Over the years we have often thought that a 3D printer would be a nice addition to the craft room and recently we were lucky enough to receive both a Bambu lab A1 mini 3D printer and an A1 3D printer.

My granddaughter’s husband has had a 3D printer for many years and he makes miniatures and scenery for Warhammer, a board game that he and his friends enjoy playing, amongst other things. We are thinking we might like to make miniatures for some of our board games as well. Especially Gloomhaven and Pandemic.
So when we were given the opportunity to have both these 3D printers we jumped at the chance.
Buying Links
Note: it is more cost effective to purchase the combo versions of the A1 and the A1 mini with the AMS Lite. Although it isn’t necessary to have the AMS Lite it is more expensive to buy it separately at a later date. And believe me once you start your 3D printing journey you will find the AMS Lite a big plus.
A1 3D Printer Review
This is our review of the A1, which is much larger than the A1 mini, so I’m looking forward to creating some larger projects for my kitchen and garage.
If you would like to see the A1 Mini in action we have a review on our Alanda Craft website. We have found it so handy for making items for quilting, sewing and of course the kitchen. Once we started making stuff we just kept going, it’s so easy to do. Plus you can make fun or practical items.
Now before getting these machines we had zero experience on setting up and using a 3D printer, so we were a little apprehensive of how difficult this was going to be. We were expecting the printers to come in pieces like some of our laser machines, but no, it comes out of the box pretty much assembled. It took about half an hour or so to setup.
So we needn’t have been concerned as Bambu Lab have made the set up process as easy as it could possibly be for a beginner.
So this article will focus on our experience from the perspective of an absolute beginner.
Watch our video review or scroll down for the written review
Starting with the setup
We followed the steps in the manual, so all we had to do was:
- undo a few holding screws
- install the build plate – which was really simple. It’s magnetised so we just had to align it with the top of the heat bed.
- lock everything in place by removing the cover and installing a few screws – these are easily identified by colour.
- add the purge wiper to the side of the machine and screw it in place.

The whole setup process was really simple and the manual made everything easy. We had zero issues with the setup. Often when we are setting up a machine we end up having to find a video to make sure we are on the right track, well when it came to setting up the A1 3D printer we didn’t have to do this. The manual is set out clearly and concisely. So big thumbs up to Bambu Lab.

The AMS Lite
The printer does come with a single spool holder that attaches to the top of the printer.

However, you can purchase a combo version of the machine that includes an AMS Lite which allows you to have 4 different filaments set up. This makes it easy to swap colours if you have a multi coloured project.

The AMS lite was super simple to setup.
The colour coding came into play again here making it really easy to see where the spool holders needed to be placed.

If you decide to purchase the multiple spool holder, one thing to keep in mind is that the AMS Lite does take up extra space. Having said that, we did notice that there is an official Bambu file that you can print off to mount the AMS Lite to the top of the A1 printer. This is something we are definitely going to be doing.
FILAMENT
The machine comes with a small amount of filament to get you going but we ordered a few rolls from Bambu Lab as we knew we would need quite a bit for the reviews for both machines. Plus we really wanted to make lots of practical items and some fun ones as well.
We mostly use Bambu Lab filament, but you aren’t restricted to only using their filament. You can use other brands and we have also tried some eSun filament.
Filament comes in a wide variety of colors and types but for starting out it’s generally recommended that you use PLA or PETG, and this is what we went with.
It does a lovely job and we haven’t had any problems with the Bambu Lab filament.

Calibration and WIFI
When you turn on the machine you are taken through a setup process to connect the machine to your WiFi and then there is a calibration process.
The onscreen display walks you through step-by-step so you don’t have to do anything other than press some buttons.

Again this was all really simple to do and it all worked seamlessly for us. We didn’t have any problems connecting.
You can also download the Bambu Lab app which I highly recommend. This allows you to connect to the maker world site so that you send files directly to your machine. Plus you can keep an eye on your 3D print from anywhere in the house. It’s a bit laggy but it does the job.

