Running my Small 3d Print Farm - A Day in the Life - Vlog 6

Welcome back to another day in the life video. In this video, I show a behind the scenes look into what it's like running my small 3d print farm on a day to day basis. I cover loading and unloading printers, staying organized and on top of incoming orders, and an inside look into my shipping process. Chapters at the bottom in case you only want to watch a portion of the video. Hope you guys enjoy :)
Thank you guys so much for watching, we finally made it past 8400 subscribers and we're getting closer and closer to 10,000! It would really mean a lot to me if you subscribed and joined me on my 3d printing journey.
My Etsy Shop - macymakes3d.etsy.com
Website - macymakes3d.com/
Buy me a coffee - www.buymeacoffee.com/macymakes3d
Instagram - / macymakes3d
Self Watering Planters - www.chipp.com/
Affiliate Links:
HueForge Affiliate Link - shop.thehueforge.com/?aff=10
Vectorizer.ai - vectorizer.ai/?atk=eeusplo73i
Bambulab - tinyurl.com/BambuMacy
Air pillow machine - amzn.to/4a23NDW
Refill pillows - amzn.to/3WktkVT
Butane Torch - amzn.to/3SuTvW9
Butane refills - amzn.to/3w74hdK
Packing Paper - amzn.to/3urnmqD
Overture PLA - amzn.to/3Rf8fZr
For behind the scenes 3d print farm content:
Vlog 1: • Running a Small 3d Pri...
Vlog 2: • I Ordered 50 Rolls of ...
Vlog 3: • I Bought ANOTHER Bambu...
Vlog 4: • 3d Print Farm Day in t...
Vlog 5: • I Bought the NEW Bambu...
Chapters:
Intro 0:00
Unload Printers 0:15
Computer Work 2:05
Cleaning Print Shop 3:30
Unloading More Prints 6:26
Packaging Orders 8:42
Filament Unboxing 13:28
Load Printers Again 14:50
Package Barbell Orders 15:58
Outro 19:32

[@jishani1]

I don't know if you've done so already, but a big help for me on the bambu lab printers running multi color or material was to change the flush settings inside the bambu studio app to reduce the amount of filament it purges when swapping. You can set it to 60% filament instead of it's default and still be safe to not have color bleed, or if you want to put the time into it you can change the flush rates for specific colors (darker color swapping to light you probably want to purge more, lighter color swapping to black you barely need to purge at all.) Cuts down on the waste and filament usage per print a little bit.

[@veryrudeguy]

You are amazing! I don't remember when was the last time I saw so down to earth KZbinr. Non of those Etsy gurus with over the top promises have provided even close as good information as you have. Genuinely grateful for your content 🙏

[@macymakes3d]

Thank you so much ☺️

[@Drivenapollo]

Fascinating! Thanks for sharing. This is awesome that you’re able to do this with your son at home with you. 😊

[@Ringwraith19]

Well done! Thanks for sharing. That's a cool operation you've got there.

[@lareydunn697]

Great to see how far your business has came from the start. It is inspiring to see it grow.

[@andrewlongfellow8745]

It’s awesome to see a stay at home person being able to create and be with the kids. I tried but I couldn’t do both.

[@SnoringVids]

RIP kids jkjk

[@81GTUN4]

@@SnoringVids😂

[@tinac7350]

Thank you for posting again. I look forward to your videos but know you are super busy. Really appreciate you sharing your process.

[@elCeVeZ]

just scrolled through the vid. good luck on your journey. have fun and stay happy :)

[@ErnestColeFishing]

I am transitioning to my own shopify store as well. Good luck. Enjoy your channel.

[@NutzinHutz3D]

Thanks for sharing Your day with us!

[@Mikabellaa]

If you didn’t already know, you can email overture and place a bulk order of filament that ends up being cheaper than buying 2 roll packs over and over from Amazon 😊 I did that when my shop was super busy, I think their MOQ was 10 spools if I remember right but I blew through that in like a week and a half

[@macymakes3d]

Awesome thank you! I had no idea about this. Will definitely be looking into it!

[@vodzurk]

Whilst you're at the P1P, you can reprint from the cache. Last thing printed is at the top. Just click print on the print and it'll save you loading up the files on your pc.

[@macymakes3d]

Wow life saver! Thank you I didn't know this

[@iPrint3D]

Was going to say the same

[@billyriordan913]

Came to day the same. I use it constantly when running big batches of things.

[@wolfiebo2209]

You can do it from the mobile app too!

[@AndrewAHayes]

The X1C is a bit more intuitive as it shows you the renders of what prints you have made recently.

