10 Useful things to 3D print, when owning a 3D printer
3D printing creates plenty of professional opportunities for architects, engineers, product developers and more. However, it can also create lots of objects for day to day use. A great side effect of owning a 3D printer or having access to one, is that there are already a lot of product designs available online to download for free. That means you can simply print it with little to no effort, instead of going to the store and spending money. Careful out there: there are a lot of useless and amateurish creations. That’s why we made a list of stuff that’s actually useful, fun and print-worthy.
1. CABLE ORGANISERS & ELECTRIC OUTLET ACCESSORIES
These small cable and electricity accessories make cheap and quick prints. Although the original items are not that pricey, some of them can cost up to and over € 10. Add some shipping fees or a trip to the store, and your 3D printer wins on both speed and budget.
2. PHONE ACCESSORIES
Phone cases can be printed in just an hour or two, at only a few cents per piece. Why not try a different one every day? Other accessories like phone docks, car vent clips or phone stands are also useful gadgets that can be printed at a stunning 1/10 of the retail price.
3. DESK ACCESSORIES
Tired of keeping your pens in a mug? It’s your lucky day! There are plenty of product designs available online, ranging from stylish to creative, to spruce up your office space. From simple pen holders to stationary like tape dispensers, rulers, paperclips etc…, the cost to print these objects can beat retail price anytime by 1/3.
4. TOOLS
Never fear an emergency: you can always print tools. If a plastic wrench is durable enough for astronauts, imagine what it can do for you. Not in the least: save a few bucks. Not all tools have to be tough though, like golden ratio calipers and other measuring tools. Again, definitely worth it to print.
5. PIGGY BANKS
Piggy banks today come in more shapes and sizes as they ever did, thanks to 3D printing. Take a look on Thingiverse and be amazed by all the possibilities. The downside can be the printing time and cost for the larger ones. The cost of bigger volumes can match the cost of the purchase of a piggy bank in the store. Still, the ones you print will always be more unique.
6. TOYS
Let’s not forget the little ones. With 3D printing a child’s imagination will run wild. A new creative lego piece, a bowling set, accessories for other toys like Sphero, board games, etc…, will make your 3D printer run 24/7. Don’t worry about the running costs: they won’t be that dramatic. Find an overview of complete costs in our infographic on our blog here.
7. CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS
Not too crazy about the Christmas decorations in stores or online? 3D printing can be your red-nosed friend here. Ornaments, lighting, napkin rings, the entire Christmas spirit can be printed. The possibilities are so endless, you’ll be staring at different styles every year. Watch our use case with some truly inspiring Christmas decorations here.
8. HOME ACCESSORIES
Having some sweet visitors over who brought flowers? But forgot the vase? Have one printed during their stay. Other home accessories are both cheaper to print and unique in design as well. So next time you’re at the store, you’ll think twice about buying candle holders, expensive bottle stands and designer chess sets.
9. LIGHTING
Finding the right lighting that matches your taste can be tricky. The really nice ones are so overpriced that just a bulb hanging from your ceiling suddenly doesn’t look that shabby. Not when owning a 3D printer. There are some stunning designs available for free and at the cost of an Ikea lamp (or cheaper) you will have a designer lampshade to amaze your friends and family.
10. FURNITURE
At Tripodmaker, we firmly believe you should not print all your furniture. But a small chair for the little ones can be a good start at a reasonable cost. Step 2 would be to try some of the great Ikea hacks out there. If your printer still has some free time, which we hardly believe at this point, you could try a chair set or some modular connectors to create storage, shelves and drawers. Mmm. Maybe it’s time to get a second printer?
