) and be ready to talk through your whole process. Remember: you are judged on effort and problem-solving, not just perfection.

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Your presentation

When it is your turn, walk the class through these five points:

What your print is

Show your project and describe what it is and what it does.

Why you chose it

Tell us what drew you to this project.

The steps you followed

Walk through your process: designing or downloading, slicing, settings, and printing to completion.

Problems and how you solved them

Share what went wrong and how you fixed it. This is where you earn serious points.

Any post-processing

If you sanded, glued, painted, or assembled parts, explain what you did.
If your print failed, present anyway. Explaining what went wrong and what you learned can score higher than a flawless print with no story. That is the “fail forward” spirit.

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How it is judged

Projects are scored out of 100 base points, with optional bonuses that can push you above 100.

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The prizes

First, second, and third place winners each choose a premium tri-color silk PLA spool.
Tri-color silk PLA filament spool with a printed dragon

Tri-color silk PLA

Rainbow tri-color silk PLA filament spool with a printed dragon

Rainbow silk PLA

Matte tri-color PLA filament spool with printed models

Matte tri-color PLA

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What you accomplished this week

You built a real machine

From a sealed box to a calibrated, Wi-Fi-connected 3D printer you assembled yourself.

You learned the science

Filament types, temperatures, drying, build surfaces, nozzles, and additives.

You ran the full pipeline

Model to slicer to G-code to a finished print sent over Wi-Fi.

You solved real problems

Diagnosed failures and fixed them like a maker, not just a button-pusher.

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Where to go next

Your printer is yours to keep. Here is how to keep growing:
Start with Tinkercad (free and beginner friendly), then grow into Fusion 360 or Onshape to design your own original models.
Browse free models on Printables, Thingiverse, and MakerWorld. Print, remix, and share.
3D printing has a huge, friendly online community. Forums, subreddits, and Discord servers are full of people happy to help troubleshoot.
Try new filaments, dial in settings, and take on harder projects. Every print teaches you something.
You completed the Advanced 3D Printing camp: you built, calibrated, and mastered a 3D printer, and designed, printed, and presented a capstone project. Congratulations!
Always operate your printer safely: never leave long prints fully unattended, keep the hot nozzle and bed away from skin, and print in a ventilated space. Enjoy your machine - you earned it.