Have you ever been working on something and didn't have exactly what you needed? Or have you ever had something break, and not be able to replace a part? What about that flash in the middle of the night for your next great idea? Perhaps you saw something neat and just wanted to recreate it - or put your own twist on it? Maybe you just love thinking about the future, and the things that will shape it. (You may or may not be a nerd in any of these categories. No judgement).
Well, if you fit in one of those categories, 3D printing could be for you. Once 3D printing was extremely expensive and really for big companies to provide "rapid prototyping", or the capability to create new parts a lot faster than standard manufacturing processes allow. Now, you can get simple 3D print pens for under $50, or even simple full-size 3D printers for a couple hundred bucks.
3D pens are fun, you can do some really neat things with them. Draw out whatever comes to mind. It's really a great way to stretch your creative abilities. Look at some of the designs our youngest made just doodling around one afternoon!
3D pens are not great if you want consistency in your parts, or if they need to be exact.
You'll need a 3D printer to provide the level of quality and detail for most things.
There are a few types of 3D printers but I'm going to focus on the more common 3D printer type - known as FDM or FFF printers (Fused Deposition Manufacturing or Fused Filament Fabrication). This means the printer squeezes out a tiny bead of melted plastic in a very exact way, and builds layer upon layer until the design is complete.
Maybe you've seen some of those terribly satisfying videos showing the 3D timelapses, where the model just grows? Amazing. If you're not familiar, here's a taste.
Beside the I also wanted to learn something new. I have never felt like I was very artistic or creative and wanted to stretch a bit.
After a bunch of research I bought the Prusa i3 Mk3S+. I thought it would be the best for my needs. Some of my reasoning:
Great recommendations from people who are experts
Used by many businesses small and large to provide consistent prints that go to customers (this is key if it ever becomes more than a hobby...)
I could have the opportunity to build it from the ground up. (This proved to be more complicated than I thought, but it worked out in the end. It's actually key to really understanding the printer!)
Loved the Prusa story and what they are doing at Prusa Research
It wasn't the cheapest. BUT when I looked at reviews and videos of the cheaper ones, I kept seeing a consistent theme of "what can I do or what parts can I add to make this act like a Prusa?" After buying the parts and upgrades and spending time tuning it, I'd be pretty close to the price of the Prusa.
But there are plenty of them out there and they are good. I know a number of people with Creality Ender printers who love them. YouTube is full of great reviews and advice.
Once you have the printer set up there are plenty of places online to get things to print, both for free, and even paid. There are also plenty of people who are happy to answer questions and offer advice.
Here are some sites you can go to get things to print:
Free community designs: Prusa Printers, Thingiverse, Cults 3D, among others.
DeDesigned and Print+ have DIY headphone kits - you buy the design and the hardware, print the plastic parts, and assemble it yourself!
The kids have been dying to get an OutOfMarbles kit - these are some amazing marble runs! Like the headphones, you print the plastic parts, and they provide the hardware. (If you don't want to print, you can buy pre-printed parts). Really some fun stuff! I just have to share a video of this.
If you still can't find what you want to print, you can design it yourself with 3D modeling software. From very easy like TinkerCad to more full-featured like Fusion360 or OpenSCAD. Even better, all 3 of these options are free and/or open source - even Fusion360! (provided you fit Autodesk's definition of a hobbyist).
So what do you think? Feel like giving it a try? Let us know in the comments! Or connect with us on Facebook or Instagram
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