I’m going to have access to a 3D printer for a few days. I know two friends who’ve used them, but it’s only been for art and figurines, or professional purposes.
Are there any other cases you can think of where a custom-printed item is better than the myriad of mass-produced plastic items?
• replacement parts for appliances (dishwasher wheels, feet, brackets…) • upgrades for your 3d printer (a camera holder is a classic) • if you are a thinkerer (I’m assuming you are) custom boxes for small projects (electronics and so on)
I replaced the hinge on our freezer door with about half an hour of design time and a tiny amount of filament. Previously the fix required replacing the whole freezer door.
That fix alone paid for the printer.
Now I’m putting orthopedic insoles. It’s been a lot more effort since it required learning how to use TPU, but now I can just size the shoe and send the file.