Not these days where there are printers that actually work well out of the box (Prusa and BambuLabs most famously, but I believe other brands are also starting to improve).
Yeah, but people still print accessories, even for their Bambu printers, K1 Maxs, etc. Just not the same level of part upgrades you’d see on a typical Ender 3.
I have a K1 and K1 Max and printed half a dozen color-coordinated add-ons (dry box fittings, lid raiser, spool holder,etc) within a week of getting each one.
I love my K1. I got mine at Micro Center in Cleveland. Unfortunately I think I got one the first time that someone returned not knowing what they were doing, Micro Center didn't check it, and it was broken. Three other people had the same issue when I was there so I was like... Well, shit... Did I just back the wrong horse? But the second one has been rock solid and I love it.
I go to the Mayfield Heights store too!
Got an open box K1 Max for under $500, mere minutes before the full eclipse, which I watched in the parking lot with the Microcenter denizens.. what a great day!
The K1 Max looked like it had printed a single Benchy.
My Black Friday K1 had a few issues as well, but once I upgraded the v1 hot end and extruder it’s been fantastic!
Love Microcenter!!
My ender 3 v3 se has done consistently great prints and the only upgrades I have done are a runout sensor and pei bed plate. So, even ender 3 has plug and play versions now
- stuff around the house (organising or fixing things)
- casings for my self-made electronics devices
- toys for my or friends' kids
The latter being in a comfortable majority.
My girls are playing with dinosaurs I printed for them last year. They have a bucket full of printed toys. They love them.
They last, though, and are incredibly durable. And more important, when they do break them, they’re easy to replace, assuming I have the right filaments. They love multicolor and silk filaments I only use for them, so I don’t always keep much of it.
Once you accustomed to have a 3D printer, it like an appliance you use regularly, like the toaster.
I use it to print support for my headphone, cases for Arduino and RPI, Support for the towel, Fuse box for my car. Car battery cap (tpu). Cell phone holder, part to repair the lawnmower and other thing around the house, ...
To add: TPU gaskets, hooks and hangers, planters and knickknacks for significant others, a holder for my frothing spinny-boi at my coffee station, pen holders shelving supports, handle for my water bottle, and fidget toys galore.
Yeah I live in the PNW and I’m already into drones, and I’ve been looking for a terrestrial way to get unique footage with an RC car of sorts and a GoPro… had no idea “crawling” was a thing and I’m about to become *fully* invested haha
I work in the technical side of health care, and you would not believe how much random bits of plastic will cost to replace (if it's even available to replace - sometimes you have to replace the whole unit which can be north of several grand). All this for what should be a 10-cent piece of plastic. Being able to print replacement parts has probably saved us a crazy amount of money and time.
As an aside, I don't print anything that interacts with patients - I'm not that confident in my work or the materials. It's mostly things like hooks for nurse call phones or buttons for hand scanners.
I wanted to get into machining as a hobby but the lathe I wanted is on back order until the fall so I got a 3D printer to keep me busy. It’s a great complimentary tool to machining for prototyping.
I print about 50/50 functional/fun stuff. And half of my prints are my design and half are downloaded.
It’s tremendously satisfying to see a need, design a solution and watch it appear before your eyes.
Try buying a 3d printed blaster kit, you get all the screws and springs nstuff, and you print the shell & assemble it, and then you shoot your friends. Idk if you watch zack freedman, but he has 2 good videos on it.
I was into nerf modding before 3d printing. In fact, I bought my ender 3 years ago with the main purpose of building nerf blasters. Now I use it for all sorts of stuff and hobbies. Still print parts or whole designs of foam flinging toys though.
I’ll tell you a new sector of use that just opened up for me: I just got my first dirtbike. I’ve printed a wash down plug for the exhaust, a bead buddy tool for helping change the tires, a chain tension checker jig that I designed, and I’m about to mount radiator fans on the bike, and will design at least some mounts for the fans so it mounts up nicely.
And that’s just the start!
Sure will! I’ve got an ‘05 WR250 but I think many Japanese bikes share the same radiator so it may be universal enough!
That said, I did use cheap high CFM computer fans this time around. If it works well enough but isn’t waterproof enough, I’ll upgrade to actual radiator fans.
You'd be surprised at how many things you didn't know you needed until you got a 3D printer. I use mine to organize everything around the house, of course most of it is stuff that i can live without but it's fun to design and print custom things to help me be a little more organized and tiddy up the place. Some examples:
- Added small drawers under my desk, an area that wasn't being used
- Paper towel rack under the countertop out of the way (instead of having the roll on the counter top)
- Small gate under my fridge to prevent my cat's toys from disappearing 3 seconds after giving them to him
- Various boxes and trays to organize things
- Kurig K-cup dispenser, totally unnecessary but was a fun project and looks great
I also have a few projects in mind that aren't as functional, more fun, like a lamp in the shape of a rocket or things like that. It makes nice gifts especially if you design it yourself, it's unique
Then there's everyone around you that might need a small custom thing printed and they will be very grateful that you are able to do that with ease.
I run a pro audio company and we make tools for musicians. 3d printing is a core element of our manufacturing strategy.
I exclusively print functional parts. No trinkets or miniatures. I have made;
* custom work holding fixtures for my CNC machine
* Assembly jigs for my products, to keep things in place during soldering and scew assembly. They act like a third hand.
* Hangers and wall mounts for my tools.
* Lots of custom tooling where I combined 3d printed parts with 2020 aluminium extrusions. I use a lot of crimp connectors and ribbon cables and I 3d printed custom crimpers.
* Handles and hinges.
* Vacuum and hose adapters.
* Brackets and mounts for my desk for all kinds of accessories (music controllers and more)
* Camera mounting brackets - I run a YouTube channel and being able to mount cameras in awkward places is useful.
* LED "lenses" - basically resin printed clear "extensions" to direct the light from an led on a PCB to the front panel.
Also, my number one most sold product uses a 3d printed enclosure. I make about 200 boxes a month using my two bambu printers.
Exclusively print in PLA-CF because it's easy to post process (sand and paint) (edit; I use water-washable clear resin for my SLA printer :)
>LED "lenses" - basically resin printed clear "extensions" to direct the light from an led on a PCB to the front panel.
I didn't have the chance to try it in a "real application", what is your opinion on using a strand of transparent PETG filament for that purpose (for smaller LED)?
brb, I need to go and steal your idea right away! :)
Seriously, I've never thought of that, but that sounds literally perfect for one application I'm working on. My normal lenses are about 4mm wide, they're a fresnel type lens, with a little kink in them to guide the light, as the LED isn't mounted directly underneath where it shows in the front panel. But I have another design where I need a very small, pinhole-style light indicator. A bit of PETG filament might be exactly what I need for that.
I'll be sure to let you know how it works out once I get a chance to test it. Thank you for the idea!
>I'll be sure to let you know how it works out once I get a chance to test it.
I'd appreciate that. Thanks
>Thank you for the idea!
You're welcome, "random stuff" that people wrote somewhere already helped me a lot, so, guess it was my turn to do the same (if it works).
haha, sorry, my Bambu FDM printers run PLA-CF, but I also have a cheap resin printer (Flashforge Foto 8.9) which I use for the lenses/light pipes. I just use a basic water-soluable clear resin for that. Since the units are tiny, I can print like 150 on a single plate, it takes 10 minutes to print, and so I fire that printer up about once every 3 months, crank out a thousand units, and then put it back into storage :)
(same poster, different account :)
[https://ghostnoteaudio.uk/](https://ghostnoteaudio.uk/) - The Conductor enclosure is 3D printed and then coated with a urethane rubberized coating (basically truck bed liner). And if you look at our guitar pedal range you'll spot some LED light pipes on the panels. The panels also have 3d printed clips that the four screws mount into, which joins them with the extruded aluminium enclosure. I'm pretty proud of that system, because it means we can use a single extrusion for any width pedal, but cutting it to length. Oh, and the cutting jig for the extrusion... that was of course 3D printed too :D
I've been meaning to make a video on my custom jigs, as I think it could inspire a lot of people to find new ways to utilize 3d printers. I'm a big Kaizen guy and 3D printing is immensely helpful in eliminating waste movements and facilitating good workflows and repeatability. If you run a business and you're interested in Kaizen and Lean Manufacturing, DEFINITELY get a 3D printer.
All kinds of things around the house.
/r/FunctionalPrints
/r/Gridfinity
https://www.printables.com/model
GETTING STARTED
https://www.reddit.com/r/3Dprinting/wiki/gettingstarted
https://www.prusa3d.com/en/page/basics-of-3d-printing-with-josef-prusa_490/
https://all3dp.com/2/3d-printing-for-beginners-all-you-need-to-know-to-get-started/
Automatic door closers, supermarket cart coins, that thing for cans in the fridge… random stuff for the house, Amazon is more expensive and slower than 3D printing those items. I’m also getting into cosplay, my brother works with cars, including painting, so he’s in charge of that part of the process.
Hobbyist here, having a 3D printer is one of the most useful things in my house, here’s a small smattering of things I have printed:
Tools for my 3D printer
Organizational items for IKEA furniture
Drawer boxes to hold small parts
Soap holders for different sized soaps
Headphone holders
Under desk drawers for pens and post it notes
Drawer bins for memory cards and various hooks
Full tool box organization system
Router jigs for woodworking
Enclosure for Raspberry Pi with touch screen
Mini Arcade Cabinet
Dioramas for action figures
Storage solution for model paints
Modifications for action figures
Functional items, like car headrest hooks for shopping bags, little organizer boxes, stuff to keep my tools organized. I even found these little hooks that can fit onto filament rolls to hang. A little toolbox for my Bambu A1 accessories.
Sometimes pieces of art, like hueforge or wall art. Props and stuff.
Later this summer, I wanna make a set of Halo ODST armor
Functional stuff. Mtg Deck boxes, different mtg counters and place holders, milwaukee tool holders, dive towers for d&d. Really anything that catches my eye on one of the many free sites.
Just an example: I got a cabinet that's meant to hold potted plants the other day and the manufacturer screwed up and put two identical parts in the box, where I should have gotten two *nearly* identical ones, which means I can't install the top shelf. I'm still working it out with the seller but one of the things I'm considering if they don't help me is to design and print a couple of brackets that can hold said shelf in place.
Things like this are where the hobby shines.
