✦ The Workshop Bench ✦

This is what I actually use.

No sponsored hype, no "best printers of 2026" listicle. Just the printer, filament, paints, and finishing supplies sitting on my workbench right now.

San Antonio, TX·Updated May 2026·By Joseph
✦ A Note on Links ✦ Some of the links below are Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases — at no extra cost to you. I only link to gear I personally own and use in the workshop. Full disclosure →

When I started J&J Workshop, I was running a Creality Ender-3 V3 SE in the corner of our apartment, mixing fragrance oils on the kitchen counter, and figuring out paint techniques from YouTube at 1 AM. A lot of that gear got me started — but a lot of it I've replaced over the last year as I learned what was actually slowing me down.

This page is the honest version of "what's on my workbench." If you've watched a TikTok of mine and wondered what filament that was, or how I get a matte finish without it looking chalky — this is where I tell you. Every product here is something I've personally bought with my own money and use on real customer orders.

If you buy through one of these links, Amazon kicks me a small commission, which helps fund the next batch of test prints. Either way — thanks for being here.

Section I · Printing

The workhorse.

The printer that changed how I run the workshop, plus the filaments I trust enough to ship to customers.

Why I run a Bambu A1

I ran my Creality Ender-3 V3 SE for almost a year before I upgraded to the Bambu A1. The Ender taught me everything — but I was spending more time tuning the printer than printing on it. The A1 changed the math. Auto bed leveling, vibration compensation, and a print profile that just works out of the box meant I went from "I hope this print survives the night" to "I can hit Start and walk away." For a one-person operation where I'm also working full-time at H-E-B, that's not a luxury — that's the difference between filling orders on time and not.

The Printer

Bambu Lab A1

~ $399

Fast, accurate, and reliable enough that I trust it with overnight prints. This is the single piece of gear that made J&J Workshop scalable. If you're upgrading from a Creality and tired of bed leveling, this is the jump.

View on Amazon
My Go-To Filament

Bambu PLA Basic

~ $20 / spool

When the print has to come out right the first time — customer order, raffle prize, gift — this is what's on the spool holder. Tunes itself to the Bambu profiles and almost never gives me a surprise.

View on Amazon
Budget Filament

Overture PLA

~ $18 / spool

When I'm prototyping or running supports, I'm not burning premium filament on a part that's getting sanded off. Overture has been consistent at half the price-per-spool when you catch a sale.

View on Amazon
For The Helmets

Silk Metallic PLA

~ $25 / spool

If you've seen my Mandalorian helmet builds — the silk gold and silver are where the "wow" comes from. Print it in silk first, then weather over it. Don't paint a helmet gold; print it gold.

View on Amazon
Dry Storage

Filament Dry Box

~ $35

I ruined a $25 spool of silk filament by leaving it out for two weeks in San Antonio humidity. Never again. Bought a dry box the next day; haven't lost a spool since.

View on Amazon
Section II · Paint & Finishing

The finishing stage.

The gap between "cool 3D print" and "movie prop" is 90% the finishing stage. Here's what closed it for me.

My Finishing Philosophy

For the first six months, I shipped prints straight off the bed. They looked fine. Then I tried sanding, priming, and painting one helmet just to see — and I couldn't go back. The finishing stage is what turns a "cool 3D print" into something somebody hangs on their wall. It adds maybe 90 minutes per piece and lets me charge double. The supplies below are the exact ones I keep stocked.

Surface Prep

Sandpaper Variety Pack

~ $15 · 120–3000 grit

You want the full range. 120/220 for layer lines, 400/600 between primer coats, 1000+ if you want glass finish before clear coat. One pack covers a year of prints.

View on Amazon
The Game Changer

Rust-Oleum Filler Primer

~ $8 / can

Sandable filler primer is the single biggest jump in print quality. Spray, sand, spray, sand — layer lines disappear. I go through more of this than any other supply.

View on Amazon
Base Coats

Rust-Oleum 2X Spray Paint

~ $7 / can

Flat black, satin black, and gloss white are my three workhorses. Goes on smooth, dries fast in the Texas heat, doesn't fight with the primer underneath.

View on Amazon
Detail Work

Vallejo Model Color Set

~ $45

When I'm weathering a Mandalorian helmet or hand-painting accent details, the spray cans stop and the Vallejo bottles come out. Mixes with water, cleans up with water, doesn't smell like the garage.

View on Amazon
For Weathering

Tamiya Weathering Master

~ $22

Looks like makeup. Works like magic. Battle damage on a helmet without committing to permanent damage is what this gives you. Pat on with the sponge, brush off the excess.

View on Amazon
Seal The Work

Matte Clear Coat

~ $8 / can

After all the painting and weathering, this locks it in. Matte, not gloss — gloss makes a hand-finished prop look like a cheap toy. Matte makes it look like a movie prop.

View on Amazon
Brushes

Detail Paint Brush Set

~ $12

You don't need expensive brushes for weathering work — you need a lot of them, in small sizes. This pack has every shape I actually use.

View on Amazon
Wear These

Safety Gear

~ $30 · gloves + respirator

Spray paint and fine sanding dust both belong outside your lungs. I learned this the slow way. Don't.

View on Amazon
See It In Use

Want to see this gear in action?

The current raffle has a fully finished Mandalorian-style helmet up for grabs — printed on the A1, weathered with the exact supplies above.

Enter the Raffle Shop the Workshop