I Tried Starting A 3D Printing Business In 7 Days

[@jensentung]

💸 Check out my top 25 business ideas to start in 2025: stan.store/jensentung Should I try selling a 3D printed product for 30 days?

[@Linux28]

Yes!

[@kennethlui6830]

yes

[@kyle13fx]

yes

[@just0bram811]

Would love to see an update on the Laser Engraving Business if you still run it!! love your chanel!!

[@xblade6311]

Cool video. If you do a 30-day challenge, then I want to tell you that if your a1 stops mid print because of an issue then you can fix the issue and just resume the print (this is not true for all printers but I know the a1 can do it cause I have one and have had filament run out mid print)

[@kennethlui6830]

Please make the 30 days challenge

[@OB-ep5nh]

Yesss a 2 part

[@fuckyouxx]

he is not gonna do a 30 day challenge lol these youtuber sucks lol

[@egmccann]

Soooooo.... yeah. I have thoughts with this. I *really* kind of don't like the "Can I start this from scratch and make a business in a week?" for 3d printing, whether filament or resin based. Especially starting with "... but I don't know what I'm going to sell." I can see this sort of approach frankly hurting people who try it, even ignoring the "And I'll sell through my mom" angle. I absolutely encourage people to get into 3d printing. And I've gotten to love the Bambu Lab printers. They're excellent for getting set up and getting in the hobby. Unless something's broken out of the box - and they do an excellent job with their packaging - you're pretty much guaranteed to be printing away within an hour. (And yeah, your first several prints will probably be stuff for the printer.) But honestly the path of "Ooh, I have this printer, and I've learned to use it, and I have an idea of something that I found really useful and made and think other people will like and pay for!" is a *much* better start than "I need to start a business with this and have no clue what I'm getting into." On the first, you get an idea of what the printer can do, the *time* it takes and the shortcomings and are going into it with both eyes open to everything - including cost, maybe getting more printers for a print farm, how long it will take, etc. The latter? It's just a recipe for disappointment and frustration. And yeah, I have thoughts - and issues - with your "And I made $8" at the end. Well, you didn't start a business. OK, you were up front with the actual costs and such... to a point. But one big thing you didn't put in was *your time.* You have to value your time at something. At minimum wage- which, the lowest minimum wage in the USA is $7.25/hr (federally,) means that 12 hours you spent learning the software cost $87 at least. You didn't mention the time setting up the printer, installing the software (granted, fast) or doing research, even if we ignore the day plus spent printing the lego man as a test. If you continue doing this? You're going to spend time testing other filaments (someone may want a blue/purple vase that would look nice in one of the silk PLA or PETG filaments, which - filament is another cost, learning *that* filament's quirks is time and cost, test printing and so forth) - and you'll probably need to spend time designing other vases, not to mention other products... What is your time worth? Yeah. I'd want to see at least a 30, if not 90, day followup being very blunt about what your costs (your time, how much your electric bill went up, how often you bought filament, how much you wasted on bad prints, setting up some means to sell other than your mom, etc.) really were and if you came anywhere close to even breaking even.

[@PlasticDreamz]

I get the argument but $8000 in 7 days even at 16hrs a day $71/hr after cost of materials which he showed was around $560 id say he still came out more that even at least $2000 profit and thats undercutting what he probably made. There aren’t many jobs that you’re making 2k a week at home with no education or background in it. Now the issue though is can he reproduce this income for several months so I do agree with wanting a more long term review just in regard to his first week he made at pretty well imo.

[@cedarcoombs8111]

@@PlasticDreamz Where did you find those numbers? He sold one 15 dollar vase, he didn't make 8,000 dollars.

[@JohnSmith-rt5yq]

​@@PlasticDreamzbut he didn't make 8,000$, he made 8 dollars, lmao

[@alphacollectibles7284]

remember to add in labor cost, repair cost (cos things do break down, and LICENCE COSTS!, yes u cant just print anything u want and sell it online , like on etzy . YOU MUST have licenses and those are costly . you can pay for them monthly where 75% of your revenue gos OR do something like kickstarter pay once u have merchant license for ever, but those are Very expensive 1 time payment of 30- 50 USD average , depending on the creator.

[@InternetDoggo]

@ He designed it himself with an online tool, and licenses aren't that expensive. I sell my whole catalog of designs for $12/mo, for example.

