Guides

Written and checked by Ned Walsch · every guide lists its sources with the date they were read · updated

How-to guides for each tool's job, then everything about printing models bigger than your build plate: how to join the pieces, what each slicer's cut tool can do, how the paid splitters compare, and the data behind the tool. New guides are added at the top of each list. Each page carries a "What changed" note when it is corrected.

How-to guides for the other tools

How to make a lithophane (photo to 3D print, step by step)
Choosing the photo, thickness (0.8–3 mm), printing standing up at 0.10–0.12 mm with 100 % infill, which light to use, Cura and Bambu Studio, and fixes for flat or muddy prints. New 9 November 2026.
How to make a silicone mold from a 3D print
Box, two-part and shell molds; sealing the print against cure inhibition; how much silicone to mix; pouring, curing and fixes. New 9 November 2026.
Gridfinity: baseplate and bin dimensions, and how to fill a drawer
42 mm grid, 7 mm height units, 6 × 2 mm magnets; how many units fit your drawer, the largest baseplate your bed prints, print settings and generators compared. New 9 November 2026.
How much does a 3D print cost?
Filament, electricity, printer wear, failed prints and your time, with the formulas, a worked example, the cost per hour and Etsy fees. New 9 November 2026.
Flow rate and e-steps calibration, with the formulas
E-steps in Marlin, rotation distance in Klipper, flow ratio in OrcaSlicer and Bambu Studio, volumetric flow and shrinkage, each with a worked example. New 9 November 2026.
How to fix an STL file (holes, non-manifold edges, flipped faces)
What the errors mean and how to repair them in Bambu Studio, Blender or the browser, plus converting 3MF, OBJ and GLB to STL. New 9 November 2026.

Splitting, joining and printing big

3MF splitter: split a 3MF file into printable parts, colors kept
What splicestl reads from a 3MF — Bambu Studio and OrcaSlicer project files, painted regions, per-part filaments, material colours — how the split keeps them, and what is not carried over. New in 3.5 (31 October 2026).
Build volume, printer by printer: 54 pages from the dataset
One page per popular printer — Bambu Lab A1 mini to Creality CR-10 S5 — with what fits, how many pieces a 300–800 mm model needs, printer-specific notes and a link that opens the splitter with that preset. The full list is on the dataset page under Reference.
What people ask about splitting 3D models: 1,133 questions, with how sure each one is
Questions about splitting, cutting and joining 3D prints from Google, YouTube and Bing suggestions (US, 9 November 2026), each with a confidence tier, engines present and runs present. Free CSV, CC BY 4.0.
How to split an STL into parts in Blender (and keep every piece printable)
Step-by-step: Bisect with Fill, Clear Inner/Outer, numeric plane placement, Boolean peg sockets, 3D Print Toolbox checks and Selection Only export in Blender 4.2+, plus when a dedicated splitter is faster.
How to join 3D printed parts: glue by material, pegs, dowels, magnets, screws and inserts
Glue by material (CA for PLA and PETG, acetone for ABS, epoxy for nylon, resin for resin), which connector to use when, press-fit clearances per material, heat-set insert sizing and temperatures, and how to hide the seam.
How to cut an STL in half (every slicer, plus the browser)
Cut an STL in half in Bambu Studio, OrcaSlicer, PrusaSlicer or Creality Print with the Cut tool (C), in Blender with Bisect + Fill, or in the browser with capped, watertight halves and pegs. Cura cannot.
How to split a model in Creality Print (5.x, 6.x and 7.x)
Creality Print 5.0+ is built on OrcaSlicer and has its Cut tool: press C, place the plane (snap to an axis or Shift-drag), Planar with Plug/Dowel/Snap connectors or Dovetail, Perform cut. What it cannot do, and how to pre-split for the K1, K2 and Ender beds.
3D Print Larger Than Your Bed — Split Big Models (2026)
How to 3D print models larger than your bed: split the STL into printable sections, add connectors, and assemble — full 2026 workflow.
STL Splitter Comparison 2026: Cura vs Bambu vs splicestl
Cura vs Bambu Studio vs splicestl for splitting STLs — what each cut tool can do, where they fall short, and which fits your workflow.
How to Split an STL in Bambu Studio — Cut Tool Guide
A walkthrough of Bambu Studio's Cut tool: what it does, where the plane goes, how to align pieces, and what to do when one plane is not enough for your model.
How to Split STL Files in Orca Slicer (2026 Guide)
How to split STL files in Orca Slicer — the cut tool, dovetail and connector options, and when a dedicated splitter is the better choice.
How to Split an STL File in Cura (2026) — Free Guide
How to split an STL in Cura with Split Model Into Parts — what it can and can't do, and how to cut a continuous model into printable pieces.
Meshmixer Alternatives 2026 — Split, Sculpt, Repair STLs
Meshmixer is discontinued — here are the 2026 alternatives for splitting, sculpting, and repairing STLs, including free in-browser options.
Meshcast vs splicestl/mold — 3D-Printed Mold Makers Compared (2026)
Mold types, silicone shell, mesh repair, undercut fill, formats, where your model is processed, and what each costs.
Split3r vs splicestl — STL Splitter Comparison (2026)
Split3r vs splicestl compared: connector types, file formats, privacy, and workflow for splitting STL files in the browser.
LuBan3D vs splicestl — STL Splitter Comparison (2026)
LuBan3D vs splicestl for splitting STLs: pricing, connector options, and workflow friction compared, with the free browser alternative.
3D Printer Build Volumes: 152 Printers Compared (X × Y × Z mm)
Build volume of 152 FDM 3D printers from 25 brands in one table — X, Y, Z in mm and litres. Median bed 256 × 250 × 265 mm. CSV download, CC BY.
splicestl benchmark: splitting 200k and 1M-triangle models in the browser
Measured split times for 200,000 and 1,000,000-triangle models in splicestl v3.3: 5.9 s and 34 s with 24 connectors, in a browser, with the method and script to reproduce them.

Reference

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