Michael's Bench — Gear & Equipment
Be like Mike.
Everything on this page is gear Michael actually uses in the shop. No sponsorships — if something's here, it earned its spot. Some links are affiliate links, which are clearly marked. Nothing is placed for commission alone.
Affiliate links marked with ✦ · No sponsorships as of yet
Printers & Filament
Bed-Slinger FDM Printer
BambuLab A1
My go-to for high-volume AMS multi-material work. Fast, consistent, and dialed for PLA through PETG without fighting it.
~$299
High-Speed Dual-Extrusion Printer
BambuLab H2D
Built for production pace. Dual extrusion baked in, no adapter games. The newest addition to the shop.
~$999
BambuLab Multi-Material Unit
AMS Lite
The entry point for multi-material on the A1. Works reliably for PLA-heavy runs. If you're just getting started with color changes, start here.
~$79
BambuLab Multi-Material Unit
AMS 2 Pro
Better jam resistance than the original, faster switching, more reliable under load. Worth the step up if you're running multi-material at volume.
~$199
BambuLab High-Temp AMS
AMS HT
Built for engineering-grade materials. The one you want when you're running PA-CF, ASA, or PC in volume. Not for PLA farms — for serious production.
4-Spool Filament Dryer
Sunlu FilaDryer S4
Moisture kills print quality. This runs four spools at once and keeps them dry during active printing. If you're seeing stringing or popping, your filament is wet — this fixes it.
~$70
3D Printing Tools
Aftermarket PEI / Textured Sheets
Juupine Print Beds
Better adhesion than the stock surfaces and they actually release cleanly when cooled. Worth the swap.
Bed Adhesion Aid
AquaNet Hairspray
The oldest trick in the book and it still works. A light coat on a warm bed and prints stick every time. Unscented Extra Super Hold is the one.
Hand Tools
Crescent Tools
Crescent Mini Needle-Nose
Fits where nothing else does. Precision tip, comfortable grip, built solid. These live on my bench permanently.
Icon by Harbor Freight
Icon Wrench Set
Harbor Freight's premium line and genuinely good. Full-polish, tight tolerances. I reach for these before anything else.
Heavy Duty
Husky — The Home Depot
Husky 72" Work Table
The main bench. Heavy-gauge steel, solid surface, tons of room. Built for a real work environment, not a craft room.
Hammered Steel · 4ft × 18in × 70in
Gladiator Shelving
Bombproof. Hammered steel finish, easy to level, holds real weight without flex. These are the shelves you don't have to think about twice.
Harbor Freight
Central Machinery Universal Tool Stand
Running the H2D on this. Adjustable height, stable, and easy to level. Harbor Freight's utility stand that just works.
Husky — The Home Depot
Husky 4-Shelf Industrial Shelving
Holds all three A1s. Metal, free-standing, no wobble. If you're stacking printers, you need something rated for the weight.
Software
BambuLab Slicer — Free
BambuStudio
The official slicer. Works out of the box with every Bambu machine. If you're on Bambu hardware, this is your starting point — and for most people, your ending point too.
Open Source FDM Slicer — Free
OrcaSlicer
More control than BambuStudio with full Bambu printer support. Better for dialing in profiles, running calibrations, or pushing the machine past its defaults. I use both.
AI Assistant — Anthropic
Claude
My AI of choice for design reasoning, writing, and working through problems that need actual context retention. Better at holding a long conversation than anything else I've used.
AI Platform — OpenAI
OpenAI / ChatGPT
ChatGPT stays open alongside Claude. Useful for quick lookups, code, image generation, and any problem that benefits from a second model's take.