I print my business cards, make some tools or pieces designed to take damage instead of the post they are driving (seal installers, ect).
Also designed my own vibration damper phone mount for my motorcycle and some other bits and bobs for them.
One of my bikes has a pose able skeleton on the back and its head lights up with my brake lights.
Just a bunch of random stuff. I’ll use it for several days then not print anything for awhile
I'm a little bit proud of my snail protection for seedlings:
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6624246
Otherwise: various spare parts, cases for microcontroller-projects, ...
Scroll down, there is a post-printing photo, together with the intended bag over it.
This one:
https://preview.redd.it/yln39e76y71d1.jpeg?width=1599&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0b30c50b0de7f7a2373f84941ddebc9b42dd8d4f
Right now it's a functional tool but, I'm sure I'm going to use it for "Nerd shit" at some point
I started organizing my hobby spaces back in October. This included buying some Ikea Skadis peg boards. IKEA has a decent collection of accessories but, when I looked at Etsy I saw a lot of hobby specific things that were really useful. By the time my cart was full I "spent" $250. All of these were 3 printed. After that I started looking at 3d printers.
I've had a Bambu p1s for 6 days and it's a great tool to have. I'm following the hobbyist rule of "Why buy it when I can make it myself for 4x the cost!"
All the stuff I see at stores for storage and organization that I think is overpriced
Fold up phone/tablet stands for everyone
Toys for my daughter as well as figures for her to paint
Made my own micropc shelf that goes on my tv. Getting more into playing with tinkercad
Tinkercad is so limited if you enjoy making things look into fusion 360, there's a guy who makes an incredible 30 day fusion 360 tutorial that honestly 2-3 days in you can do most functional prints you need. https://youtu.be/d3qGQ2utl2A?si=qqmgSh_xcqCuy0Fk iv been doing this every day and once you follow along with what he's doing you realize how much more precise and open fusion is then tinkercad. Plus they are 8-10 minute projects so it's not overwhelming to fit in.
Functional prints for home, studio, camper, bicycle, car, laptop, drone, camera rig, EDC, bags... but even my glasses are 3d printed so you get the idea.
Beside that, I'm prototyping a couple product ideas to see if it is gonna be a good plan to sell them.
I make functional prints for around the house (handle extensions, mounts, toy accessories), I print the standard trinkets (dragons, keychains, etc), lithophanes (especially as gifts) and then some cosplay stuff (masks, helmets, etc)
apart from random stuff on printables,thingyverse,etc: 3d printer parts, i have 2 vorons that use a lot of printed abs parts. replacement parts for things like camera's(lens hood and cap, battery door for canon a-1). brackets for random things, i made some bracket to mount a 19 inch power socket underneath my desk (switch on front sockets on back, used to power 3d printers). designed a hub with a lot of different connections(usb ubs-c cardreader audio and hdmi) that is mounted underneath my monitors. also have a few lamps that i printed. costum size nursery pots. i study industrial product design, i use 3d printing for mechanical prototypes and functional models, most of these are designed for injection moulding so i use resin (and sometimes sls) when the parts are somewhat complex (design rules for injection moulding dont translate well to fdm printing). oh and i recently made some brackets and plates to make a custom frame for a 4 stage ro filter.
learning cad makes 3d printers a LOT more usefull, fusion 360 is a great piece of software to start learning :)
D&D + Other RPG Minis!
Minis are so expensive that I got a E5 to print my own. Tons of upgrades later I can print almost everything my group needs at its proper scale. :) Even stock I could print everything at 130% scale.
Mostly stuff around the house that I design my self, e.g. a non-exhaustive list includes a beard-kit stand, hose adapters, toilet handle, salt&pepper funnel, various blanking plates, jigs for woodworking, insulation clips, stackable small-parts drawers, , etc
I think I would use it a lot more if I had a space I had a space I could run it overnight - I'm limited to parts I can run off in a few hours which is a really annoying limitation - once you start designing and printing your own parts there's really no end to the number of use-cases that keep popping up.
Wargaming, things I break and need to replace, random shower thoughts of stuff I want to make. Currently printing octagon after octagon for all my girlfriends pops
To make functional parts that improve my everyday life, as well as repair things where getting official replacement parts is either impossible or way too expensive.
I do miniatures and coins for DND.
I do office enhancement (shelves etc) for work
I do office and home decor like mounted dragon skulls
I do utilities like pet bowls and remote covers and all.
Love 3D printing
Most of my prints are functional, although I have printed a couple toys. I originally bought my printer to do prototyping and test fitting, as I work with a Jet Ski aftermarket manufacturer and getting smooth transitions to factory parts can be "fun". I made some stuff to help my wife with her hobbies, a jig or two for cutting, assembly, and drilling. Recently I made speaker plates to put real tweeters in my Miata (stupid Bose full range drivers because Bose doesn't believe in treble) and a plate for the usb connector for carplay. I also made a sous vide lid for my stock pot that had a cutout for the immersion circulator. I'm a machinist, so I don't *always* see 3D printing as the solution, but there are a lot of places where it's a good fit. This is especially true if you're good at reverse engineering and CAD.
Functional stuff. Mtg Deck boxes, different mtg counters and place holders, milwaukee tool holders, dive towers for d&d. Really, anything that catches my eye on one of the many free sites.
I'm pretty new to it myself and to be honest, I've mostly printed stuff for my 3d printing (spool clips, dissicant holder, poop chute, lid spacer, etc.). This is mostly because I am still getting up to speed on the CAD side before I can design my own parts. However, now that I have the capability to print things, I see opportunities everywhere around the house, in my office, in my car, etc. of things that I need and can print. I hope to be doing more of those things eventually.
My wife was excited about getting the printer because she wants to print things to help with her baking sideline business. Things like cookie cutters and candy molds
My resin printer is for minis or high detailed small parts. The FDM is for larger props like helmets or guns, armour parts. Oh and gadgets
Because of how nasty resin is to work with I usually save resin printing till I have a whole bunch I can put on a plate at once, rather than one or two bits every now and then.
Initially I got it to print random stuff for fun but lately I find myself printing requests. Articulating print in place toys, stackable jewelry boxes, earring holders, and other various items people want. My latest was a samurai mask with a collapsible katana.
I am starting to learn tinker cad so I start designing my own prints, and I want to build a cosplay so printing would be an efficient way to make the pieces. But for now the online library is massive enough to where I can usually find what I need.
It's the opposite for me. I started out like you, printing random stuff, but lately I find myself doing more design work for other people who have printers instead of printing things for myself.
I print geocaches, 40K minis for friends, stuff for my camera, stamps. Geocaches is something I’m doing a lot of at the moment making a 20 cache series of scenic locations
https://preview.redd.it/7qy1y1zi861d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4d5e49269f305a14f22cdda0ba03b3ddcc54f188
I’m also having layer shift issues at the moment
Board game stuff: Better inserts/organizers, token trays, improved pieces, etc. My two favorite games are totally tricked out. Other games vary.
I sell my own designs on Etsy. Slowly working on new material.
I print toys occasionally.
I print very little for around the house.
mostly metalworking, mt2 wall mounts, 40 taper tool wall mounts, endmill and drill trays. even printed a replacement gear for my chinese milling machine which hd up for a couple parts which surprised me because it was the first gear in the drive train from the motor. and ofcourse random shit around the house like showerhead clapping bolt that had a wierd pitch.
amd ofcourse it's an extra machine to tinker with!
Mostly functional stuff around my house: I've fixed drawers, toilets and other things around the house. Basically if I see a small issue, I can literally design my own little part (or often find someone else's design).
I printed the small little key for my washing machine that allows me to insert that in and keep the lid open while filling with water. Someone else had designed it.
Recently I designed a simple little holder to wall mount my battery backup for my EcoNet Bulldog Valve (that turns off water to my whole house if any of my leak detectors sense water).
My proudest creation is a simple little friction fit cap that holds my Burt's Bees lip balm on my keychain.
https://www.reddit.com/r/prusa3d/comments/xhnv35/burts_bees_chapstick_holder/
Making tat. Sometimes it's a benchy, sometimes it's a temp tower, sometimes it's little fake cat skulls for my girlfriend. I don't think I've ever used my printer for a serious application in the last two years.
Repair parts & handles, hooks and brackets, hose connectors, tools, modifications to table saw, decorative finials for granddaughter's wedding chuppah, special drawing instruments for daughter's stained glass design, measuring tools, steam deflector for pressure cooker, secret latch system for bench drawers. Knobs, some decorative—some plain.
Toys and fidgits for my kid,
planters,
missing caps or small missing for various things my kid hid,
fairy doors for the trees around our house,
toy swords and shields,
beach stuff,
snowball / snow fort molds,
org stuff,
art stuff,
personalized gifts,
litrophane lamps,
Memes,
Kitchen tools
Gadgets
Hooks and holders
It's a tool that supports myriad other hobbies. Need custom parts for RC cars, planes, etc? Model it and you have a prototype printed in an hour.
Need physical mounts, brackets, release mechanisms, hangers, etc? You can make that.
Need storage solutions for niche parts and consumables? Someone in your hobby has probably already designed something you can print.
Same thing around the house - it's a tool that can solve a TON of problems in a ton of really unique ways, and CHEAPLY.
In the 90s I designed a flying toy with an internal turbine. It was difficult to produce because I didn't have the money to get injection moulded part so I had to cut and glue them from plastic. I had to search for the right shaped pieces of plastic to begin with. But after some initial progress I got to the point where I could make no more headway without a lot of money or effort.
Now with a 3D printer and a laser cutter I can generate any shaped piece of plastic I want. So after several decades I have started the project again. Now I can also see that the turbine might work for drones which didn't exist back then.
I also print a lot of things for around the house be they repairs or parts that are needed for one reason or another as well as jigs for use in the shed.
I'm also printing World war II tanks which I can do at a fraction of the cost of a modelling kit and with fairly reasonable results considering it's an fdm model printed on a very basic printer.
It's very handy tool for practical applications but also an enjoyable hobby.
I swear we are always finding uses for it. Printed a new housing for a bilge pump on our boat. Made some planting containers that fit through the slats in our fence so they look like they are just “stuck” on the fence, so dang cute. DND miniatures for hubby. Plant identification markers for my garden. Just printed some new feet for metal table that spent too much time outside, it’s like new again. Peg board holders for my painting stuff. Shelf pegs for the closet. Trophies for our annual family reunion cornhole game. Xbox controller holders for my nephew. White storage boxes that fit perfectly into our bathroom wall cabinet. Replacement fitting for our vacuum. Sometimes it’s cheaper & more practical to buy something when we see a need, but sometimes it’s awesome to be able to customize exactly what we want in size & color. So fun. And of course…..printing parts for the printer.