[@HrvojeLivnjak]

would love to see the 30 days 🤩 as it looks like a cool venture

[@Larimuss]

The question is, cost per printer, cost plastic, cost of electricity. Cost of time. Cost of posting, cost of sale. Unless your selling them for $30 a piece its not worth the effort if any profit. If you can post 200x a day maybe. But you also have to keep up with demand changes.

[@themineralhunter]

Interesting video. Thank you! A critical 4th prerequisite was missed that I'd like to point out - your product choice based on time+complexity. The product print cost/time = height x complexity x support needed + material qty used. This must be a key factor when picking a product(s). Object height might just be the #1 consideration. The lower the height, generally the faster the print. Signage, bottle openers and keychains are great examples of this. Fewer layers=less time=more profit! The large LEGO head is a great example to reduce support time+material required. Do this by slicing the print in half horizontally, in the slicer app, and print the halves on the seam to minimize any support material needed, and eliminate support contact defects. This alone greatly lowers FDM print time+material cost. When completed, just adhere the two parts together. You can also print raw kits like that require zero post work by you. The customer puts it together and paints themselves. Easy and more $$$ for you! At your retail price point of $15 per vase, you'd make about $30 a day minus the cost of your time and any wholesale. You are also depending on someone else to do your sales vs adding your product to as many online stores as possible. Some apps even let you post products to multiple platforms at once such as Etsy and eBay. More eyes=more sales! In my experience, 3D printing is most profitable when your billable printing time+materials averages around $15-$25 an hour. In contrast, with a 10 hours print time, the vase product is generating around $1.50 an hour. It'll take years to pay for the printer, power, your time and materials. Yikes! Resin printing can be more challenging, but compare the efficiencies to FDM printing. Resin has no additional time for each layer since every layer is exposed at once. This means that you can fill the print volume with products with no additional print time - just uses more resin. This should be another key criteria when choosing your product choice. Does your product work in resin? In summary, choose a product that prints fast, isn't very tall, requires little or no support, can be printed in easily assembled parts by you or the customer, allows the customer to finish themselves, sells itself online, and has little or no need for internal support or post processing that eats up time and material, and consider using resin instead of FDM. Good work and keep it coming. Profitable 3D printing is all about the layers!

[@jensentung]

These are amazing tips, thank you for sharing!

[@Saladcreamsandwiches]

I think possibly the main error was picking an orchid vase. You said it perfectly about how people who are more likely to spend more on an orchid vase than any other. I think customers would see that, really like it then go look closer and see it is plastic and change their mind. People also have 3d printing business without actually selling the physical product, they master the software and design files and then they sell the files to others. There’s lots of free ones but a good example was my brother really wanted this specific incense holder thing and I looked for a free file everywhere and no luck. I only ended up paying less £5 which is less than $10 I think. On that one I purchased it had over 500 reviews, that is at least £2500($5000) when it cost them no materials, only time the software cost which they would have made back with just that singular product.

[@Sigma3dprints]

How to add supports- Open Bambu Studio and load the 3D print file Click the Prepare tab and ensure the printer settings are correct Go to the Support section and select the type of support to add The two types of support are normal and tree Normal support is block-like, while tree support is more like a tube or tree You can also add support blockers by right-clicking and holding to indicate where there should be no support. Here are some tips for using supports: Tree support options: Tree support has options for branch distance, diameter, angle, and infill. Infill: Infill can be generated in the tree support base to make it stronger. This is recommended for weak materials like silk PLA. Max bridge length: This is the maximum allowed bridging length for overhangs. Use sparingly: Supports can be difficult to remove, so it's recommended to use them sparingly.

[@KrishinPillay]

Hope you tested that vase to see if it leaks water before watering that plant 😂

[@Synplex]

If it has at least 4-5 solid walls, it should be good with petg

[@slant3d]

Absolutely right on the last steps. Take advantage of printing. Marketing is huge, but purely functional parts have even higher value if you can find the problem. That is harder to ramp up quickly. Next time around you should just check out using the Teleport 3D Print service. That way it can be totally passive. You don't have to run your own print farm. You can just upload designs and iterate on them based on what sells. A really simple option would be taking your vase and converting it into a lamp.

[@Kingofcardboard229]

This is so unrealistic for a normal person. Not everyone would have a family member who already has a successful business, be able to sell their prints.

[@Venkyhdmi]

Please do 30 days challenge

[@MikeJeffreys72]

Please do a 30 days!

