To print or not to print?

After being undecided for quite a while as to whether I should buy a home 3D printer or not, I have finally taken the plunge and must say I am pretty happy with it. Based on my own experiences I have put together a few questions which may help you to decide whether you should get one or not:

1) What will you use it for?

Yes there are thousands of pre-made (and albeit pretty cool) models out there to print – check out Thingiverse for some good examples. However, once the novelty of making cookie cutters and bottle openers has worn off, you may be left with an expensive, particularly large and not so attractive ornament (more on this next). I personally believe the true value of a home 3D printer is to either compliment an existing hobby (building buildings for Warhammer etc.) or bringing an idea you have had to life – whether it is a cookie cutter or not.

2) Where are you going to put it?

3D printers can be quite large, mine is currently enacting squatters’ rights in my utility room – however I doubt it will be allowed to stay there much longer, as admittedly it is not the most attractive of household objects and does take up quite a lot of space.

They can also be quite noisy so you may not want them near your living or sleeping areas. A garage/outbuilding may seem like a good idea, however print quality can be affected by the humidity/temperature of the room – something to bear in mind.

3) Is it worth it?

3D printers are now quite affordable compared to a few years ago, obviously you get what you pay for, but a decent printer can now be bought for a few hundred pounds. This is still a sizeable outlay if all you are going to build are items that you could buy for a few pounds here or there, but if you are interested in a new hobby, it can be quite reasonable as filament is not particularly expensive and does last a while.

However, if you just have an idea that you want printed, there are third party services where you can upload your 3D model and they will send you the outcome. I have not used any of these services so cannot recommend any (a quick google should sort you out) but it is something to bear in mind.

One last consideration is that if you happen to be talented at creating detailed models, you can actually make money by selling your digital models on sites such as Kickstarter or itch.io, which others can then print off themselves.

Summary

In summary, if you can afford it, have plenty of ideas on things to build and have the space for one – take the plunge and buy one. After all who wouldn’t want a current day equivalent of a Star Trek replicator?