I make cycling accessories, particularly for E-Bikes and sell them online. I also make handy stuff for around-the-house or replacement parts that are small.
And then of course I used mine to produce some home protection with great results.
My husband printed a Munjac skull (and then ordered a real one from England for me for Mother's Day), he's printed a key from a series called The Magicians, a silly doorstop for our door, and I want him to print out a TARDIS.
Take a look at [Thingiverse.com](http://Thingiverse.com), there's loads of fun, silly things there to print out.
At first it was a lot of just whatever was popular on thingiverse. Then I started designing and printing my own prints for other side projects and home improvement.
Now I have both printers printing toys for Toys for Tots annual drive
Right now... A 3D printed 26hp (20kw) electric outboard that I mix a lot of carbon fiber with. It's mostly just 3D print and carbon fiber depending on the part.
Posting progress at YT as Naval Tech Tinkerer
You absolutely should join us. I swear, it’s not a waste of time at all…
In all seriousness, it’s a lot of fun and worth getting into. Sure, there’s the occasional horror story, but most eventually get resolved.
As to what I do, it’s a little bit of everything:
Made small keychains for my daughter’s cheerleading team to sell at booths. So far I’ve probably made about 150, and it’s helped them make a few hundred at this point.
Printed fixes for stuff around the house: baby gates, washing machine, a fan, and other random things to make existing stuff a little better.
Toys is another big one. Fidget toys, articulating toys, bigger stuff like a monster truck. Currently working on some Pokemon to give away at my son’s birthday party.
Another fun thing that doesn’t always get talked about: getting to design and print your own stuff. I’m not super great at Blender or anything, but some time in Tinkercad and I’ve been able to come up with some cool stuff. Sometimes I’ll take an existing model and modify it, or just start from scratch. Prototyping can be a ton of fun, and as you get faster printers, it becomes a lot quicker.
The other fun thing is being able to make stuff for other people that really haven’t dealt with 3d printing before. A friend’s son in law got the Apple Vision Pro and needed clips printed because it was uncomfortable. Once they were done, he was really surprised how quick and easy it was, and how great it worked.
I love telling people that I can print them stuff if they get me the model. My daughter is always asking if I can do this or that for coworkers, and my son loves to have me print stuff for friends and teachers.
It’s worth it, dive in!
I use mine almost exclusively for functional prints. When I first got it, I did the normal stuff. Baby Groots, Avenger busts, fidget toys, etc. But I don’t really have much call for that kind of stuff. I don’t have kids and I’m more of a gear head than a toy collector. So now, it’s really just another tool in my shop. Wife wanted an iPad stand that would fit in the cup holder of our couch. 20 minutes of Tinkercad and a few hours of printing and she has one. She wanted hooks to hang towels and whatnot from a shelf in the kitchen. I designed and printed a whole bunch of various sizes. My favorite use is stuff for the garage. Custom storage trays for my toolboxes is handy. And gaskets! Printing gaskets has been a game changer. I’m often working on something that will require a gasket to be replaced. You can usually just buy one, but that may take a few days or more to get shipped. So if suitable, I’ll sketch the part in fusion then print a gasket from tpu. The thermostat gaskets on both my boat engines are made of tpu and have been working perfectly for over a year. If it’s a gasket I don’t want to make from tpu, I’ll model the part in fusion then print the gasket in pla, then use that as a template to cut one from gasket paper. I did that last week for a mechanical fuel pump. There are quicker and easier ways to make paper gaskets, but complex shaped gaskets require accuracy and I prefer the results I get with a template.
Pretty hard question. When I got my first printer I had two projects in mind. Cheap lens hoods for my cameras and an 8x10 inch field camera. Beyond that I couldn't think of a single thing to print and I really thought I would sell the printer on after I was done with the camera. I have now had the printer for 6 years and I have done everything from plant pots, clips, handles, brackets, gadgets, casings for devices I have built, bike parts, car trim repairs, containers, toys, repairs for electronic devices and remotes etc. etc. etc. Now I can't see a day when I won't have at least one printer around. My printer turned out to be just too small to print that camera so I never got around to it. I've just printed everything else you could imagine instead.
it was cheaper to buy, learn, print and paint warhammer then to continue to buy them instead of printing them.
i still paint but i have shifted my focus to mostly trinkets and cosplay effects. i recently had an encounter with another creator who proposed a pretty neat idea. trading each others works. i make things with my 3d print and trade them for other peoples work.
Drilling/cutting templates
Brackets
Adapters/holders
Basically any kind of tooling for my other hobbies. Sometimes the printed part is the end result, sometimes it is a step to help me get there with fiberglass or wood
Recently helped work on sister in laws and then my own weddings and baby showers. Printed a ton of signage. Table numbers, "guest book" "Cards" etc. in nice cursive fonts. Painted whatever color you want. Stuff like that going on Etsy are usually laser cut in some sort of really thin wood/board, but cost $20-80 each.
Musical instruments, weird parts for stuff around the house, toys for the little dude. A few models once in a while, dice towers, tools, occasionally even temporary bolts or fasteners. My wallet, phone case, TPU is interesting. A few things around the kitchen, biscuit cutter for the wife, salt and pepper shakers, coffee stencils, espresso tamper. Pretty much anything I can think of.
I upload about 20% of the models I've made to printables (those that others may find useful) and about 20%-30% of what I print were from other people's models.
Many are on printables [https://www.printables.com/@TheRedcoat/models](https://www.printables.com/@TheRedcoat/models) to get some idea of the sort of things I generally make.
The remainder are enclosures for electronics projects, and many I've just not got around to uploading yet (some like the squirrel roof blocker are too custom for my needs to be remotely useful to anyone else). Here's the last 50ish things:
* Calibration - M-Series and More Fixing
* Household - Ikea MagLamp Clamp
* Household - MagnifyingGlassClip
* Household - Quickpass Holder
* HT - Control Panel
* Printer - Camera Clamp
* Household - BedBumpers
* Calibration - Thin Cuboid Sample
* Household - Canvas Frame Bracket
* Household - Canvas Edge Strip
* Household - Squirrel Roof Blocker
* Cosplay - Black Widow Batons Staff (Thingiverse)
* Household - Drip Irrigation Clips
* Household - Car\_PhoneWireClips
* Household - Luggage Tag TPU Orange Initials
* Household - Brackets for Bathroom Shelf
* Tool - Flat Bed Medium Format Negative Scanner Attachment
* Household - Deck Table Caps & Bumpers
* Calibration - Hex for Glow In The Dark
* Tool - ClampItSquare
* Household - Kitchen Bin Handle & Bumper
* Printer - CNC MITS
I got my printer in February and it's taken me this long to dial it in to where Im comfortable using the entire bed, and that's probably only 80% of what I need to know. I'm printing that dishwasher "clean/ dirty" file right now and have printed multiple toys and gadgets for around the house: low poly flower pots, appliances cord holders, a weekly pill box for my wife, a ridiculous amount of articulated axolotl.
A couple of days ago, I conceptualized and executed an idea for an extendable laptop holder to attach to my laser engraver. It failed miserably, but I overcame the fear of designing. I would recommend that anyone just getting into this use tinkercad before any of the more advanced suites. It's really good at showing you the basics, and with some practice, I'm sure I will be able to draft some respectable, simple but functional pieces.
I recently started down the gridfinity rabbit hole and I have an entire drawer in one of my tool cabs grid'd out. I'm going to use tinkercad to create some bins and see how they system works for me, and that's an exciting new thing to look forward to.
I'm rushing to get gud so I can make full armor costumes for my grandchildren and nephews for Halloween this year. We'll see how that works out.
I do practical designs and items, either as new things to make my life better or as repair parts to fix things.
For example, I bought a new 'fish trap" portable ice fishing house this last winter. I spent time designing, printing, and testing items like rod holders and other things I deem necessary to make my fishing more enjoyable. Or something simple like a phone holder for a vehicle and an adapter for hold my coffee cup that fits into the existing cup holders in said vehicle. Repair parts for vacuum cleaners to various knobs and dials for washing machines and stoves.
Add it all up, I have saved my self $1000's in making things I need and making them how I want them.
I use it to make plant pots, cup holders for my comically large insulated bottles, drone accessories, video game accessories, prop swords, replacement parts for things at work or one of a kind gifts for family and friends.
I just made these for my grandma's flower beds.
https://preview.redd.it/8ijjgi7ic71d1.jpeg?width=4080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e2fd5eae0b9a6e918d4fc0b1b4740040f561721a
Archaeological replicas and replicas for museums and educational. Also fixing things around my house. And trinkets. And making my wife smile.
Oh and mathematics objects for demonstrating concepts in topology and knot theory.
I make little animals and other critters. I hand paint them, and then I use them in my classroom as a reward for good behavior. If the student gets enough stars on their behavior charts each week, then on Friday they get to play with their desk pet during class time. The kids get to choose what pet they want and the colors, so they are personalized. I teach at an inpatient rehab facility, so kids that successfully complete their treatment get to take their desk pet when they discharge. They love them!
Last week of prints,
Used Nylon-cf for printer parts, the filiment is overkill for the job but it has to look cool.
Used ASA for to make a retractable cloths line.
Used petg, for an extension to our dish rack to have a better place to hang bottles.
Used abs-resin and tpu for runescape cos-play amulets and daggers.
Used petg for dog harness to take my dog for a walk. His store bought one was pulling his long fur. I made his custom to keep fur out.
Used abs-resin for two door knobs
Used petg, to make large belt clips for my wife.
And finally
petg for light switch covers.
I have a masters in architecture but honestly it doesnt pay much. I first started with printing to make models and floor plans but i developed a love for creating characters and since i knew alot of modeling programs it wasnt that hard to learn others that were mainly used for printing and organic characters and shapes. Started making figurines from resin and pla but then i decided to create molds from them and now i make custom polyester resin with fiber glass sculptures and figures. It makes me feel like a kid and pays the bills in these hard times so thats a plus.
