Is 3D Printing Worth it For You?
3D printing is awesome but it’s just not worth it for everyone.
Many people spend a lot of money on 3D printers when all they need to do is outsource a few parts.
Even worse, some people buy a 3D printer, only to find out that they don’t like using it.
My goal is to provide you with a realistic approach to whether or not you should purchase your own 3D printer before you spend the big bucks.
What 3D Printers Cannot Do
Surprisingly, there are a lot of myths and false information on 3D printers that people tend to believe. While the maker community knows better, many beginners do not. Let’s make sure that you aren’t misled into getting a 3D printer for the wrong reasons!
Misunderstanding #1: You can make anything.
Technically this is true, but if you don’t have a team working with you or a lot of experience in 3D modelling, it might as well be impossible.
In the beginning, if you don’t know how to make your own items, you will most likely be downloading other people’s designs.
Misunderstanding #2: 3D printing will save you money.
While this is possible in the long run, it won’t add up to very much. Besides, you are probably better off buying most things you need around the house for a little more money, rather than spending hours trying to make them.
For example, many people selling 3D printers may indicate that you can save hundreds of dollars if you 3D print your common household items.
However, like any hobby, you will be spending a lot more than you save because of the initial cost, maintenance and time spent on 3D printing.
Equally as important, using a 3D printer for the sole reason of saving money can make 3D printing a chore rather than a fun hobby.
Misunderstanding #3: You can 3D print various materials.
The truth is that most 3D printers only print plastic, and usually, that’s enough. If you want to print metals, you should be prepared to fork out a bit more cash.
3D printers are only capable of depositing materials that have a melting point, so don’t expect to be able to make flowers and leather clothing.
Misunderstanding #4: You can just download things from Thingiverse.
While this is true, I included it because merely downloading and printing things can get boring very quickly.
The point of a 3D printer is to aid your own projects and yes, sometimes download things online.
But what usually happens is people (with no intention of creating their own things) go to Thingiverse and see the infinite list of STL’s (free 3D printing files) made by the Thingiverse community.
Although this initially sparks excitement, it will most likely end in boredom. After you’ve printed 10 useless items that you really don’t need, you will eventually get tired of 3D Printing. Not to mention, you will have a bunch of useless stuff lying around.
How Do I Know if I Should Buy a 3D Printer?
So how do you know if 3D printing is worth it for you?
There are 4 Key Things you need to consider to make an informed decision:
- Your other hobbies and interests.
- The technical difficulties of 3D printing.
- Costs associated with 3D printing.
- Your career and it’s relation to making.
Do Your Other Hobbies and Interests Relate to 3D Printing?
Why do you want to 3D print? Spend some time thinking about this. Is it something you feel like you should do for no particular reason? Or do you have specific projects in mind?
Do you love action figures, board games or models? Are you into puzzles, model making or interesting mechanisms and contraptions?
If you can come up with some good reasons to purchase your own 3D printer similar to the ones mentioned above, that probably means you’re a maker.
Are You a Maker?
Quite often, people who enjoy 3D printing the most are those with complementary skills, such as circuitry, laser cutting, programming, or other engineering or trade type skills. We call these maker skills.
Makers usually have more reason to use a 3D printer. Essentially, the 3D printer becomes another tool that a maker uses, rather than it being what they revolve their projects around.
The 3D printer benefits the maker by allowing them to quickly test and fix parts.
Will you use a 3D printer in large projects?
For those who want to print one-time use objects from a website, ordering them from a 3D printing service may be a more viable option.
Here Are Some Things That a 3D Printer Could Be Useful For:
- Board Games: Print pieces for existing board games or make your own games. As a kid, I used to love making my own games but I always ended up cutting out paper to make game pieces. Instead, I could have easily used 3D printing.
- Models: Cars, planes, buildings, etc…you can make models of anything with a 3D printer, and it can be very fun and beneficial to explore your creativity!
- Action figures: Perfect for gamers and fantasy fiction fans.
- Teachers: Use 3D printed items to help teach and inspire children. One of my middle school teachers was a maker and used to make these cool octahedrons with different shapes and letters on each side to match with other octahedrons to encourage students to interact with each other.
- Tools and machines: As someone interested in mechanical engineering, this is my reason. I love making things fit together and move to serve a purpose. Someone even made a 3D printed lathe.
If your interests align with a need for a 3D printer, great! But there are three more things to consider.
Technical Difficulties of 3D Printing
Can You Design?
3D printing isn’t necessarily easy to get into, but neither are most hobbies. It is going to take some time, dedication and maybe some frustrations before it can be rewarding.
Are you good at using computer software? Is it something that comes naturally to you? 3D modelling or computer hardware programs are important aspects of 3D printing.
Are you willing to learn proper 3D modelling? Lots of people hate trying to use new technology, and in 3D printing, there is a lot of technology to learn before you print your first piece.
To make the most of this hobby you will eventually want to start 3D modelling things yourself. Everything that is 3D printed needs its 3D model, to begin with.
Using programs like Solidworks, Inventor, Blender and other 3D modelling software take time and effort to learn.