[@patrickmills7559]

For the bar bells, ever thought of making it in sections and work out a threaded end to go into the next. that way you can cut down on your shipping costs. how much does the bar bell setup weigh? Super awesome that you are set up the way you have everything. Goals for me lol.

[@leowys6889]

amazing to see you starting just making simple nameplates to having orders made as a contractor and shipping out to customers. good work!

[@AgentHurt]

I have a small online business but find it difficult to keep up with my day job. I’m always looking for side hustles when I’m laid off and 3d printing is one of my new passions for my board game and tabletop hobbies. I’ve been using a p1s for the past month and absolutely love it. I look forward to seeing more of how you operate your home business!

[@macymakes3d]

That's awesome! Thank you so much for watching :)

[@steveriley9911]

You are a very busy lady, well done

[@Zwono_Zesporian]

I love pillow machines! I use one at my job

[@KolMan2000]

Something I think you should definitely try is honeycomb packing paper. It comes in rolls and expands to create a soft cushion. It typically comes out to anywhere from around 4-11 cents USD per ft^2 or about $0.43-1.15 per meter^2. It looks really nice and feels very modern and premium. I, for one, really like seeing it when I get anything on Etsy or other online stores

[@macymakes3d]

Sounds really cool. I’ll look into it thanks!

[@WalkingSafari]

The poop boxes with a wrap-around removable container work well. I can see it, and it's contained. I can't quickly get to the back of my printers, so it's a mess saver! Nice work.

[@macymakes3d]

Yeah I definitely need to get my poop situation figured out lol.

[@WhatMACHI]

Thanks for sharing your day in the life! I can totally appreciate that running a small business with a young child is busy thing, let alone filming and editing these. Great stuff! Those minirx sets are really cool. Are they your own design?

[@DWIT3D]

Great view into a busy day of making and selling! New sub here!! 😊

[@macymakes3d]

Awesome thank you! So glad you're here :)

[@vodzurk]

Also, for the poop, there's a box you can make for it just by cutting a section out of a filament box (optional magnets, or just tape it on)

[@hippopotamus86]

A cool idea I saw was to fix on hose to the back of each printer that goes into a clear plastic box. Then a hole for a vacuum cleaner hose to fit into the top of the box. Turn it on and it will suck all of the poop into the clear box from all the printers at once.

[@stevehorvat69]

Thank you for sharing. Very informative and subscribed. I purchased an A1 back in December and love it. I have been using Bambu filament exclusively. Would love to hear more about why you use Overture for some prints and Bambu for others. Thank you so much. Looking forward to more of your videos.

[@macymakes3d]

Different filaments have different finishes. Overture has a more matte finish and bambu's basic pla is more glossy. You should try some different filaments :) but beware, you might get addicted lol.

[@alamadrid97]

Hello!! great vlog 🔥, do you keep track of how much filament is left in each spool?

[@beardeddude9168]

I recommend a rechargeable shop vac for cleaning up the mess. A Mikwaukee M18 eats up everything left behind, including decent size chunks of support material that has gone rocketing off during the cleaning process.

[@Calzune]

for easier removal of support there is a setting in orcaslicer that uses a layer of PETG at the top of the support tower (that does not bond with PLA) using this option is amazing, try it out! It only adds a few quick filament changes depeding on the model, on your model it looks like 2 changes or so. The final print also looks much nicer doing this. =)

[@HPijl666]

i tried this as well, but i didnt find it very workable somehow. printed some complex models with an translayer with petg, but, still lot of cleaning up. (printed with 0.2mm nozzle.

[@FirechickenExpress]

Mine hates pushing pla after petg is used, clogs all the time.

[@RicH0864]

I've been doing this mostly for parts with a few but large overhangs just like that barbell plate nodel and it works great. You really need to calibrate your flushing volumes though!

[@tomwagemans1872]

Nice to see your business grow! Just a few tips from a P1S owner. Print a poop choot (I have on that you can empty from the side.) Also print a side spool holder for the non ams, this way you don't have to be at the back off the printer. I also printed anti vibration feet in tpu. I was amazed how much quiter the printer is now. I can imagine with all the printers printing it will be pretty loud in there. Keep up the great work.

[@mercuriallimit]

stumbled upon your clip today, you do inspire me for this 3D Print Farm, I am very new to this, and I have no idea for 3D prints in Thailand. But 2 stacks of P1S looks so awesome, except the poop hehe

[@speakoid]

With the RepRack, you can stack them in Bambu Studio with a layer of PLA in the middle (as PETG and PLA don't stick to each other) and then you can run off a stack of 10 at a time. I've done this with RepRack and Multiboard and it works a treat for bulking them out overnight.