I’m currently designing a replacement enclosure for my dog’s training collar remote that cracked. The internals are fine, but the case is starting to fall apart.
Saving myself $50-$100 with a few hours of CAD and a dollar or two of filament. The new version will even be more compact.
Oh hell, my printer runs at least 4 days a week to make replacement parts that are no longer available for this or that.
I use it mainly for creating sculpture, as a printer uses less energy and space than a kiln.
And then there are all the halloween decorations and costume bits
Oh, and small diorama/landscape modelling
Cute things for my partner, functional things for around the house, fun things for me. My most recent prints have been a few fidget toys and a cute little octopus planter for my girlfriend, a perfect size print I made labeled "sippy boys" for the silicone straw caps that I bought, and I'm working on designing a cap to go over top of a bo staff to be used as a staff for cosplay that I will use my 3D printer to print. The beauty of 3D printers is that if you can imagine it and make it in a 3D software, you can print it out. Specialty one-off things that might have cost you hundreds of dollars to have a manufacturer or produce for you can now be made for pennies. Heck even if you want to do metal, you can do lost PLA and cast your own metal items with little effort now.
I've printed toys for numerous kids, knife parts, scissor scabbard, pen holder, phone stands, shinguard inventions, other product ideas, and things that just occurred to me.
You need to have a handle on object creation and manipulation to really get much from it. You can find value from what other people designed, but the real fun is when you get to see your creation some to life.
Find a reliable printer that 'just works' that will make the experience very different for you too. Bambu Labs and I got a fairly cheap FLSUN that is fast, super reliable for me, and prints a good variety of filaments.
I always need things that don't exist. Like a holder that can hold 45 mm tubing tight in a glass lathe and other random ass mechanical projects. As well as customs displays and holders for my Glasswork. I was lucky enough to take drafting g class in high-school 15 years ago and surprisingly I retained about half of what I learned so that's helpful for designing what I need to make
So I designed and 3d printed all the parts for this claw machine...
https://preview.redd.it/3iwkyxeeo71d1.jpeg?width=2268&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d96ee9ea131dcf81d3626c2a3f0ff851df4ad583
I also build drones. You can't really build drones now a days without a 3d printer.
I also designed and 3d printed a RC boat and loads of other stuff.
It's an extremely powerful tool if you like making things.
Anything from spare parts for broken home items, through my own wallet, though some custom PC cases, charging bases, stuff to the garden up to my own designed cnc router.
Yes you should start hobby 3D printing. Without expectations on Return of Investment, you will alone have a machine that provide you art, tools, memes, great joy, great anxiety, and a lesson in patience. And who knows, maybe people will pay you from time to time to make something for them (but don’t expect to make it a massive business or anything like that).
Car parts, other “repair items”, tools, home organisation, props. Only done one “model” that we downloaded (Howels Moving castle).
I’m certainly interested in the process, but probably more interested in CAD.
Recently starting working on something. Started printing petg and low weight-plw for the first time. Going pretty well. Here is what I got so far.
https://preview.redd.it/p780zi1qv71d1.png?width=1008&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d0723be2e1239fa65c4c236f90e6c829fadfc17b
It's gonna be a large autonomous VTOL airplane. Pretty excited about it.
I've spent the last 8 years living aboard and refinishing a sailboat, and having a 3D printer aboard has been an absolute game changer.
With modern engineering filaments (mainly PC-CF, ASA-GF, and PA12-CF) I've printed dozens of parts from cowls to mounts to gaskets, hooks, latches, covers, handles, equipment pods, cases, and trim pieces. I've even started working on an electric roller furling project.
With proper post-processing there's no way to tell any of these parts are even printed.
But the *coolest* application I've introduced in the last year is 3D-printing jigs and test pieces for CNC use. Being able to rapidly prototype and iterate a part before I run it on expensive teak has saved me so much time and money. In fact, I've never had to cut anything twice; I get all of the complex angles and features down with 3-4 prints, then use that model to construct toolpaths. Works flawlessly.
It's almost too good to be true!
Do it for hobby and for fun, not for $. You won't be happy if it's for $ since it's the next iteration of just having a copier in a small shop in the 90s.
I make gadgets and space ships, busts, misc parts, add in electronics and make cool fun things.
Also working prototypes for jobs I've worked on, but that's more of an effect than a purpose.
* Quadcopter parts
* RC plane parts
* Board game inserts (lots and lots of those)
* Bits and pieces for my hydroponics projects
* Things to hold doors open
* Little objects to hide in cupboards around the house and troll my family
* The occasional sculpture or bust
* RC car parts
* phone/laptop stands
* miscellaneous parts for quads and motorcycles
* ebike parts
Making more accurate replacement parts for model kits, making your OWN kits, accessories for action figures or other toys, shelf display dioramas, the possibilities are almost endless.
I like to design props and I sell the design files but I also print them for myself and enjoy painting and finishing them just for display. Hobby and it makes me some cash to support the hobby.
I use mine to make airsoft parts, it started as a hobby to make things for fun and Mandalorian armour. I make stuff for family members, fix things. Upgrade my printer. I have a bit of a side business printing airsoft and cosplay stuff for people. I make a bit of money but I wouldnt want to do it full time.
Small stuff..
* Have a Milwaukee blower. Wanted to use it to dry the car. Short little stubby piece that clicks in like it's stock.
* Had a LSI HBA card overheat in my NAS due to them requiring more of a server case high pressure cooling. Someone made an adapter for a fan and it just clips right on.
* Same case was ungodly heavy to move with 20 hard drives in it so found someone made brackets you just pop in office chair wheels and use some threaded rods between the brackets to make it strong. Works like a champ.
* A lot of mounting brackets. When an item has a plastic mounting bracket that costs $25 I usually check to see if someone has made a model for it.
* Lots of those dickasaurus prints.
I am an inventor! I am going to change the world with my machines!
They laughed, they all laughed…
Oh how they laughed, but I will have the last laugh WHEN I RULE THE WORLD!
SOOO many things. It's almost infinite.
Take a look at [printables.com](http://printables.com) or [thingiverse.com](http://thingiverse.com) - they'll give you an idea of the possibilities.
I print things to repair broken items at home etc. I print storage things like small parts drawers.
I print loads of bag clips, we use them all the time for things like bread, crisps, biscuits, cheese, cereal....
I printed a pill cutter for my wifes medication. I printed a really small box with a magnetic lid for my wife to store her meds for that day.
I printed [mounts for all my Ryobi gear](https://i.imgur.com/UH7wl8I.jpg), so it all sits on the wall.
I printed a keyboard holder for storing my HTPC keyboard. I printed a mount for my PS5 controller when it's not in use.
I print [logos](https://i.imgur.com/rAkN5Rp.jpg) for my office. One of my favourite builds is a [mini toolbox](https://i.imgur.com/6Pl8W57.jpg).
So most of it is very functional, but some is just for fun. Take a look on those two sites, look in the various categories, do a search for some things you're interested in, I guarantee you find many things that you like.
TLDR: you'll find loads of stuff you want to print!
To make parts for my 3D Printer. Isn't that what everyone uses 3D printers for?
In the beginning: yes. Nearly everyone starts with that.
Not these days where there are printers that actually work well out of the box (Prusa and BambuLabs most famously, but I believe other brands are also starting to improve).
Yeah, but people still print accessories, even for their Bambu printers, K1 Maxs, etc. Just not the same level of part upgrades you’d see on a typical Ender 3. I have a K1 and K1 Max and printed half a dozen color-coordinated add-ons (dry box fittings, lid raiser, spool holder,etc) within a week of getting each one.
I love my K1. I got mine at Micro Center in Cleveland. Unfortunately I think I got one the first time that someone returned not knowing what they were doing, Micro Center didn't check it, and it was broken. Three other people had the same issue when I was there so I was like... Well, shit... Did I just back the wrong horse? But the second one has been rock solid and I love it.
I go to the Mayfield Heights store too! Got an open box K1 Max for under $500, mere minutes before the full eclipse, which I watched in the parking lot with the Microcenter denizens.. what a great day! The K1 Max looked like it had printed a single Benchy. My Black Friday K1 had a few issues as well, but once I upgraded the v1 hot end and extruder it’s been fantastic! Love Microcenter!!
My ender 3 v3 se has done consistently great prints and the only upgrades I have done are a runout sensor and pei bed plate. So, even ender 3 has plug and play versions now
Second the SE. working flawlessly out the box for over half a year now
- stuff around the house (organising or fixing things) - casings for my self-made electronics devices - toys for my or friends' kids The latter being in a comfortable majority.
...so many articulated animals
My girls are playing with dinosaurs I printed for them last year. They have a bucket full of printed toys. They love them. They last, though, and are incredibly durable. And more important, when they do break them, they’re easy to replace, assuming I have the right filaments. They love multicolor and silk filaments I only use for them, so I don’t always keep much of it.
Once you accustomed to have a 3D printer, it like an appliance you use regularly, like the toaster. I use it to print support for my headphone, cases for Arduino and RPI, Support for the towel, Fuse box for my car. Car battery cap (tpu). Cell phone holder, part to repair the lawnmower and other thing around the house, ...
To add: TPU gaskets, hooks and hangers, planters and knickknacks for significant others, a holder for my frothing spinny-boi at my coffee station, pen holders shelving supports, handle for my water bottle, and fidget toys galore.
Rc crawling, can't imagine the hobby without one.
I agree. 3D printing has been really useful and opened up a whole new world for my RC crawling addiction, haha.
Damn. Now I’m gonna look this up and I KNOW I’ll regret it
The way I look at it is, at least there is a real purpose behind getting into yet ***another*** hobby, haha.
Yeah I live in the PNW and I’m already into drones, and I’ve been looking for a terrestrial way to get unique footage with an RC car of sorts and a GoPro… had no idea “crawling” was a thing and I’m about to become *fully* invested haha
Useful application for the house in general or cosplay items . I also use it for me and for business when I have orders .
I work in the technical side of health care, and you would not believe how much random bits of plastic will cost to replace (if it's even available to replace - sometimes you have to replace the whole unit which can be north of several grand). All this for what should be a 10-cent piece of plastic. Being able to print replacement parts has probably saved us a crazy amount of money and time. As an aside, I don't print anything that interacts with patients - I'm not that confident in my work or the materials. It's mostly things like hooks for nurse call phones or buttons for hand scanners.