[@fullerm1488]

I thought this video was really great! Packed with really practical knowledge! I would love to see the 30 day challenge and the laser engraving update

[@AFAR2809]

cheat code used. you sell through your mom. i'd to see you do the marketing. I've been in this for 4 months. its not easy when you factor in marketing, establishing SOPs and hiring people

[@crawlingri]

Great video! I just picked up a P1s! Awesome prints!

[@oliverfong418]

There's so much to 3d printing that takes time to understand, print orientation, infill & walls, different filament types, etc. I love Bambu but I hate it when they make the printer so easy and nice to operate that every newbie's first instinct is to start a business with 3d printing, even without the correct knowledge...

[@tajb86]

Yep and that’s exactly what everyone is doing. I started a design business but it seems like everyone is copying the same ideas, or every beginner is just printing useless items and selling dirt cheap, or I’ll have to worry about my design actually getting copied and mass produced by these “I started a 3D printing business, have no design experience, and now i have a print farm”

[@user-bj9nw5wf5n]

6:40 The LEGO hands were placed on backward. I am beyond disappointed.

[@jensentung]

I just noticed, oops! It's been a while since I played with Lego 😅

[@user-bj9nw5wf5n]

@@jensentung No worries lol

[@shibaan-g6v]

Hello Jensen. I've been watching you since 2019 or 2020 Your content is really interesting And thank you so much for posting again and not ghosting us I'm really glad to see that you are well And of course, alive and kicking since you haven't been posting for a long time And I don't know if you will see this or not but if you were seventeen or 18 years old what was the one advice you wished someone gave you Or what was that? Or those actions which you wish you had taken Would you be considerate enough to advise me on this as an elder .................thank you😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊

[@jensentung]

Believe in yourself! The best person you can be is yourself, so pursue what you want to do - even if it's out of the ordinary. Thanks for your long time support!

[@Mr.chandan]

Rather than finding support which are already in the model u can add support from the bamboo studio app

[@InternetDoggo]

Yeah lol

[@ManoharSingh-qc5yz]

Best 3d printing business idea is to make 3d model of man ❤️

[@Mrfunnyfaces.loleee]

I literally bought a bamboo A1 combo about a month ago for this exact business reason what a coincidence

[@tylerlastname3236]

If you want this to be a lot more efficient, you should get a larger nozzle, print at a thicker layer height, and use vase mode. Use designs that compliment the visible layer lines, or use the fuzzy skin option to hide them. You could get the print time per vase down to a fraction of that 12 hours with those adjustments.

[@shushruthmg4630]

0:48 pigeon

[@Jurrasicc]

O ooooo

[@GogetaRespect]

Next level 🔥 Everything is next level 🔥

[@hippopotamus86]

The Bambu Lab PLA Matte filaments are very brittle. Much more than normal PLA. Also PLA is fine in direct sun light. I've been running an experiment for 4 years now, none of my prints that can reach 45c in the summer are any weaker or have had colours faded.

[@Xgofab]

Congratulations on the video, I'm a designer and take note of the tips to design some new designs

[@Deranged_Cop]

Try the marble filament. It'll look better. There's other stone filaments too. Good luck

[@Excelsius99]

The problem/ curious line at 10:05: It is the same height as the base of the Model, right? From the Makerworld Vase Tool you used, there is nothing like a chamfer or fillet on the inside of the vase. Because of this, you have a big jump in the model thickness in this layer from the huge and nearly round base to the thin walls of the vase. To avoid such problems you have to create a smooth transition with something like a chamfer oder fillet :)

[@jensentung]

Could be! Thank you for the analysis.

[@brianhogg358]

So if it takes 12 hours to print one vase, you're looking at a net profit of $17.24/day, if you sell each of them and if you have no print failures? (also not counting the electricity costs)

[@TranquilityTerrace]

All BS with 3D printing and making money. People need stop believing that this is profitable on the consumer level printing. It's NOT. Don't waste your money

[@faraz007]

Would love to see a 30 days challenge. I am also interested in buying a 3d printer but I don't want to make 3d printed clutter. And yes I would like to see the laser engraved techniques you suggested.

[@DippyDocus.3d]

PART 2 is what we need

[@TonyDazed]

Please do the 30 days challenge

[@TurkNukemHD]

also, your mom lost $8.62 by selling your product instead of hers and making you the money....