We often play board games, such as Gloomhaven or Pandemic in the afternoon, and it was great having the printer screen showing on the iPad while we play, and we have a screen open on the computer while we are working.
The First Print
It is recommended that the first print you do is what is called a ‘Benchy’. This file runs through the process and allows you to make sure that there are no issues with the printer.
So we thought it best that we print out the the Benchy file first. This file is one of the inbuilt files in the printer, and it was just a matter of selecting the file, choosing the filament colour and clicking PRINT.
Now the A1 includes a number of built-in files that you can use and this is probably the best place for a newbie to start before heading off into MakerWorld.

Printing out the Benchy
The machine goes through a bit of a setup period where it warms the plate, loads the filament, cleans the nozzle, makes sure the bed is level and so on. This can take a around 5 minutes or so which seems like forever when you are wanting to just get going, but you just have to be patient after all you want to be sure that when you commit to a print that everything is going to work out okay.
If it’s your first time watching a 3d printer in action, it’s mesmerising to see these prints being created. For our first print on this machine, the benchy turned out great.

What if Something Goes Wrong?
Sometimes with even the best of intentions something can go wrong, and 99% of the time the problem is with the operator not the machine.
In one of our projects there was a problem with the filament, not the filament per se but it had come loose on the spool and wrapped itself around one of the arms on the AMS lite.
Straight away the machine stopped printing and an error message appeared on the screen and on my iPad to say there was a problem with the filament.
On checking it out I found the problem and fixed it. The machine then restarted in the exact same spot it had stopped and finished the print.
I think that’s pretty awesome.

Projects
Okay it’s time to move on and show you some of the Projects we made for this video.
All the files we have used are available in MakerWorld, the official Bambu Lab online resource site, where there are thousands of files available for just about anything you can think of. AND they are all FREE to use.
MakerWorld Files Used
All of the MakerWorld files are free to use.
- Cheese Slices Holder
- Mason Jar Lid Holder (small)
- Wall Mount for Laser Engraver
- Wooden Keychain Jig for xTool F1
- Frame to hold Triangle Risers for xTool M1
- Seed Starter Tray

Cheese Slices Holder
We have previously printed out one of these cheese holders on the A1 mini. It’s great for holding those wrapped cheese slices in the fridge. Once we checked out that it was going to fit the cheese slices that we buy, I decided to make one for my fridge, so now we have one for each household.

After selecting the file I want to print in Makerworld, I just need to click on OPEN IN BAMBU STUDIO and the file automatically loads into the Bambu Studio software which I have downloaded previously.

Now, the software looks complicated but it is actually pretty simple for a newbie like me. I just had to select my machine which is the A1, the type of nozzle I am using which is the 4mm, and the filament I want to use.

Once I had everything ready, I just clicked on the PREVIEW tab and you can see here how it displays all the details of the print including the time taken, the amount of filament used and the cost. So for all of these letters it was going to take around 2 hours 41 minutes to print and cost approximately $1.48.

So now that I am ready to print, I just need to click on the PRINT PLATE button. This gives me a final pop-up just to confirm that everything is okay and then I click SEND.

And off it goes, you can see how the machine is creating the pattern on the plate. I am using a textured plate, I like this one as it gives a textured design on the base of the project. There are a number of different types of plates available and each one gives a different look to the base of your design.
Now you can see how it builds the internal walls that create the structure. Its pretty amazing to watch it being created.

We wanted a larger size to hold note paper. So we enlarged the design. This is easy to do in the Bambulab software.
You just key in the size you want and Bambu Lab adjusts the settings automatically for you. We still wanted to keep the same height and that wasn’t a problem either.
Now we can cut up scrap paper to fit. Hey presto a handy dandy note paper holder.

Mason Jar Lid Holder
The very first project I decided to print out was a small Mason Jar Lid Holder. This is a much better way to store the lids than what I currently have. Which is tossing them into a plastic bag and into a box.
Now they will be much neater and easier to find. This holder will also keep them separate from the larger Mason jar lids. Although I am going to need quite a few to store all the lids I have.
I am using the Bambu Lab Galaxy filament for this project.
This piece holds the seals.