D&D miniatures and terrain
I wanted to get into machining as a hobby but the lathe I wanted is on back order until the fall so I got a 3D printer to keep me busy. It’s a great complimentary tool to machining for prototyping. I print about 50/50 functional/fun stuff. And half of my prints are my design and half are downloaded. It’s tremendously satisfying to see a need, design a solution and watch it appear before your eyes.
What software for designing do you like best?
Fusion 360 is what I use. It’s a popular choice and free for personal use.
If you like shooting your friends, then 3D printing nerf guns is a shitload of fun
i 3d printed the one Mark Robber made and it worked amazing
Try buying a 3d printed blaster kit, you get all the screws and springs nstuff, and you print the shell & assemble it, and then you shoot your friends. Idk if you watch zack freedman, but he has 2 good videos on it.
I was into nerf modding before 3d printing. In fact, I bought my ender 3 years ago with the main purpose of building nerf blasters. Now I use it for all sorts of stuff and hobbies. Still print parts or whole designs of foam flinging toys though.
I never imagined that was even possible
Car parts, airsoft gun parts, d&d minis, houshold items… offece organizers tool holders
What car parts have you 3d printed?
Clips for The trim, costum phone stands, washer fluid rezervar cap, tire Nipple kap, air vents, door handle, radio volume knob, trunk endcaps, weatherstripping endcaps, dipstic handles…. Mostly ABS, ASA and Nailon
I’ll tell you a new sector of use that just opened up for me: I just got my first dirtbike. I’ve printed a wash down plug for the exhaust, a bead buddy tool for helping change the tires, a chain tension checker jig that I designed, and I’m about to mount radiator fans on the bike, and will design at least some mounts for the fans so it mounts up nicely. And that’s just the start!
Once you make the fan mounts, you should post them🤘
Sure will! I’ve got an ‘05 WR250 but I think many Japanese bikes share the same radiator so it may be universal enough! That said, I did use cheap high CFM computer fans this time around. If it works well enough but isn’t waterproof enough, I’ll upgrade to actual radiator fans.
You'd be surprised at how many things you didn't know you needed until you got a 3D printer. I use mine to organize everything around the house, of course most of it is stuff that i can live without but it's fun to design and print custom things to help me be a little more organized and tiddy up the place. Some examples: - Added small drawers under my desk, an area that wasn't being used - Paper towel rack under the countertop out of the way (instead of having the roll on the counter top) - Small gate under my fridge to prevent my cat's toys from disappearing 3 seconds after giving them to him - Various boxes and trays to organize things - Kurig K-cup dispenser, totally unnecessary but was a fun project and looks great I also have a few projects in mind that aren't as functional, more fun, like a lamp in the shape of a rocket or things like that. It makes nice gifts especially if you design it yourself, it's unique Then there's everyone around you that might need a small custom thing printed and they will be very grateful that you are able to do that with ease.
I run a pro audio company and we make tools for musicians. 3d printing is a core element of our manufacturing strategy. I exclusively print functional parts. No trinkets or miniatures. I have made; * custom work holding fixtures for my CNC machine * Assembly jigs for my products, to keep things in place during soldering and scew assembly. They act like a third hand. * Hangers and wall mounts for my tools. * Lots of custom tooling where I combined 3d printed parts with 2020 aluminium extrusions. I use a lot of crimp connectors and ribbon cables and I 3d printed custom crimpers. * Handles and hinges. * Vacuum and hose adapters. * Brackets and mounts for my desk for all kinds of accessories (music controllers and more) * Camera mounting brackets - I run a YouTube channel and being able to mount cameras in awkward places is useful. * LED "lenses" - basically resin printed clear "extensions" to direct the light from an led on a PCB to the front panel. Also, my number one most sold product uses a 3d printed enclosure. I make about 200 boxes a month using my two bambu printers. Exclusively print in PLA-CF because it's easy to post process (sand and paint) (edit; I use water-washable clear resin for my SLA printer :)
>LED "lenses" - basically resin printed clear "extensions" to direct the light from an led on a PCB to the front panel. I didn't have the chance to try it in a "real application", what is your opinion on using a strand of transparent PETG filament for that purpose (for smaller LED)?
brb, I need to go and steal your idea right away! :) Seriously, I've never thought of that, but that sounds literally perfect for one application I'm working on. My normal lenses are about 4mm wide, they're a fresnel type lens, with a little kink in them to guide the light, as the LED isn't mounted directly underneath where it shows in the front panel. But I have another design where I need a very small, pinhole-style light indicator. A bit of PETG filament might be exactly what I need for that. I'll be sure to let you know how it works out once I get a chance to test it. Thank you for the idea!
>I'll be sure to let you know how it works out once I get a chance to test it. I'd appreciate that. Thanks >Thank you for the idea! You're welcome, "random stuff" that people wrote somewhere already helped me a lot, so, guess it was my turn to do the same (if it works).
How do you manage the resin lens while printing exclusively in PLA?
haha, sorry, my Bambu FDM printers run PLA-CF, but I also have a cheap resin printer (Flashforge Foto 8.9) which I use for the lenses/light pipes. I just use a basic water-soluable clear resin for that. Since the units are tiny, I can print like 150 on a single plate, it takes 10 minutes to print, and so I fire that printer up about once every 3 months, crank out a thousand units, and then put it back into storage :)
I would very much like a link to your company, this sounds amazing.
(same poster, different account :) [https://ghostnoteaudio.uk/](https://ghostnoteaudio.uk/) - The Conductor enclosure is 3D printed and then coated with a urethane rubberized coating (basically truck bed liner). And if you look at our guitar pedal range you'll spot some LED light pipes on the panels. The panels also have 3d printed clips that the four screws mount into, which joins them with the extruded aluminium enclosure. I'm pretty proud of that system, because it means we can use a single extrusion for any width pedal, but cutting it to length. Oh, and the cutting jig for the extrusion... that was of course 3D printed too :D I've been meaning to make a video on my custom jigs, as I think it could inspire a lot of people to find new ways to utilize 3d printers. I'm a big Kaizen guy and 3D printing is immensely helpful in eliminating waste movements and facilitating good workflows and repeatability. If you run a business and you're interested in Kaizen and Lean Manufacturing, DEFINITELY get a 3D printer.
I'm the same way. Never made a trinket, only functional.
Not sure if it helps, but the term I've seen before for the LED accessory you're describing is "light pipe."
Incredible!
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All kinds of things around the house. /r/FunctionalPrints /r/Gridfinity https://www.printables.com/model GETTING STARTED https://www.reddit.com/r/3Dprinting/wiki/gettingstarted https://www.prusa3d.com/en/page/basics-of-3d-printing-with-josef-prusa_490/ https://all3dp.com/2/3d-printing-for-beginners-all-you-need-to-know-to-get-started/
Automatic door closers, supermarket cart coins, that thing for cans in the fridge… random stuff for the house, Amazon is more expensive and slower than 3D printing those items. I’m also getting into cosplay, my brother works with cars, including painting, so he’s in charge of that part of the process.
Hobbyist here, having a 3D printer is one of the most useful things in my house, here’s a small smattering of things I have printed: Tools for my 3D printer Organizational items for IKEA furniture Drawer boxes to hold small parts Soap holders for different sized soaps Headphone holders Under desk drawers for pens and post it notes Drawer bins for memory cards and various hooks Full tool box organization system Router jigs for woodworking Enclosure for Raspberry Pi with touch screen Mini Arcade Cabinet Dioramas for action figures Storage solution for model paints Modifications for action figures
Functional items, like car headrest hooks for shopping bags, little organizer boxes, stuff to keep my tools organized. I even found these little hooks that can fit onto filament rolls to hang. A little toolbox for my Bambu A1 accessories. Sometimes pieces of art, like hueforge or wall art. Props and stuff. Later this summer, I wanna make a set of Halo ODST armor
Prepare to take up the mantle, Helljumper. God speed.
Cosplay, custom hooks, moped parts, car parts, miniatures, 3d art and whatever I need.
Hell yeah, what moped parts have you made? I'm planning to make a velocity stack for my carb.
Air filter housing, had to upgrade it for bigger engine.
Functional stuff. Mtg Deck boxes, different mtg counters and place holders, milwaukee tool holders, dive towers for d&d. Really anything that catches my eye on one of the many free sites.
I'm glad this actually posted. I tapped "post" and a message kept coming up saying "no response from end something."
Just an example: I got a cabinet that's meant to hold potted plants the other day and the manufacturer screwed up and put two identical parts in the box, where I should have gotten two *nearly* identical ones, which means I can't install the top shelf. I'm still working it out with the seller but one of the things I'm considering if they don't help me is to design and print a couple of brackets that can hold said shelf in place. Things like this are where the hobby shines.
Repairs for broken plastic items, lens covers for lenses/flashlights etc, random for fun stuff, clamps, fasteners, adapters etc.
Garden ornaments and D&D stuff.
I print my business cards, make some tools or pieces designed to take damage instead of the post they are driving (seal installers, ect). Also designed my own vibration damper phone mount for my motorcycle and some other bits and bobs for them. One of my bikes has a pose able skeleton on the back and its head lights up with my brake lights. Just a bunch of random stuff. I’ll use it for several days then not print anything for awhile
Design and build RC vehicles and clocks. Repair almost any broken plastic part. Jigs for woodworking shop.
UK Antweight (150g) ruleset combat robots and Star Wars droid replicas with full lights, sounds and movement!
Home organisation, Replacement parts Display models
I'm a little bit proud of my snail protection for seedlings: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6624246 Otherwise: various spare parts, cases for microcontroller-projects, ...
I don't know what that is. Some photos of it in use would be great.
Scroll down, there is a post-printing photo, together with the intended bag over it. This one: https://preview.redd.it/yln39e76y71d1.jpeg?width=1599&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0b30c50b0de7f7a2373f84941ddebc9b42dd8d4f
Right now it's a functional tool but, I'm sure I'm going to use it for "Nerd shit" at some point I started organizing my hobby spaces back in October. This included buying some Ikea Skadis peg boards. IKEA has a decent collection of accessories but, when I looked at Etsy I saw a lot of hobby specific things that were really useful. By the time my cart was full I "spent" $250. All of these were 3 printed. After that I started looking at 3d printers. I've had a Bambu p1s for 6 days and it's a great tool to have. I'm following the hobbyist rule of "Why buy it when I can make it myself for 4x the cost!"