[@cybebe6679]

Also you have to consider the electric cost of running the machine for 12hrs

[@InternetDoggo]

That's roughly two cents lil bro

[@Taran-d.B.23]

14:15 na, it didnt cost you 6,38$, its much more. Electricety, Time. tax, maintaining the Printer and about 30ct per hour for the Printer itself because it looses lifetime. Etc. Normaly an eays Calculation is Print time x2 in $ is the cheapest you should charge for a Print.

[@notta3d]

Let's say your mom called you and said "100 people ordered your vase overnight." It would take a month of non-stop printing for you to fulfill the order with the current setup :)

[@portableproductions5874]

i would love to see a laser and 3d printing vid!

[@ericohiani1647]

Since some are into ceramic I wonder what would happen when you electroplated your 3D into Gold or silver.. ❤

[@gman9543]

Electricity costs, your design time labor costs, and printer wear and tear costs need to be factored in as well.

[@miniblaze4634]

Would love to see how you did w/ 30 days.

[@NaveedAhmed26]

You didn’t discuss the cost of making vs selling it in $15. Are you selling on profit?

[@just0bram811]

Would love to see an update on the Laser Engraving Business if you still run it!! love your chanel!!

[@Evil_Clown_3DIY]

try this without help of your mum !

[@JDragon30]

Did you ever follow through with the laser engraving?

[@lugartimelapse5465]

do you have an update of the laser engraving buissnes?

[@gaiustacitus4242]

If he was still running a laser engraving business, then he wouldn't be pitching 3D printers. His real income is derived by selling a dream and receiving commissions via affiliate sales.

[@Nebula3D]

Choosing a bambu lab over the other printers definatley is the best(3d printing) decision you could have made

[@infinite_music13]

is a board game business a good idea

[@VoxelWorks3D]

Yeah, maybe not click bait everybody with Marvel gear. Considering like almost everyone doesn’t know that they can’t sell that stuff.

[@GaaabRiel-p5j]

30 years challenge!

[@alessandronardi4856]

30 days challenge pleaaeeesee

[@cg_alien_fg99]

use cheap filament also make more profit i have a1 combo and i always used cheap filament from trowell and jmgah and its amazing specially trowell i can print normal pla with 500mm speed no issue and its 1/3 the price of the bambu filament

[@the-snx2122]

Bro just a question. Is it okay to print with PETG in bambulab A1? Its just I heard it’s recommended to print PETG in enclosed printer.

[@jensentung]

I read that PLA and PETG are relatively safe to print with an A1, though I did notice a smell when printing PETG. When I was printing, I had an air purifier running and made sure to open my window.

[@iloveplanes1238]

did you dry the PETG?

[@maxzett]

Sadly your calculation is flawed a bit. You have WAY more fixed cost involved that you didnt consider: - electricity - wear of the printer - wage to yourself And if you were to distribute it online you'd also have to think about shipping and packaging. Even now youd technically need to account for meeting up with your mum and delivering it to her store. Right now your way of distribution is very "comfortable" for you and allows for 15$. Now imagine you'd add all the cost I listed here. I actually do think that selling for 15$ would literally ruin you in the long run if you'd add my points.

[@Xenthera]

6:10 please don't do that. 100c is 212f. It would've been impossible for you to pull out the hot end at that temp.

[@jensentung]

I followed Bambu Lab's official nozzle unclogging guide: wiki.bambulab.com/en/a1-mini/troubleshooting/nozzle-clog

[@MelonPython]

FYI: 3D printing requires a lot of labor work such as sanding for hours. If that's something you want to do to get rid of layer lines hf!

[@Saladcreamsandwiches]

Another idea would be learning how to convert those printing poop, failed prints and left over filament into recycled filament. You could have people send you their filament, recycle it and turn it into new and charge them . Because while I believe it isn’t the most complicated thing when I looked into it you need maybe 2/3 machines to recycle the filament but i can’t imagine many have the space for the equipment

[@RandomYouTuberDartVR]

I want a 3-D printer so bad but it cost too much

[@TherealOMEN-lr]

Please do it for 30 DAYS!!!

[@shoumikahmed6373]

Research on vase mode.

[@divyv20]

Hey Jensen , really nice video! I was wondering if I could help you with more Quality Editing in your videos with good pricing & turnaround time and will also make a highly engaging Thumbnail which will help your video to reach a wider audience ! Lmk what you think ?

[@FetchMeASanwich]

Any link to the spiderman bust model/stl??

