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? Edit: The cost of electricity to print the vase is $0.13 cents. The A1 3D Printer consumed around 1.14kWh over 12 hours. In Vancouver, the cost of electricity is $0.1097/kWh. 1.14kWh x $0.1097 = $0.13

[@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

[@Cole_brittner]

Lmao there is no challenge here. The whole video was a waste of time when he says he just sells through his mom

[@3dPrinterLife]

As someone with multiple 3d printers, Here are some things you could do different. When printing the vases, in the Vase creator, make it Vase mode. Then, in your slicer, turn off infill and top layers. That way, your Vase will print a lot faster. Also, get some high speed PLA. The bambu labs pla and petg you used were only suitable for 300 mm/s printing, but filaments like Elegoo rapid pla can print at 500 mm/s, which is the top speed of Bambu lab printers. Also, create an Etsy store and charge 20$ for those vases.

[@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.

[@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!

[@HrvojeLivnjak]

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

[@Wingly113]

Bro, the way you talk is like how Bruce Lee talked, love it.

[@azelnetwork3510]

I just started my 3d printing as a hobby and love your contents! 🤩

[@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!

[@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.

[@dariusfzr8522]

2:10

[@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.

[@DeonexGlower]

That assemble montage deserves a sub alone

[@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.

[@Xgofab]

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

[@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

[@WillChong88]

Great vid man just found your channel and subscribed. The editing is so cool what software do you use to edit with? Quality of your vids is top notch you should be bigger also handsome dude

[@jensentung]

Thanks! I use Adobe Premiere Pro.

[@crawlingri]

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

[@EliLockard]

I am currently in an argument with my brother, and need to know the length and height of that vase to settle it.

[@benjaminkappler8240]

probably one of the best 3d-printing business idea videos out there. I love how the margins look reasonable and how it isn't clickbait to make $100k a month doing a print farm. Very practical and gets me thinking about what items to print. Thanks!

[@british1970s]

Other costs not considered are : electricity (which in the UK is about three times more than in the US) and wear and tear on the printer which would need to be worked out by other people's experience with your model of printer. Then of course your time , say $20 an hour. Or use the cost of paying someone else. Premises, and insurances. Then a big omission: the cost to send it in the post. Followed by returns. Did I miss anything?

[@Smartpassiveincome01]

Your video is very nice, Keep working on it!

[@satvrn.editss]

aren’t you the editor for brownie? sorry if I’m coming off rude, I’m just wondering.

[@jensentung]

No, but I interviewed him!

[@satvrn.editss]

@ wow cool!

[@elvis723]

Yes! make the 30 day challenge. I've been thinking about selling 3D printed objects and want to see if it'll be worth it for me to spend the 500-600 to get set up.

[@ScorgeRudess]

You need to consider the energy cost too, and account some of the money for maintenance, nozzle clogging (fail prints), etc. Not all the prints will go as planned.

[@tecstudioco]

- Buy a 3d printer - Print vase - sell it on etsy - now im rich in 30 days 😀😀 nice try

[@garethgaz]

you should look at the marble look filaments it would make the vase stand out even more.

[@Mr.chandan]

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

[@InternetDoggo]

Yeah lol

[@arloisgodathockey9948]

I love my A1 I just got it less than 2 weeks ago and it been great I had one little issue but other than it great

[@Baileypalmerisamazing]

this video was very fun to watch

[@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

[@02220-q]

Also, another tip you should think of is if you wanna sell a product You have to check if their license or not Because if they are, you can’t sell them

[@jensentung]

Actually, it does allow me to sell the vase. As seen at 9:18, it says "Makes can be use for commercial purpose." You are referencing the upload of my vase on MakerWorld. Uploads by default are licensed under a Standard Digital File License. I can set it to any kind of license. Edit: The comment I was replying to was deleted.

[@SeanFMT]

@ belter

[@TheKing-pf9hw]

After ... vases printer need new parts. Energy is expensive these days. Well here in NL at least in the winter when sunpanels dont do much. So you got more costs.

[@RiyaanAhmed-nk5pv]

Finally bro uploaded after so long

[@BusinessIdeas-b6m]

I thinki there is more to it like electric cost and labor cost. But the point is well made. Thank you for the video

[@ezras8889]

Other than the design there is almost zero labor costs. It costs about 10 cents an hour to run a printer for electricity.

[@BusinessIdeas-b6m]

@@ezras8889 thank you for the information.

[@MikeJeffreys72]

Please do a 30 days!

[@Deranged_Cop]

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

[@TheKentuckyChicken]

Don't forget, besides the machine and the filament or resin. You need packaging, label printers, postal scale etc.

[@minerondemand]

He forgot that another 1000 people already had the same idea 😅

[@Mrfunnyfaces.loleee]

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

[@inwin382]

When I first read Gold Mistake ATM Borpedia , I realized to have a shortcut to success

[@just0bram811]

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

[@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.

[@portableproductions5874]

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

[@Venkyhdmi]

Please do 30 days challenge

[@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”

[@wyguy2132]

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 😅

[@wyguy2132]

@@jensentung No worries lol

[@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.