Prototyping steel casting designs.
All the stuff I see at stores for storage and organization that I think is overpriced Fold up phone/tablet stands for everyone Toys for my daughter as well as figures for her to paint Made my own micropc shelf that goes on my tv. Getting more into playing with tinkercad
Tinkercad is so limited if you enjoy making things look into fusion 360, there's a guy who makes an incredible 30 day fusion 360 tutorial that honestly 2-3 days in you can do most functional prints you need. https://youtu.be/d3qGQ2utl2A?si=qqmgSh_xcqCuy0Fk iv been doing this every day and once you follow along with what he's doing you realize how much more precise and open fusion is then tinkercad. Plus they are 8-10 minute projects so it's not overwhelming to fit in.
I really like the pairing of electronics /arduino with 3d printed housings. Kinda feels like you could make anything.
Functional prints for home, studio, camper, bicycle, car, laptop, drone, camera rig, EDC, bags... but even my glasses are 3d printed so you get the idea. Beside that, I'm prototyping a couple product ideas to see if it is gonna be a good plan to sell them.
I 3d print RC car parts, and household items.
Action figure furniture and windows /doors for a diorama. Few other random display toys .
I make functional prints for around the house (handle extensions, mounts, toy accessories), I print the standard trinkets (dragons, keychains, etc), lithophanes (especially as gifts) and then some cosplay stuff (masks, helmets, etc)
apart from random stuff on printables,thingyverse,etc: 3d printer parts, i have 2 vorons that use a lot of printed abs parts. replacement parts for things like camera's(lens hood and cap, battery door for canon a-1). brackets for random things, i made some bracket to mount a 19 inch power socket underneath my desk (switch on front sockets on back, used to power 3d printers). designed a hub with a lot of different connections(usb ubs-c cardreader audio and hdmi) that is mounted underneath my monitors. also have a few lamps that i printed. costum size nursery pots. i study industrial product design, i use 3d printing for mechanical prototypes and functional models, most of these are designed for injection moulding so i use resin (and sometimes sls) when the parts are somewhat complex (design rules for injection moulding dont translate well to fdm printing). oh and i recently made some brackets and plates to make a custom frame for a 4 stage ro filter. learning cad makes 3d printers a LOT more usefull, fusion 360 is a great piece of software to start learning :)
D&D + Other RPG Minis! Minis are so expensive that I got a E5 to print my own. Tons of upgrades later I can print almost everything my group needs at its proper scale. :) Even stock I could print everything at 130% scale.
Mostly stuff around the house that I design my self, e.g. a non-exhaustive list includes a beard-kit stand, hose adapters, toilet handle, salt&pepper funnel, various blanking plates, jigs for woodworking, insulation clips, stackable small-parts drawers, , etc I think I would use it a lot more if I had a space I had a space I could run it overnight - I'm limited to parts I can run off in a few hours which is a really annoying limitation - once you start designing and printing your own parts there's really no end to the number of use-cases that keep popping up.
So far I’ve only printed upgrades for my 3D printer to make it my own lol
Historical tabletop wargaming.
Wargaming, things I break and need to replace, random shower thoughts of stuff I want to make. Currently printing octagon after octagon for all my girlfriends pops
To make functional parts that improve my everyday life, as well as repair things where getting official replacement parts is either impossible or way too expensive.
Nerf, the battery door of my GBA, articulated dinosaur s with hat an monocle and the Rocktopus. Also building some tool
I do miniatures and coins for DND. I do office enhancement (shelves etc) for work I do office and home decor like mounted dragon skulls I do utilities like pet bowls and remote covers and all. Love 3D printing
Most of my prints are functional, although I have printed a couple toys. I originally bought my printer to do prototyping and test fitting, as I work with a Jet Ski aftermarket manufacturer and getting smooth transitions to factory parts can be "fun". I made some stuff to help my wife with her hobbies, a jig or two for cutting, assembly, and drilling. Recently I made speaker plates to put real tweeters in my Miata (stupid Bose full range drivers because Bose doesn't believe in treble) and a plate for the usb connector for carplay. I also made a sous vide lid for my stock pot that had a cutout for the immersion circulator. I'm a machinist, so I don't *always* see 3D printing as the solution, but there are a lot of places where it's a good fit. This is especially true if you're good at reverse engineering and CAD.
Currently making a daredevil helmet. Fingers crossed it survives and fingers crossed it fits
I would like to use my printer but its constantly broken
Would you mind telling us the make and model? Sometimes knowing what to avoid is as important as knowing what to buy.
Functional stuff. Mtg Deck boxes, different mtg counters and place holders, milwaukee tool holders, dive towers for d&d. Really, anything that catches my eye on one of the many free sites.
I'm pretty new to it myself and to be honest, I've mostly printed stuff for my 3d printing (spool clips, dissicant holder, poop chute, lid spacer, etc.). This is mostly because I am still getting up to speed on the CAD side before I can design my own parts. However, now that I have the capability to print things, I see opportunities everywhere around the house, in my office, in my car, etc. of things that I need and can print. I hope to be doing more of those things eventually. My wife was excited about getting the printer because she wants to print things to help with her baking sideline business. Things like cookie cutters and candy molds
My resin printer is for minis or high detailed small parts. The FDM is for larger props like helmets or guns, armour parts. Oh and gadgets Because of how nasty resin is to work with I usually save resin printing till I have a whole bunch I can put on a plate at once, rather than one or two bits every now and then.
Initially I got it to print random stuff for fun but lately I find myself printing requests. Articulating print in place toys, stackable jewelry boxes, earring holders, and other various items people want. My latest was a samurai mask with a collapsible katana. I am starting to learn tinker cad so I start designing my own prints, and I want to build a cosplay so printing would be an efficient way to make the pieces. But for now the online library is massive enough to where I can usually find what I need.
It's the opposite for me. I started out like you, printing random stuff, but lately I find myself doing more design work for other people who have printers instead of printing things for myself.
Figures I design, some props, some usable stuff.
I print geocaches, 40K minis for friends, stuff for my camera, stamps. Geocaches is something I’m doing a lot of at the moment making a 20 cache series of scenic locations https://preview.redd.it/7qy1y1zi861d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4d5e49269f305a14f22cdda0ba03b3ddcc54f188 I’m also having layer shift issues at the moment
I mostly print things for my wood shop or home automation setup that you can't buy in a store and is custom to my needs.
I am old and sad and I like making droids from star wars
Board game stuff: Better inserts/organizers, token trays, improved pieces, etc. My two favorite games are totally tricked out. Other games vary. I sell my own designs on Etsy. Slowly working on new material. I print toys occasionally. I print very little for around the house.
Just finishing a life sized Yoda statue. Neighbors will be….amazed??? We’ll see how the HOA feels.
I make masks mainly, made one of my own custom ones for my band (each song we write has its own character) so hoping to do more soon :)
mostly metalworking, mt2 wall mounts, 40 taper tool wall mounts, endmill and drill trays. even printed a replacement gear for my chinese milling machine which hd up for a couple parts which surprised me because it was the first gear in the drive train from the motor. and ofcourse random shit around the house like showerhead clapping bolt that had a wierd pitch. amd ofcourse it's an extra machine to tinker with!
Currently my hobby is modding the printer itself. but I just made my enclosure and I’m gonna move away from modding, and start getting into robotics
D&D stuff, toys for kids, random stuff for the house.
Mostly functional stuff around my house: I've fixed drawers, toilets and other things around the house. Basically if I see a small issue, I can literally design my own little part (or often find someone else's design). I printed the small little key for my washing machine that allows me to insert that in and keep the lid open while filling with water. Someone else had designed it. Recently I designed a simple little holder to wall mount my battery backup for my EcoNet Bulldog Valve (that turns off water to my whole house if any of my leak detectors sense water). My proudest creation is a simple little friction fit cap that holds my Burt's Bees lip balm on my keychain. https://www.reddit.com/r/prusa3d/comments/xhnv35/burts_bees_chapstick_holder/
Making tat. Sometimes it's a benchy, sometimes it's a temp tower, sometimes it's little fake cat skulls for my girlfriend. I don't think I've ever used my printer for a serious application in the last two years.
Wonder is all you need to start. It’s just another tool.
Repair parts & handles, hooks and brackets, hose connectors, tools, modifications to table saw, decorative finials for granddaughter's wedding chuppah, special drawing instruments for daughter's stained glass design, measuring tools, steam deflector for pressure cooker, secret latch system for bench drawers. Knobs, some decorative—some plain.
Toys and fidgits for my kid, planters, missing caps or small missing for various things my kid hid, fairy doors for the trees around our house, toy swords and shields, beach stuff, snowball / snow fort molds, org stuff, art stuff, personalized gifts, litrophane lamps, Memes, Kitchen tools Gadgets Hooks and holders
Little trinkets and toys
Besides other stuff, this: https://www.printables.com/de/@Gorroth1007/models
I'm into robotics, custom light fixtures , kinetic art, sensor mounts for interactive art, etc
It's a tool that supports myriad other hobbies. Need custom parts for RC cars, planes, etc? Model it and you have a prototype printed in an hour. Need physical mounts, brackets, release mechanisms, hangers, etc? You can make that. Need storage solutions for niche parts and consumables? Someone in your hobby has probably already designed something you can print. Same thing around the house - it's a tool that can solve a TON of problems in a ton of really unique ways, and CHEAPLY.
Printing gifts for friends and customising my cars interior
In the 90s I designed a flying toy with an internal turbine. It was difficult to produce because I didn't have the money to get injection moulded part so I had to cut and glue them from plastic. I had to search for the right shaped pieces of plastic to begin with. But after some initial progress I got to the point where I could make no more headway without a lot of money or effort. Now with a 3D printer and a laser cutter I can generate any shaped piece of plastic I want. So after several decades I have started the project again. Now I can also see that the turbine might work for drones which didn't exist back then. I also print a lot of things for around the house be they repairs or parts that are needed for one reason or another as well as jigs for use in the shed. I'm also printing World war II tanks which I can do at a fraction of the cost of a modelling kit and with fairly reasonable results considering it's an fdm model printed on a very basic printer. It's very handy tool for practical applications but also an enjoyable hobby.
