Create 3D Print Workshop
Small-group training · Melbourne
Learn to design it.
Learn to print it.
Bring your ideas to life.
Hands-on, personalised 3D printing and CAD training in a small, friendly environment. Learn how FDM printing really works, design your own parts in Onshape, and watch your ideas become real objects — no engineering degree required.
Why train here
Not a lecture hall. A workbench, three printers, and you.
This is personalised training rather than a one-size-fits-all course. Every session is shaped around what you already know and what you want to make.
Small classes
A maximum of three people per session — often just one or two — so there's plenty of individual attention and no waiting for a turn on the printer.
Personalised training
The course adapts to your existing knowledge and your goals — from your very first print through to designing functional parts.
Hands-on learning
You won't just watch presentations. You'll design, prepare and print real parts during your sessions.
Learn CAD
Get started with Onshape — sketching, dimensions, constraints and features — and begin designing your own ideas.
Take your knowledge home
Every participant receives comprehensive course notes — a reference you can keep, re-read and build on after the training.
See real results
Watch your idea go from a sketch on screen to a physical object you can hold — printed while you're there.
How the training works
From idea to object, one layer at a time
Bring your idea
Start with something you'd like to create — a replacement part, a gadget, a gift, or simply curiosity.
Learn the basics
Understand how FDM 3D printing works and what makes a design succeed — or fail — on a real printer.
Design in CAD
Learn the fundamentals of Onshape and create your own 3D model, with guidance at every step.
Prepare for printing
Learn how a model is sliced and set up — orientation, supports, layer height and infill — for a successful print.
Print your creation
Watch your design transformed, layer by layer, into a real physical object on a Bambu Lab printer.
Take your knowledge with you
Leave with comprehensive notes and reference material to help you keep designing and printing on your own.
From my printers
A few things I've designed and printed
Every one of these started as an idea, became a CAD model, and came off one of the printers you'll learn on.
Course outline
What we can cover together
Training is delivered in sessions of around two hours, mixing learning, designing and printing. Because classes are personalised, the exact content flexes to your experience and goals — these modules are the menu, not a fixed script.
MODULE AIntroduction to 3D printing
How a 3D printer actually turns filament into objects.
- What is FDM 3D printing?
- How a 3D printer works
- Understanding layers
- Understanding materials
- Understanding print settings
- Basic printer components
MODULE BDesigning for 3D printing
Designing parts that print well — the skill that separates frustration from success.
- Designing parts that can actually be printed
- Understanding overhangs
- Understanding bridging
- Wall thickness
- Tolerances
- Designing strong parts
- Designing moving parts
- Reducing the need for supports
- Orientation and print direction
- Common design mistakes — and how to avoid them
MODULE CIntroduction to CAD with Onshape
The goal: by the end, you're designing your own ideas — not just following along.
- The Onshape interface
- Sketching
- Dimensions
- Constraints
- Extruding
- Creating simple features
- Editing designs
- Creating functional parts
MODULE DPreparing a model for printing
From finished model to a print job that works first time more often.
- Importing models
- Scaling
- Orientation
- Support material
- Layer height
- Infill
- Print settings
- Sending a model to the printer
MODULE ETroubleshooting
What went wrong, why it went wrong, and how to fix it next time.
- Poor first layers
- Stringing
- Warping
- Weak parts
- Layer adhesion
- Failed prints
- Incorrect dimensions
Learn at your own level
Wherever you're starting from, we start there too
Before your first session, we'll talk about what you know and what you'd like to make — then shape the training around it.
Never used a 3D printer before?
No problem. We start with the basics, at a comfortable pace, and you'll still print something real in your first session.
Already own a printer?
We can focus on improving your understanding, your print quality, and your ability to troubleshoot problems.
Want to design your own creations?
We can spend more time in Onshape, learning CAD properly so you can design whatever you imagine.
Have a specific project in mind?
Bring your idea. We'll explore how to design it, refine it, and print it — a project of your own is the best way to learn.
Meet your instructor
Hi, I'm Steve. I've spent my working life designing things that get made.
I started out in electronics at the ABC in Melbourne, then studied industrial design at Monash University. That led to a career designing architectural and street lighting in the UK — products that had to be manufactured well and work reliably out in the world for years.
These days I'm a ceramicist, slip-casting from moulds I design in CAD and 3D print, and I've taught Onshape for years. My three Bambu Lab printers run most days. Everything in these sessions comes from actually making things — the successes and the failed prints alike — not from a slide deck.
- ElectronicsABC, Melbourne
- Industrial designMonash University
- Lighting designArchitectural & street lighting, UK
- NowCeramics, 3D printing & CAD teaching, Melbourne
The equipment
Three modern Bambu Lab printers, ready when you are
You'll learn on the same machines many enthusiasts choose for their own workshops — modern, reliable and genuinely easy to use. No wrestling with temperamental hardware; just designing and printing.
- ✓Easy to use — so class time goes into learning, not fighting the machine.
- ✓Reliable — prints started in a session actually finish.
- ✓Excellent print quality — you'll take home parts you're proud of.
- ✓Fast — see results within a session, not days later.
- ✓Modern technology — what you learn transfers directly to today's printers.
Course notes & takeaways
The learning doesn't stop when the session ends
// COURSE REFERENCE GUIDE
Design it.
Print it.
Keep this.
Your personal reference for everything covered in training — written to be useful long after the course.
Every participant receives comprehensive notes covering the concepts learned during training — designed as genuinely useful reference material, not a souvenir. Your notes may include:
- FDM 3D printing fundamentals
- Design guidelines
- Common printing problems
- CAD basics
- Useful terminology
- Design tips
- Checklists
- Troubleshooting guidance
Is this course right for you?
This training is ideal if you…
- ✓Are completely new to 3D printing
- ✓Want to understand how 3D printing actually works
- ✓Want to design your own objects
- ✓Want to learn the basics of CAD
- ✓Already own a printer but want to improve your skills
- ✓Prefer hands-on learning over watching videos
- ✓Want personal attention in a small group
- ✓Have an idea you'd like to turn into a real object
Not sure if it's for you?
Get in touch before booking and tell me what you'd like to learn. I'm happy to chat about your goals and help you work out whether — and how — the training would suit you. No pressure, no obligation.
FAQ
Good questions, straight answers
Do I need any previous 3D printing experience?
No. The training adapts to complete beginners — many students start with no experience at all.
Do I need to bring my own 3D printer?
No. All training uses the three Bambu Lab printers here — you just bring yourself and your ideas.
How many people are in each class?
Classes are limited to between one and three people, so everyone gets individual attention.
Will I learn how to design my own objects?
Yes. The course can introduce you to CAD using Onshape, with the goal of designing your own ideas.
How long is each session?
Sessions run for approximately two hours, though the overall learning experience is structured around your needs.
Will I receive notes?
Yes. Comprehensive notes are provided as reference material you can keep after the course.
Can I bring my own project idea?
Please do. Students are encouraged to bring projects or ideas they'd like to explore — it's the best way to learn.
Contact & booking
Not sure where to start? Just say hello.
Tell me what you'd like to learn and I'll help you work out which type of training would suit you best. Call, email, or use the form — whichever feels easiest.
0439 64 77 44 Email
steve@create3dprintworkshop.com.au
Beginners are genuinely welcome — the form takes about a minute, and there's no obligation.