[@Dann.y]

Oof. Looks like bambu is bricking printers if you dont update to the newest update which locks it down and forces you to use their own software. I had a feeling like this was going to happen since so far this happened with every closed source 3d printer company. Now I'm glad I stuck with Prusa.

[@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.

[@Buttadawg-y2x]

1. This machine takes less electricity than most coffee machines 2. I don’t know what your talking about posting a KZbin video is free and you get money from it 3. If you know nothing about 3d printing and being an entrepreneur you shouldn’t make such claims

[@PetteriEscobar]

If you buy PLA, PETG or other plastic in bulk you can get around 10 to 15 dollars per kilo so its pretty cost effective. Also mid range 3D printers cost around 200 dollars so i cant imagine a cheaper business idea than that. Everything you need to get started is gonna cost around 300 to 350 dollars and after that its just sales and shipping fees. Personally i own two 3D printers but i only print as a hobby and its the most fun i have had!

[@JRE-CLIPP]

On the low end, you can make 10-20 an hour of effort

[@ManoharSingh-qc5yz]

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

[@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.

[@ericohiani1647]

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

[@Adrien_76]

Personalized products are much more profitable from the vases for example I made an order of 100 18 year old medals for a birthday it cost me barely $ 15 and I sold it for $ 80. So I frankly advise you to make personalized products rather than easily reproducible products at a lower cost.

[@kadenabbott3073]

the market for 3d prints is mainly niche things you create

[@JDragon30]

Did you ever follow through with the laser engraving?

[@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.

[@serenitylittle5103]

I would have just rotated the head design so that you can use less support material.

[@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

[@DippyDocus.3d]

PART 2 is what we need

[@dylanr12player]

I can't believe how far 3D printers have came in the last 5 years

[@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 ?

[@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

[@BigFx]

​@@TranquilityTerrace It can be profitable on consumer grade printers, a lot of big farms use A1 or other bedslingers because they are really cheap to get going and produce good results if not pushed to absolute limits. My approach was to set a minimum net profit per print hour, and also calculate and normalize all expenses to same print hours. At the end, you will always be time bound, so pricing the time helps with all the decisions.

[@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

[@miniblaze4634]

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

[@FetchMeASanwich]

Any link to the spiderman bust model/stl??

[@vtim2973]

I have a question on cosplay products how do you sell something from Marvel, DC, etc such as the Wolverine helmet and such? With out running in to the issue of copyright.

[@wendzbrand]

You should not deduct the cost of your 3D printer to your revenue. Only its depreciation for that 7-day period (although not practical) and electricity used.

[@ChrisTzikeras]

you know that to have a good compoany it take time the best 3d printed farm take 1-2 mothns to sell the first oeder

[@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.

[@NaveedAhmed26]

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

[@printer_bob]

Nah, how did bro buy it ? It came the next day, I got mine, and it says it will be shipped on Feb 14

[@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.

[@vintagevault3633]

Has anyone used digital unicorn yet it’s a crazy tool and just staring up, I’m looking to use it

[@karabomathekga649]

Bro posted after a while

[@ilia2178]

Businesses that have no barrier to entry are incredibly oversaturated. Marketplaces are flooded with 3D printed junk. You'll either need to sell the same products cheaper or come up with something completely unique. And guess what? You are not going to be able to offer a better deal compared to somebody who has been in the business for 10 years and sea ships 10 tons of bulk filament from China at $6 per spool. Additionally, as soon as you come up with a successful unique product it will be copied and undercut.

[@shushruthmg4630]

0:48 pigeon

[@Jurrasicc]

O ooooo

[@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 :)

[@MusicAutomation]

If your margins are $100 each just buy more printers.

[@Noah321...]

Thanks for the idea. I've made £10 in 2 days with a £250 by selling 3d printed figet toys at school!

[@bollerovski7]

Do you need an LLC to do 3D printing?

[@BeAnAvidReader]

Did you read the book Unscripted?

[@aarijaqil]

yes do the 30 days ]

[@adrian-oy2yj]

hey does it need to be calibrated if yes is it hard to do?

[@iloveplanes1238]

did you dry the PETG?

[@cybebe6679]

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

[@InternetDoggo]

That's roughly two cents lil bro

[@Jarto-q7m]

Pls. Im begging u. Make the 30 days challenge

[@Hex2906]

Make it more expensive, market it for design and the fact it's made by a plastic that comes from bamboo and therefore environmentally friendlier

[@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.

[@islandersean2213]

can u do a online sales challenge, thanks

[@scottturner1208]

Lol im still waiting for the updated video from the CNC business

[@NatalieHerr-ux6oj]

no way it came in one day i ordered mine and its taking weeks

[@hoatson11]

You should defenitly do 30 days.

[@Serbo-Greek]

Dont forget the wear and teae of the machine, the failing prints, the electricity, and to buy a mom with a store! All of that for 8$ per week!

[@shnoudikids8911]

I have the a1 Bambu lab

[@TonyDazed]

Please do the 30 days challenge

[@andrej1407]

Im selling seasonal decorations and in first week of starting i paid off my printer

[@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.

[@VoxelWorks3D]

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

[@TurkNukemHD]

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

[@RandomYouTuberDartVR]

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

[@GaaabRiel-p5j]

30 years challenge!

[@t1pittaja]

is the script mostly made by ai?