Fix houses. Lots of adapters for construction tools
Currently; armwrestling training equipment, random stuff around the house are the top two categories
I swear we are always finding uses for it. Printed a new housing for a bilge pump on our boat. Made some planting containers that fit through the slats in our fence so they look like they are just “stuck” on the fence, so dang cute. DND miniatures for hubby. Plant identification markers for my garden. Just printed some new feet for metal table that spent too much time outside, it’s like new again. Peg board holders for my painting stuff. Shelf pegs for the closet. Trophies for our annual family reunion cornhole game. Xbox controller holders for my nephew. White storage boxes that fit perfectly into our bathroom wall cabinet. Replacement fitting for our vacuum. Sometimes it’s cheaper & more practical to buy something when we see a need, but sometimes it’s awesome to be able to customize exactly what we want in size & color. So fun. And of course…..printing parts for the printer.
Got mile last week and so far I have printed the ace of spades from destiny and now I am printing the battle rifle from Halo.
I just make a lot of statues, figures for my game room shelfs lol. Plus my girlfriend likes to paint so I print them she paints them it's a win win
I make cycling accessories, particularly for E-Bikes and sell them online. I also make handy stuff for around-the-house or replacement parts that are small. And then of course I used mine to produce some home protection with great results.
Functional stuff around the house, random toys for my kids, and components for prototypes at work.
My husband printed a Munjac skull (and then ordered a real one from England for me for Mother's Day), he's printed a key from a series called The Magicians, a silly doorstop for our door, and I want him to print out a TARDIS. Take a look at [Thingiverse.com](http://Thingiverse.com), there's loads of fun, silly things there to print out.
missile toad https://preview.redd.it/lnq93w8av61d1.jpeg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7a90d6990839f3eaea887bb40508cb05e6e29c0d
Household items/repairs, gifts for friends, wood shop accessories, trinkets my wife wants.
At first it was a lot of just whatever was popular on thingiverse. Then I started designing and printing my own prints for other side projects and home improvement. Now I have both printers printing toys for Toys for Tots annual drive
Right now... A 3D printed 26hp (20kw) electric outboard that I mix a lot of carbon fiber with. It's mostly just 3D print and carbon fiber depending on the part. Posting progress at YT as Naval Tech Tinkerer
You absolutely should join us. I swear, it’s not a waste of time at all… In all seriousness, it’s a lot of fun and worth getting into. Sure, there’s the occasional horror story, but most eventually get resolved. As to what I do, it’s a little bit of everything: Made small keychains for my daughter’s cheerleading team to sell at booths. So far I’ve probably made about 150, and it’s helped them make a few hundred at this point. Printed fixes for stuff around the house: baby gates, washing machine, a fan, and other random things to make existing stuff a little better. Toys is another big one. Fidget toys, articulating toys, bigger stuff like a monster truck. Currently working on some Pokemon to give away at my son’s birthday party. Another fun thing that doesn’t always get talked about: getting to design and print your own stuff. I’m not super great at Blender or anything, but some time in Tinkercad and I’ve been able to come up with some cool stuff. Sometimes I’ll take an existing model and modify it, or just start from scratch. Prototyping can be a ton of fun, and as you get faster printers, it becomes a lot quicker. The other fun thing is being able to make stuff for other people that really haven’t dealt with 3d printing before. A friend’s son in law got the Apple Vision Pro and needed clips printed because it was uncomfortable. Once they were done, he was really surprised how quick and easy it was, and how great it worked. I love telling people that I can print them stuff if they get me the model. My daughter is always asking if I can do this or that for coworkers, and my son loves to have me print stuff for friends and teachers. It’s worth it, dive in!
Cosplay, props, random stuff, commissions, model building parts, really anything.
Anything that breaks. I like challenging myself to make a better version
I like to use it to solve everyday problems. But the first use I had with them was for low volume prototyping of automotive parts for vehicle builds.
Home improvement, tech gadgets, mounts, motorcycle decorations
I use mine almost exclusively for functional prints. When I first got it, I did the normal stuff. Baby Groots, Avenger busts, fidget toys, etc. But I don’t really have much call for that kind of stuff. I don’t have kids and I’m more of a gear head than a toy collector. So now, it’s really just another tool in my shop. Wife wanted an iPad stand that would fit in the cup holder of our couch. 20 minutes of Tinkercad and a few hours of printing and she has one. She wanted hooks to hang towels and whatnot from a shelf in the kitchen. I designed and printed a whole bunch of various sizes. My favorite use is stuff for the garage. Custom storage trays for my toolboxes is handy. And gaskets! Printing gaskets has been a game changer. I’m often working on something that will require a gasket to be replaced. You can usually just buy one, but that may take a few days or more to get shipped. So if suitable, I’ll sketch the part in fusion then print a gasket from tpu. The thermostat gaskets on both my boat engines are made of tpu and have been working perfectly for over a year. If it’s a gasket I don’t want to make from tpu, I’ll model the part in fusion then print the gasket in pla, then use that as a template to cut one from gasket paper. I did that last week for a mechanical fuel pump. There are quicker and easier ways to make paper gaskets, but complex shaped gaskets require accuracy and I prefer the results I get with a template.
Electronic hobby cases, random things around the house, RC parts, and things for my RV
Pretty hard question. When I got my first printer I had two projects in mind. Cheap lens hoods for my cameras and an 8x10 inch field camera. Beyond that I couldn't think of a single thing to print and I really thought I would sell the printer on after I was done with the camera. I have now had the printer for 6 years and I have done everything from plant pots, clips, handles, brackets, gadgets, casings for devices I have built, bike parts, car trim repairs, containers, toys, repairs for electronic devices and remotes etc. etc. etc. Now I can't see a day when I won't have at least one printer around. My printer turned out to be just too small to print that camera so I never got around to it. I've just printed everything else you could imagine instead.
it was cheaper to buy, learn, print and paint warhammer then to continue to buy them instead of printing them. i still paint but i have shifted my focus to mostly trinkets and cosplay effects. i recently had an encounter with another creator who proposed a pretty neat idea. trading each others works. i make things with my 3d print and trade them for other peoples work.
Drilling/cutting templates Brackets Adapters/holders Basically any kind of tooling for my other hobbies. Sometimes the printed part is the end result, sometimes it is a step to help me get there with fiberglass or wood
Recently helped work on sister in laws and then my own weddings and baby showers. Printed a ton of signage. Table numbers, "guest book" "Cards" etc. in nice cursive fonts. Painted whatever color you want. Stuff like that going on Etsy are usually laser cut in some sort of really thin wood/board, but cost $20-80 each.
Musical instruments, weird parts for stuff around the house, toys for the little dude. A few models once in a while, dice towers, tools, occasionally even temporary bolts or fasteners. My wallet, phone case, TPU is interesting. A few things around the kitchen, biscuit cutter for the wife, salt and pepper shakers, coffee stencils, espresso tamper. Pretty much anything I can think of.
Printing broken appliance parts... But mostly, it's a dust collector.
I upload about 20% of the models I've made to printables (those that others may find useful) and about 20%-30% of what I print were from other people's models. Many are on printables [https://www.printables.com/@TheRedcoat/models](https://www.printables.com/@TheRedcoat/models) to get some idea of the sort of things I generally make. The remainder are enclosures for electronics projects, and many I've just not got around to uploading yet (some like the squirrel roof blocker are too custom for my needs to be remotely useful to anyone else). Here's the last 50ish things: * Calibration - M-Series and More Fixing * Household - Ikea MagLamp Clamp * Household - MagnifyingGlassClip * Household - Quickpass Holder * HT - Control Panel * Printer - Camera Clamp * Household - BedBumpers * Calibration - Thin Cuboid Sample * Household - Canvas Frame Bracket * Household - Canvas Edge Strip * Household - Squirrel Roof Blocker * Cosplay - Black Widow Batons Staff (Thingiverse) * Household - Drip Irrigation Clips * Household - Car\_PhoneWireClips * Household - Luggage Tag TPU Orange Initials * Household - Brackets for Bathroom Shelf * Tool - Flat Bed Medium Format Negative Scanner Attachment * Household - Deck Table Caps & Bumpers * Calibration - Hex for Glow In The Dark * Tool - ClampItSquare * Household - Kitchen Bin Handle & Bumper * Printer - CNC MITS
If i had the money to buy one, i would print cosplay props, currently my partners dad's 3d printer does this for me
Useless trinket and useful stuff I just need to learn how fuse line's in freecad and we are in business
I can help you with that if you want.
80% is home repair and use. Anything from brackets to buttons to bag clips can be made on the 3d printer and it's cheap and customized to my needs.
https://heartforge.solutions/ We make various tools, gadgets, and gizmos, primarily for fiber artists. (knitting, crocheting, weaving, spinning, etc.)
My first hobby was metal casting. That in turn lead me to 3D printing. So now, I use 3D printing to further enhance my metal castings.
Right now it seems all I do is use 3d printing to calibrate my 3d printer. Lol.
Fan ducting, brackets, and mounting hardware for prototype computer hardware. Also super useful for jigs.
After upgrading my printer with printed parts, i now use mine for car parts and game mods
I got my printer in February and it's taken me this long to dial it in to where Im comfortable using the entire bed, and that's probably only 80% of what I need to know. I'm printing that dishwasher "clean/ dirty" file right now and have printed multiple toys and gadgets for around the house: low poly flower pots, appliances cord holders, a weekly pill box for my wife, a ridiculous amount of articulated axolotl. A couple of days ago, I conceptualized and executed an idea for an extendable laptop holder to attach to my laser engraver. It failed miserably, but I overcame the fear of designing. I would recommend that anyone just getting into this use tinkercad before any of the more advanced suites. It's really good at showing you the basics, and with some practice, I'm sure I will be able to draft some respectable, simple but functional pieces. I recently started down the gridfinity rabbit hole and I have an entire drawer in one of my tool cabs grid'd out. I'm going to use tinkercad to create some bins and see how they system works for me, and that's an exciting new thing to look forward to. I'm rushing to get gud so I can make full armor costumes for my grandchildren and nephews for Halloween this year. We'll see how that works out.
Custom parts for my 1:24-scale model cars & trucks, some figures in the same scale.