This piece holds the screw on lids

Wall Mount for Laser Engraver
We have a couple of laser machines that we don’t use very often. And they just take up space so we downloaded a pattern for holders to screw on the garage wall so that we can hang them up.
They are still handy for when we want to use them, and hanging them on the wall keeps them up out of the way when they are not required.

Keychain Jig for xTool F1
Our xTool F1 laser is our go to laser machine so we thought we would take a look to see if there are any related 3d files and we weren’t disappointed.

I had some keychains that I wanted to engrave on for Christmas presents so I was really happy to find a jig that holds them nicely in place while I engrave them.

xTool M1 Triangle Bed Frame Riser
We also have one of those wonderful xTool M1 lasers but one of the somewhat frustrating things is lining up the triangle bed frame risers. They tend to slip around a little bit. It’s not a big deal but when I saw this pattern for a frame to hold the triangles in place, I thought, yep, that’s exactly what I need.

Seed Pod Holders
I do a bit of gardening and I sometimes use those Jiffy seed pods to get the seeds started and I thought this was a great way of holding the pods in place and allowing them to be watered all at once.

The seed pod starter tray came out great so I intend to print a few more of these.

Kitchen Roll Holder
I thought this kitchen roll holder was a neat idea and I need something to tidy up the loose rolls of cling wrap and foil.
It’s a lovely file and it printed out great but unfortunately I mostly have the really large rolls that you get from Costco so they don’t fit. It’s great for smaller rolls though so I’ll probably give it away as a gift.

A1 Mini
I have also made a ton of stuff on the A1 Mini for quilting and sewing items.
And if you’re interested in seeing the smaller A1 Mini in action, and the items we made, we do have a separate review on our Alanda Craft channel.
So let’s take a look at the pros and cons of the Bambu Lab A1.

PROS of the Bambu Lab A1 3D Printer
First of all this 3D printer is super beginner friendly – we had no idea how to use one and we managed to have it up and running within an hour or so.
Everything is made for the beginner in mind like the helpful colour coding during setup, the easy to use touchscreen interface and the intuitive software that doesn’t require a degree to figure out.
The machine has auto-bed levelling so you don’t need to manually calibrate it. Since this was my first 3D printer I just assumed they all worked this way but apparently not, so it’s nice to see that I don’t have to fuss around getting the bed level.
The machine is pretty quiet – I could hear it from a second room but it wasn’t overly loud so you could easily have this inside the home and not bug anyone. We did buy an air purifier and that was actually louder than the printer.
Sometimes with even the best of intentions something can go wrong and in one project there was a problem with the filament…..not the filament per se but it had come loose on the spool and wrapped itself around one of the arms on the AMS lite.
Straight away the machine stopped printing and an error message appeared on the screen and on my iPad to say there was a problem with the filament.
On checking it out I found the problem and fixed it. The machine then restarted in the exact same spot it had stopped and finished the print.
I think that’s pretty awesome.
The build quality is excellent. The machine looks sleek and modern looking so it’s something you will be quite happy to have in the craft room.
This machine is extremely affordable for what you get here. At the time of filming the babulab 3D printer is under 350 for the base model and for the combo that includes the AMS Lite, which I feel is a must have, you are looking at under $450
Another great thing I found was the amount of spare part files available in MakerWorld for all sorts of things.
For example, I recently had to replace my fridge after many years because the plastic connector on the door broke and I couldn’t get a replacement. If I had the 3d printer back then I could have made one. I did find a pattern in MakerWorld that would have suited perfectly.
And this also applies to sewing machine parts, machinery and tools.
The printer doesn’t take up a lot of room in my craft room. However, if you decide to purchase the AMS Lite you are essentially doubling the amount of space used so keep that in mind.
One thing I really love is that I can leave the machine to do it’s thing and keep an eye on it via my tablet or phone as it has a built-in camera.
And now the CONS:
I have to be totally honest here.
I find it very hard to find fault with this machine. It was our first so maybe if we had something to compare it with, we could come up some things but for someone who is completely new to 3D printing I found it to be super easy to set up and use, and it is so much fun.
If I had something to quibble about, it would be that the camera is a bit laggy.

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