Complete Starter Bundle — Bronze

Getting Started Bundle for Metal 3D Printing — 1.75 mm

The recommended starter bundle for first-time metal printers. Everything you need to print, debind and sinter real 89/11 tin bronze parts on a desktop FDM printer — in one purchase. Bronze is The Virtual Foundry’s easiest material to print and sinter.

6 Items in the Box TVF’s Easiest Material 86–90% Bronze (89/11 Tin) Beginner-Friendly Save vs Buying Separately
Getting Started Bundle for Metal 3D Printing - Bronze kit contents

The Virtual Foundry’s recommended first metal-printing bundle

The Getting Started Bundle is built around Bronze Filamet™ — the easiest material in the TVF range to print and sinter. It pairs the filament with every consumable you need to actually finish a part, in matched quantities and ratios.

Add a kiln (sold separately, see the FireX Sintering Kiln) and a hardened steel nozzle for your printer, and you’re ready to make real bronze metal parts on the FDM printer you already own — from custom putters and jewellery to sculpture and decorative hardware.

Why bronze for your first metal print? Bronze prints with minimal warping, has a wide print-temperature window and is the most forgiving TVF material at the kiln stage. It’s the same alloy used in cast bronze sculpture and high-end golf hardware — finished parts can be polished, brushed or chemically aged using standard bronze workflows.

What’s in the box

Six items, packed and shipped together — ready to print and sinter.

Bronze Filamet 0.5kg spool

Bronze Filamet™ Spool

0.5 kg of 1.75 mm bronze-loaded filament. Sinters to 86–90% pure 89/11 tin bronze. Prints like PLA on any open FDM printer with a hardened steel nozzle.

Filawarmer filament conditioner

Filawarmer

In-line filament heater that warms the spool to 60°C before it hits the extruder — resets spool memory and reduces brittleness. Pays for itself the first time it stops a snap.

300 mL Alumina crucible

300 mL Alumina Crucible

93 mm × 93 mm refractory crucible — rated for hundreds of sinter cycles. Holds your green part and the surrounding ballast through the firing.

Aluminium oxide ballast 1kg

1 kg Alumina (Al2O3)

Refractory ballast that supports the green part as the binder burns off, preventing slumping at high temperature.

Magnesium silicate ballast 0.5kg

0.5 kg Magnesium Silicate

Secondary refractory layer used in the standard TVF packing schedule. Improves part-surface quality and prevents sticking.

Sintering carbon 0.5kg

0.5 kg Sintering Carbon

Carbon ballast that creates a reducing atmosphere inside the crucible during the sinter cycle — critical for clean bronze without oxide contamination.

Why buy the bundle instead of the parts separately?

Three reasons most first-time metal printers regret buying piecemeal:

1. You actually finish your first part

The most common metal-FDM failure isn’t the print — it’s realising you’re missing a crucible or ballast on sinter day. The bundle eliminates that.

2. The right ratios, pre-matched

TVF has matched the crucible size to the spool weight and the ballast quantities to the standard sinter schedule — you don’t need to do the maths.

3. Better value than à la carte

The bundle is priced below the sum of the individual items, plus you save the freight cost of multiple shipments from the US.

How it works — the 4-step process

From spool to solid bronze metal in four steps. Allow roughly 1–2 days total for a typical small part — most of which is the sinter cycle running unattended.

1~2–6 hrs

Print

Print your part on any FDM printer with a hardened steel nozzle. Use the Filawarmer in-line to keep the filament supple.

2~10 mins

Pack

Nest the green part in the alumina crucible using the included sintering carbon, alumina and magnesium silicate as ballast.

3~12–24 hr cycle

Sinter

Fire the crucible in your kiln up to ~970°C. Mostly unattended ramp, hold and cool-down. Binder burns off and the bronze particles fuse into solid metal.

4~30 mins

Finish

Once cool, brush off the ballast and clean your part. Polish, brush or patina the bronze surface using standard finishing techniques.

Who this bundle is for

Buy this bundle if…

  • It’s your first time printing metal — this is the recommended starter
  • You want bronze specifically (jewellery, sculpture, putters, decorative hardware)
  • You want everything-but-the-kiln in one purchase
  • You’re a maker, jeweller, educator or designer adding metal to a small-shop workflow

Skip this bundle if…

Specifications

Specification Details
Filament metal content (post-sinter) 86.0–90.0% bronze (89/11 tin bronze)
Filament density 4.10–4.50 g/cc
Filament diameter 1.75 mm (±0.05 mm)
Spool weight 0.5 kg
Crucible 300 mL alumina, 93 mm × 93 mm
Refractory ballast 1 kg alumina + 0.5 kg magnesium silicate + 0.5 kg sintering carbon
Filawarmer 60°C in-line filament conditioner, 1.75 mm/2.85 mm compatible
Required (not included) FDM printer, hardened steel 0.6 mm nozzle, sintering kiln rated to 970°C+
Origin Made in South Central Wisconsin, USA

Frequently asked questions

What’s the difference between this and the Copper Print & Sinter Kit?

The two bundles include the same crucible, ballast and Filawarmer. The difference is the filament: this bundle uses Bronze Filamet™, the Copper Kit uses Copper. Bronze is TVF’s easiest material to print and sinter and is recommended for first-time metal printers; copper has the lowest sintering temperature and is great for electrical/thermal applications.

Does the bundle include the kiln?

No. The kiln is sold separately because most buyers are choosing between a new kiln, a pottery kiln they already own, or a kiln they’re sourcing locally. The TVF FireX Sintering Kiln is purpose-built for this material.

How many parts can I make from this bundle?

Depends on part size. The 0.5 kg spool prints roughly 8–15 small parts (under ~50 g each). The crucible is rated for hundreds of sinter cycles, and the ballast quantities will support roughly 5–10 sinter runs depending on how densely you pack the crucible.

What kind of bronze does it produce?

89/11 tin bronze — 89% copper, 11% tin. This is the same alloy used in cast bronze sculpture, traditional bronze hardware and high-end golf putters. Finished parts are 86–90% pure bronze and can be polished, brushed or chemically aged using standard bronze workflows.

What kind of printer do I need?

Any open-architecture FDM printer with a hardened steel nozzle — Bambu Lab, Prusa, Creality Ender, Flashforge and similar. See the trusted printers list →

Is sintering safe to do at home?

Sintering reaches ~970°C and the binder burns off as smoke and odour during the early ramp. Place your kiln in a well-ventilated area such as a garage, workshop or outbuilding (never indoors near living spaces), keep flammable items clear, and use heat-resistant gloves. Always read the SDS and follow your kiln manufacturer’s safety instructions.

Resources & documentation

Everything you need to plan, print, sinter and verify your first bronze part — straight from The Virtual Foundry.

Printer Compatibility

Trusted Printers List

Check whether your machine is tested before you buy.

Check the trusted printers list →
Printing Guide

The Printing Process

Profile setup, slicer settings and print troubleshooting.

Read the printing guide →
Sintering Guide

Debinding & Sintering

Ramp schedules, hold times and ballast packing techniques.

View the debinding & sintering guide →
Safety & Tech Data

SDS & TDS Documents

Safety Data Sheets and Technical Data Sheets for the TVF metal range.

Download SDS & TDS documents →

Made in South Central Wisconsin, USA. World-class technical support provided for all TVF products.

(TVF-BUNDLE-STARTER-175)

SKU TVF-BUNDLE-STARTER-175
Brand The Virtual Foundry
Shipping Weight 4.0000kg
Shipping Width 0.400m
Shipping Height 0.500m
Shipping Length 0.400m
Shipping Cubic 0.080000000m3

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