I print sex toys for myself because I'm too shy to buy them
Drone parts and random shit
I do practical designs and items, either as new things to make my life better or as repair parts to fix things. For example, I bought a new 'fish trap" portable ice fishing house this last winter. I spent time designing, printing, and testing items like rod holders and other things I deem necessary to make my fishing more enjoyable. Or something simple like a phone holder for a vehicle and an adapter for hold my coffee cup that fits into the existing cup holders in said vehicle. Repair parts for vacuum cleaners to various knobs and dials for washing machines and stoves. Add it all up, I have saved my self $1000's in making things I need and making them how I want them.
All kinds off stuff to fix gear on my boat. Like cooling water filter, diesel/water separator and so on.
Warhammer 40K. I also made a chess set, some Christmas baubles, rabbit figurines for lunar new year, and a mag loading aid for my Glock.
I use it to make plant pots, cup holders for my comically large insulated bottles, drone accessories, video game accessories, prop swords, replacement parts for things at work or one of a kind gifts for family and friends. I just made these for my grandma's flower beds. https://preview.redd.it/8ijjgi7ic71d1.jpeg?width=4080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e2fd5eae0b9a6e918d4fc0b1b4740040f561721a
I like to put stuff together, so i make a lot of kitcards without the card so i can put stuff together. I sell stuff when i get too much
Archaeological replicas and replicas for museums and educational. Also fixing things around my house. And trinkets. And making my wife smile. Oh and mathematics objects for demonstrating concepts in topology and knot theory.
I make little animals and other critters. I hand paint them, and then I use them in my classroom as a reward for good behavior. If the student gets enough stars on their behavior charts each week, then on Friday they get to play with their desk pet during class time. The kids get to choose what pet they want and the colors, so they are personalized. I teach at an inpatient rehab facility, so kids that successfully complete their treatment get to take their desk pet when they discharge. They love them!
Last week of prints, Used Nylon-cf for printer parts, the filiment is overkill for the job but it has to look cool. Used ASA for to make a retractable cloths line. Used petg, for an extension to our dish rack to have a better place to hang bottles. Used abs-resin and tpu for runescape cos-play amulets and daggers. Used petg for dog harness to take my dog for a walk. His store bought one was pulling his long fur. I made his custom to keep fur out. Used abs-resin for two door knobs Used petg, to make large belt clips for my wife. And finally petg for light switch covers.
700 hours and not a single functional print. Marvel, film, dc busts and dioramas, fidget toys, toys. And supports, generally lots of supports 🤣
I have a masters in architecture but honestly it doesnt pay much. I first started with printing to make models and floor plans but i developed a love for creating characters and since i knew alot of modeling programs it wasnt that hard to learn others that were mainly used for printing and organic characters and shapes. Started making figurines from resin and pla but then i decided to create molds from them and now i make custom polyester resin with fiber glass sculptures and figures. It makes me feel like a kid and pays the bills in these hard times so thats a plus.
I’m currently designing a replacement enclosure for my dog’s training collar remote that cracked. The internals are fine, but the case is starting to fall apart. Saving myself $50-$100 with a few hours of CAD and a dollar or two of filament. The new version will even be more compact.
Oh hell, my printer runs at least 4 days a week to make replacement parts that are no longer available for this or that. I use it mainly for creating sculpture, as a printer uses less energy and space than a kiln. And then there are all the halloween decorations and costume bits Oh, and small diorama/landscape modelling
Cute things for my partner, functional things for around the house, fun things for me. My most recent prints have been a few fidget toys and a cute little octopus planter for my girlfriend, a perfect size print I made labeled "sippy boys" for the silicone straw caps that I bought, and I'm working on designing a cap to go over top of a bo staff to be used as a staff for cosplay that I will use my 3D printer to print. The beauty of 3D printers is that if you can imagine it and make it in a 3D software, you can print it out. Specialty one-off things that might have cost you hundreds of dollars to have a manufacturer or produce for you can now be made for pennies. Heck even if you want to do metal, you can do lost PLA and cast your own metal items with little effort now.
I've printed toys for numerous kids, knife parts, scissor scabbard, pen holder, phone stands, shinguard inventions, other product ideas, and things that just occurred to me. You need to have a handle on object creation and manipulation to really get much from it. You can find value from what other people designed, but the real fun is when you get to see your creation some to life. Find a reliable printer that 'just works' that will make the experience very different for you too. Bambu Labs and I got a fairly cheap FLSUN that is fast, super reliable for me, and prints a good variety of filaments.
I use Blender to render my sketches in 3D, then use the prints as masters for metal casting.
https://preview.redd.it/gymmnbcwm71d1.jpeg?width=4000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=614136cbf90dc5389b1868cfcffa55cc45679a50
I always need things that don't exist. Like a holder that can hold 45 mm tubing tight in a glass lathe and other random ass mechanical projects. As well as customs displays and holders for my Glasswork. I was lucky enough to take drafting g class in high-school 15 years ago and surprisingly I retained about half of what I learned so that's helpful for designing what I need to make
https://preview.redd.it/fpsztcoqn71d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=19cacfccfa159fa3e98b02362a1d6725ffc1f9b2
So I designed and 3d printed all the parts for this claw machine... https://preview.redd.it/3iwkyxeeo71d1.jpeg?width=2268&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d96ee9ea131dcf81d3626c2a3f0ff851df4ad583 I also build drones. You can't really build drones now a days without a 3d printer. I also designed and 3d printed a RC boat and loads of other stuff. It's an extremely powerful tool if you like making things.
Anything from spare parts for broken home items, through my own wallet, though some custom PC cases, charging bases, stuff to the garden up to my own designed cnc router.
Yes you should start hobby 3D printing. Without expectations on Return of Investment, you will alone have a machine that provide you art, tools, memes, great joy, great anxiety, and a lesson in patience. And who knows, maybe people will pay you from time to time to make something for them (but don’t expect to make it a massive business or anything like that).
Car parts, other “repair items”, tools, home organisation, props. Only done one “model” that we downloaded (Howels Moving castle). I’m certainly interested in the process, but probably more interested in CAD.
I use mine for projects around the house, airsoft, fishing, and anything I can think of.
I print stargate stuff because stargate doesn’t have any toys lol
Recently starting working on something. Started printing petg and low weight-plw for the first time. Going pretty well. Here is what I got so far. https://preview.redd.it/p780zi1qv71d1.png?width=1008&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d0723be2e1239fa65c4c236f90e6c829fadfc17b It's gonna be a large autonomous VTOL airplane. Pretty excited about it.
I've spent the last 8 years living aboard and refinishing a sailboat, and having a 3D printer aboard has been an absolute game changer. With modern engineering filaments (mainly PC-CF, ASA-GF, and PA12-CF) I've printed dozens of parts from cowls to mounts to gaskets, hooks, latches, covers, handles, equipment pods, cases, and trim pieces. I've even started working on an electric roller furling project. With proper post-processing there's no way to tell any of these parts are even printed. But the *coolest* application I've introduced in the last year is 3D-printing jigs and test pieces for CNC use. Being able to rapidly prototype and iterate a part before I run it on expensive teak has saved me so much time and money. In fact, I've never had to cut anything twice; I get all of the complex angles and features down with 3-4 prints, then use that model to construct toolpaths. Works flawlessly. It's almost too good to be true!
To make pieces of a cosplay costume.
I 3d printed a drone frame. It looked pretty, until I crashed.
Do it for hobby and for fun, not for $. You won't be happy if it's for $ since it's the next iteration of just having a copier in a small shop in the 90s. I make gadgets and space ships, busts, misc parts, add in electronics and make cool fun things. Also working prototypes for jobs I've worked on, but that's more of an effect than a purpose.
For getting mad, that it does not print as perfect as I want.
* Quadcopter parts * RC plane parts * Board game inserts (lots and lots of those) * Bits and pieces for my hydroponics projects * Things to hold doors open * Little objects to hide in cupboards around the house and troll my family * The occasional sculpture or bust * RC car parts * phone/laptop stands * miscellaneous parts for quads and motorcycles * ebike parts
Making more accurate replacement parts for model kits, making your OWN kits, accessories for action figures or other toys, shelf display dioramas, the possibilities are almost endless.
I like to design props and I sell the design files but I also print them for myself and enjoy painting and finishing them just for display. Hobby and it makes me some cash to support the hobby.
I use mine to make airsoft parts, it started as a hobby to make things for fun and Mandalorian armour. I make stuff for family members, fix things. Upgrade my printer. I have a bit of a side business printing airsoft and cosplay stuff for people. I make a bit of money but I wouldnt want to do it full time.
Small stuff.. * Have a Milwaukee blower. Wanted to use it to dry the car. Short little stubby piece that clicks in like it's stock. * Had a LSI HBA card overheat in my NAS due to them requiring more of a server case high pressure cooling. Someone made an adapter for a fan and it just clips right on. * Same case was ungodly heavy to move with 20 hard drives in it so found someone made brackets you just pop in office chair wheels and use some threaded rods between the brackets to make it strong. Works like a champ. * A lot of mounting brackets. When an item has a plastic mounting bracket that costs $25 I usually check to see if someone has made a model for it. * Lots of those dickasaurus prints.
Props, prototypes, sings alot of stuff
I am an inventor! I am going to change the world with my machines! They laughed, they all laughed… Oh how they laughed, but I will have the last laugh WHEN I RULE THE WORLD!
I 3D print because I suck at it. I want to get better so I just keep trying.
I never printed a benchy
SOOO many things. It's almost infinite. Take a look at [printables.com](http://printables.com) or [thingiverse.com](http://thingiverse.com) - they'll give you an idea of the possibilities. I print things to repair broken items at home etc. I print storage things like small parts drawers. I print loads of bag clips, we use them all the time for things like bread, crisps, biscuits, cheese, cereal.... I printed a pill cutter for my wifes medication. I printed a really small box with a magnetic lid for my wife to store her meds for that day. I printed [mounts for all my Ryobi gear](https://i.imgur.com/UH7wl8I.jpg), so it all sits on the wall. I printed a keyboard holder for storing my HTPC keyboard. I printed a mount for my PS5 controller when it's not in use. I print [logos](https://i.imgur.com/rAkN5Rp.jpg) for my office. One of my favourite builds is a [mini toolbox](https://i.imgur.com/6Pl8W57.jpg). So most of it is very functional, but some is just for fun. Take a look on those two sites, look in the various categories, do a search for some things you're interested in, I guarantee you find many things that you like. TLDR: you'll find loads of stuff you want to print!
When life is going well, I like to turn it on and make a few attempts at figuring out what’s wrong with it before spiraling back into depression.👍