General Computer Skills Required
After you make the model, you must know how to convert it into the right file format or what slicer to use to send the code to the printer.
Although this may sound complicated, don’t be scared to learn because it can be super rewarding. Many people get frustrated easily and quit.
The bottom line is: if you don’t know how to design and you aren’t willing to learn, then 3D printing is likely not for you.
Can You Troubleshoot?
Many things can go wrong while 3D printing. Whether your devices are set up incorrectly, or the filament is jamming in the nozzle, you are going to have to troubleshoot somewhere along the way.
Nevertheless, some makers treat this as a hobby and focus on upgrading their machine first, to avoid errors and improve the quality of their 3D printer.
Although the Anet A8 is a pretty poor and unreliable 3D printer, it’s also really popular because it’s cheap and those who buy it typically enjoy upgrading it to make it a better machine.
Can You Do Simple Maths For 3D Printing?
Nothing complex is needed but often you’ll have to do some calculations including volume and costs when designing to make sure you are making the optimal product.
If you are not big on problem-solving (school did make math boring sometimes), then you may not be prepared to handle the inevitable issues that will arise.
But if you are interested and capable of handling technical difficulties, let’s see if you’re willing to pay the price of making things with 3D printers.
The Costs of 3D Printing
How Much Do 3D Printing Materials Cost?
Something people forget about 3D printing is the recurring cost because you have to buy the materials that you print with on a regular basis.
There is a lot of different materials you can use and for different purposes. For now, let’s just look at a couple of the most common materials.
Most common materials:
- ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene)
- PLA (polylactic acid)
These filaments can cost anywhere between $10 to $50 and even more if you’re buying quality or specialty filament.
Keep in mind as well that you’re not going to be buying the $10 filament every time, as those can’t even give a satisfactory result.
You’re more likely going to spend around $20 for every roll of filament. This cost can add up quickly or slowly depending on how much you’re going to be 3D printing.
Digitalharbor.org did some research on how long a 1kg spool of 3D printing filament lasts. It is important to note that you may want to have a couple of different types of filaments as well.
How Much Does a 3D Printer Cost?
This is usually the part where most people put their wallets down.
3D Printers on average are pretty expensive, and ‘pretty’ might be an understatement.
The price of a 3D printer ranges between as low as $200 to over $3000 for a high-end home 3D printer.
Industrial printers are over $10,000 and the most expensive ones cost millions!
However, if you’re a beginner, your price range is probably between $200 to $1000, (unless you have a lot of piggy bank money ready to invest).
I would suggest that you keep away from anything under $200 as they usually don’t work very well. When it comes to 3D printers, you get what you pay for.
Should You Buy a Printer or Use a Service?
Surveys show that when a company owns a 3D printer, they print more prototypes than they would have if they used a 3D printing service.
If you’re involved with product development, it is my recommendation that you should have your own 3D printer.
However, if you are confident that you will only use it a few times, then you are better off sending it to a 3D printing service.
If you live in a populated enough area, chances are you have a few options to choose from.
How to Find a 3D Printing Service
- Check P2P shopping websites/apps. These are good options because they are just regular people like you and me; however, they may not be as professional or knowledgeable about the various printing options.
- Local businesses. There are usually a couple of places in cities that stock up on 3D printers and materials. While expensive, you will have a lot of options and great customer service.
- Maker Spaces. Maker spaces are usually clubs with a paid membership where you can participate in maker culture. Given they usually require memberships, you should make sure you will use the place quite frequently to make it worth your money. Maker spaces are great options as you can do things on your own with support if needed and you can use any of the other tools found in the maker space.
3D Printing Service Costs
When you use a 3D printing service, the costs will always vary depending on the service.
For instance, you may be charged with a monthly fee for maker spaces and if you send your part somewhere else, they may request approximately $15 (depending on part specifications).
If you need less than 10 parts, it’s probably worth just sending them to a service. If you need more than 10 or need to experiment, then it’s more economically viable to buy your own 3D printer.
Your Vocation’s Relation to 3D Printing
3D Printing Could Be Good For Your Career
Does your company have a 3D printer? Companies that have 3D printers use them frequently and find them to be of great use.
Someone who knows how to use 3D printers is also of great use.
Do you have a career in prototyping, design or entrepreneurship?
There are lots of great opportunities here in terms of money-making!
For example, there are many jobs in product design, prototyping, etc. where 3D printing is used on a regular basis. You could make your own products and sell them on e-commerce websites or you could sell the 3D models. There are plenty of people doing this right now.
You can teach people your new skills for a fixed fee, or lease your own 3D printer to others. There might even be requests for specific items on online marketplaces for freelancers, like Fiverr.
If your current job is in engineering or product design, then purchasing a 3D printer will be a worthwhile investment. It could help you when working from home (especially during this pandemic) or if you want to be creative and prepare items for a presentation.
Conclusion
If your hobbies or vocation relate to 3D printing, and you can handle the costs and technical difficulties associated with it, then buying a 3D printer is absolutely worth it.
If you are eager to try it out first, then you could always try to find a maker space near you. And when you think you’re ready, check out some 3D printers.
Are you going to buy a 3D printer? Let me know why or why not in the comments below!