Tips and Advice - Printing in Plastic: Build Your Own 3D Printer - page 33

Label the Parts
Most of the parts you'll be cutting are fairly unique in shape and will be easy to figure out using the
building plans. If you examine the plans, you'll notice that every part also has a unique name; Z Axis Rail
Support, X Axis Motor Mount, and Lower Structural Side are just a few examples.
It can get a bit tedious to write out the full name of every part, so throughout the topic we'll be using
letters of the alphabet to reference the parts. You've already seen one example earlier where we refer to
the Z Axis Rail Support as Part K. There are 17 parts in all, so we'll be using letters A through Q when
referring to specific parts. (There may be the occasional exceptions when we use part names during the
assembly process to make it easier to understand how multiple parts work together.)
After cutting out a part, we suggest writing (in pencil) the part letter on the actual plywood. Write it
on the back and front. We also use sticky notes with a part's letter written on them to make finding the
parts easier and reduce squinting. Figure 3-4 shows a photo taken after all the basic parts were cut out
and labeled. (Cuts are just along the width and length of the parts; more detailed cuts and drilling will be
covered in later chapters.)
Figure 3-4. All the parts are cut out and labeled.