[@BattleBrotherMaxor]

6:45 the little joys of life

[@philipzielinski]

Packing paper tip: blank newsprint. Cheaper than the waxy painter’s paper. Check with printing companies for their end rolls. Cheap and clean. Moving companies use it to pack everything and reduce breakage.

[@bondjw07]

Love those plant pots on your work bench (I think that's what those are). Did you design those too? Not seeing them on either of your stores.

[@macymakes3d]

I didn't design the pots, but I do print/ship them for the guy who sells them. I added the link to the description for the future but you can find them here - www.chipp.com/

[@DeltamikePT]

Awesome video... Keep up the good work. Btw, do you have problems using paper card spools on AMS?

[@macymakes3d]

Sometimes the rolls will snag if they get close to being empty but besides that not really.

[@walkingkimchee]

awesome vid! how did you print the bars? separated and then glued??

[@macymakes3d]

Yes, separate pieces and then glued together

[@hotfix7387]

For the plastic filament bags, I collect them and return them to the grocery (or box store) plastic bag recycling because I read somewhere they are recyclable. I get some weird looks sometimes showing up with a big bag of plastic bags, but I don't care. I often just lift the lid on the collector and just shove the whole bag into the collector.

[@nathankean7968]

The bad thing is these often don’t get recycled. Multiple organizations have done reports on this. I guess it just stinks that we spend time to recycle and it doesn’t actually happen

[@hotfix7387]

@@nathankean7968 We can only do what we can do right? 😁 I will keep taking them in hopes they do recycle them, and if they don't that they get the message and start doing it at some point. Either way it won't be me throwing them in the trash.

[@LordAhmed3d]

awesome work

[@nahkanukke]

Thanks Macy, it was a nice one. I did learn much again from you.

[@st3venb]

How are you doing with cardboard dust in your AMS’s? Anything in particular you’re doing maintenance wise?

[@FirechickenExpress]

You should tape some extra boxes together and make a chute for each printer that goes to a single large box behind the bottom shelf for the poops!

[@jishani1]

They are 3d printers, you could print a multicolored carnival fun slide into a trash can if you wanted to. 🤣

[@Mithinco]

Poop chute!

[@treyduval5399]

Nice job and amazing being able to do this with a young kid! Are all your printers Bambu P1S and do you like them? I’m thinking about purchasing one.

[@macymakes3d]

Thanks! I have 4 P1Ps and 3 P1Ss. I love them both. Bambu is making some incredible machines.

[@christopherdial]

Love your videos. I have a P1P and trying to learn more with illustrator and SVG’s in Bambu studio. Not a lot of content out there about that. Thanks

[@davidaguilar2151]

Hello Macy! Amazing video! Thanks for sharing. Question, now that you are growing, have you register your "brand" I want to open my farm as well, but not sure if I should tell the Gvt haha

[@macymakes3d]

Haha I do have it registered as an LLC

[@davidaguilar2151]

@@macymakes3d Thanks! :D

[@hackstergirl5644]

I was afraid ETSY would frown on me trying to get ETSY buyers over my Shopify store by including a little card with a discount code but I see you are doing this as well! hank you for the video :)!

[@timd7709]

nice video.. curious, what are people buying the plastic barbell sets for?

[@FuzzyOne37]

I wish you were closer to Greensboro, NC. I'd work something out with you for the filament boxes. I use those as shipping boxes.

[@macymakes3d]

I wish! Only a couple hours drive but probably still a lot to ship

[@charlestonskies5605]

Thanks for the video. Good watch. May I ask what the printed weights are for? Would love to hear about them and its just out of curiosity.

[@macymakes3d]

They’re workout sets for kids. Helps them learn proper form without worrying about heavy weights.

[@Chato829]

spool adapters, as much of a pain they are when you're going through tons of rolls, they'll keep your AMS from wearing out as fast and reduce the amount of maintenance in the long run. Keep up the great work

[@Orion_007x]

Would you suggest the P1P or A1? I have a sovol sv06 already, but want something that is easier to and faster to work with.

[@ChrisWard74]

First time viewer thanks for linking to the air pillow I ship a lot of none 3d stuff and usually just save packing material from shipments received but that takes up a lot of room. Question on the weight stuff, whats' the story there I looked at Etsy and your Store and didn't see it and am trying to understand what it's for.

[@jmm_az]

are you not experiencing any issues with the cardboard rolls from Overture in the AMS

[@Drakanis25]

How do the weight plates work? Is the bar printed as well? Kinda blows my mind lol

[@xiaomifan5983]

Hi, i've seen that you use filaments from different companies, so I have a quesrion: Is there any TPU Filament you can recommend. I'm thinking about buying the esun TPU (because they said that they produce Bambu filaments) or the Overture TPU which is cheaper.