[@islandersean2213]

can u do a online sales challenge, thanks

[@Mrfunnyfaces.loleee]

Are you following me? I just finished the video and literally a week after I bought the 3-D printer. I bought a laser engraver by the way I recommend a X to M1 anyways I got it for the same exact reason for business.

[@BarronBros1822]

People will buy 3d printing. Mostly the sales are designs people created themselves that solve a problem or are novel or new. Flower pots are made in hundreds of thowows of variety.

[@ChrisFaustmann]

Please do 30 days

[@SnakeCoderMakes]

do the 30 challege!!!

[@shnoudikids8911]

I have the a1 Bambu lab

[@Achungkichu]

is it possible to print wild boar teeth?

[@Freerunningboys_]

So coooooool

[@Acidman030]

Nice Advertisement for Bambu Lab… don’t believe everything you see on Social Media. Starting a business is tough. Scaling it even more btw PLA Vase will melt when sunlight hits too hard 😁

[@alphacollectibles7284]

Buy eleego brand...said no one ever. resin printers are actually top noch

[@AmirShahab-d2q]

amazing

[@RCShorts-ps5xc]

You have the same printer as me

[@bryankasper6916]

My favorite part was the extremely misleading thumbnail. Thanks for wasting 15 minutes of my day.

[@redkeyinuse4754]

I have spent months and thousands and have made barely no money.

[@Kulderzipke123]

Wow❤

[@vondarycrentsil9180]

You already have a lot of followers, did you take that into account.🤔

[@InternetDoggo]

He didn't sell it online, dummy

[@Fantomasxp]

Is this just a video to add more viewers and views to your channel?

[@no1geek]

what about a cost of electricity? I know your mom pays it but it also has to be considered.

[@pdxcerealkilla9847]

Just finished watching your video and was particularly intrigued by your thoughts on the ceramic vases vs plastic vases. There's a filament manufacturer that makes a filament that was designed to mimic a ceramic look. It's heavier than regular PLA and when hit with a quick clear coat does look and feel a lot like a ceramic product. Not going to link it here out of not wanting to seem like a scammer but it's the cMatte PLA from Protopasta if you are interested. I have printed a few items with it and enjoyed it immensely.

[@suekuan1540]

Watch out for those fumes..could lead to cancer in no time if you breath a lot of it in your house

[@Vortex_himself]

i prefer plastic it looks better

[@TranquilityTerrace]

You are 100% affiliated with Bambu Lan. Nice marketing trick right there. Its way harder to make money with 2D printing than you people might think so do t just believe everything yiu see and hear here. Just dont.

[@henryheld6558]

Nice

[@geraldr26]

Yes please do the 30 day challenge involving the laser engraving. Thank you!

[@gaiustacitus4242]

I'd like to see the bank statements. Etsy, Amazon and other outlets hold back payment from new sellers for up to 90 days. During this period there will be chargebacks, so the initial reported sales will not be the amount paid out. The way this kid is "printing money" is by affiliate sales and not from online sales of 3D printed items. The reality is that most 3D printing businesses (like other businesses) typically lose money during the first year of operation.

[@jensentung]

I didn't sell my 3D printed product online. Did you watch the video?

[@gaiustacitus4242]

@@jensentung I stand corrected. However, this is a business model that very few of your viewers could duplicate. Your allocation of cost is also flawed. You need to account for electricity, floor space, depreciation of your printer, your labor, and payroll taxes (15.3% if self-employed). A hobby that has a gross return for your time that is less than minimum wage is not a business.

[@Mojodiddy10]

⁠​⁠​⁠@@gaiustacitus4242 you should also account for oxygen used when breathing, lunch, cost of wear and tear on the shoes while working, and everything else…. It’s not that serious man lol just enjoy the fun video

[@2DarkDreams]

@@gaiustacitus4242 15.3%? Where is that? USA? I pay 35-55% over here. But hey, I pay the extra with love if that means I don't have to live in the USA :)

[@gaiustacitus4242]

@@2DarkDreams That's not the income tax rate but only the additional tax to make up for retirement and disability contributions. Self-employed people aren't eligible for Federal or State unemployment payments to they don't have to pay FUTA or SUTA taxes. Federal and State income taxes are also due on self-employment income.

[@WalkWithNani]

Love to see laser engraving machines… wood stone etc

[@Achungkichu]

original teeth size

[@BarronBros1822]

Lol nobody calls it that

[@heru2336]

Modaya

[@Monkeyfunshort]

4th comment

[@MohamedAhmed-wz9ws]

Please do 30 days challenge