what 3d printer do you need?

the actual requirements

Any modern FDM printer with a 180×180×180 mm build volume can print every Curv Lab project. That's it. No enclosure requirement, no exotic materials, no resin. The designs carry the burden: parts are split and oriented so they fit common beds and print reliably.

what josh actually prints on

The Bambu Lab X1C — it printed the entire Taco, and it's the recommendation if you're buying a printer for a project like this. Not because the parts demand it, but because fast, reliable printing changes how the build feels: a failed print costs you an hour, not an evening. If you already own a well-tuned printer of any brand, use it.

One genuinely useful upgrade: dedicated support material. Print times get longer, but you save far more time and elbow grease when supports pop off clean instead of being carved off.

materials: pla for looks, petg for loads

PLA prints cleaner and sharper — use it for body panels and aesthetic parts, and silk or matte PLA if you'd rather skip painting. PETG takes impacts and stress better — use it for structural and mechanical parts. Each project's build guide has a per-part material table and print settings, so you never have to guess which is which.

supports: mostly none, by design

Curv Lab parts are oriented so overhangs stay under 45 degrees, which means most parts print with no supports at all. Where the geometry made that impossible, the part was redesigned — slicing a part differently beats fighting support scars on a mating surface.

start printing

Test your printer with the free Mega-Bearing — if it prints and spins clean, you're ready for a car. Then read how to build a 3D printed RC car or go straight to the WR1 files.