[@samasrujan]

Its hard to smile with all the failed prints 😂 happy to see that smile… can feel the pain !!

[@sfrrob]

Hey Macy, I was just wondering how you set your website/online shop up? It is very easy to browse, and it's nice and simple. I am trying to get my own 3d printing business up and running and want to direct customers to my website, not Etsy.

[@TheIrishCreamy]

You should consider a bigger trashcan...not just for holding more, but for actually making it in the can! 😂

[@jamessmallwood7448]

also you can get a artme 3d and turn the pooh back to filament

[@Rick-vm8bl]

Heads up, Bambus 2 year sale is starting in a few hours and filaments going on sale, hope it helps :)

[@macymakes3d]

I will definitely be taking advantage of the sale :) Thanks for the heads up!

[@fredblogs]

I think that you need some poop chutes to bring the waste around to the side of each printer, It will make cleaning up so much easier.

[@kanghu8974]

have you tried heat air gun? would be better or worse compared to the torch?

[@MarcinAdamowicz]

What do you use those dumbbells for? Is it like a prop? Just for the display? Or is it for kids? Great videos btw. I really enjoy watching them.

[@macymakes3d]

The dumbbells and barbells are for kids so that they can exercise with their parents safely. They can learn proper form without the risk of using heavy weights.

[@MarcinAdamowicz]

@@macymakes3d I see, clever :) oh and very nice design!

[@stevehorvat69]

I too had the same question regarding the dumbbells. Very cool, thank you.

[@jessihawkins9116]

I’m copying that and putting them in my eBay store 🤔

[@pascalhunziker8367]

Nice to see how you are growing with your business. Would be nice to see a development in the sustainability part. i.e. instead of bubble rap you could use cardboard?

[@mattsquire2284]

How do you know how to print the barbells so they weigh the correct weight? 3D printing is something i'm just looking into at the moment, never used a printer, so don't know anything about it 😊.

[@slinkytrips]

Why not print the barbells weights in two halves then glue them together, you would end up with a better surface finish on the under side and save you having to clean up supports.

[@epb613]

Curious what steps you take to ensure uptime on so many printers. I am constantly getting AMS pull back errors pausing my prints. Also, how do you tune in new filaments (speed and quality settings)?

[@punk6119]

Do you have any problems with the cardboard spools in the ams? I haven't used overture filament.

[@macymakes3d]

When they get close to being empty sometimes they’ll snag and cause a feeding error but most of the time they’re fine

[@ulyssesjones6096]

im about to graduate my autocad course and ive been strongly considering getting the product license and a 3d printer and trying to start a business!

[@macymakes3d]

Go for it! It's definitely possible

[@AlexanderSmith600]

Why do you mix brands of filament? Isn't that more work and increased material cost, when you could buy everything in bulk? Also I heard that Bambu filament is made by Sunlu, they just add the RFID tag to it and make a profit

[@minkwandering3561]

Shipping asmr video

[@Samwilliamsfoundingfather]

you can make your prime towers smaller in "other" tab in Bambu Studio or don't use the prime tower I don't use it but my prints only change colors 1 or 2 times per print

[@macymakes3d]

You're right! Definitely going to do that. The only time I feel like I really need it is when I'm changing from another color to white.

[@hotfix7387]

@@macymakes3d You are spot on there. I use the filament saving gcode (search for LeonFisherSkipper) with a .5 multiplyer and if I am using like or dark colors I often turn off the purge block. I do use it when white is in play for the same concern you have, but I do shrink it.

[@zenginellc]

Bambu is having a sale* for a month starting tomorrow, great time to buy more filament.

[@macymakes3d]

I’ll definitely be taking advantage of their sale!

[@JakeThompson]

Almost to 10k subs 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

[@macymakes3d]

I know! I'm so excited :)

[@drauc]

If no one bites for your leftover filament, I find there are a lot of folks that will take it if you post on Craigslist for your area!

[@davidmann4436]

Have you tried the A1 ? If so, how does it compare with the P1P ? I have not seen a review yet that actually pits the A1 against the P1P..... maybe a video idea!!!!

[@AndrewAHayes]

I am convined Poymaker filament is the same as Bambu Lab filament, I can do without the tags! and I save quite a bit of cash!

[@hotfix7387]

In case I didn't mention it before, Makers Muse has video about supports that just fall away. Specifically Normal & Snug & Rectilinear grid base pattern. When I have prints that don't require tree supports, this combo seems to make the support come right off. I would link the video but I don't want the comment to get blocked.

[@macymakes3d]

Awesome thanks! I'll see if I can find it!

[@kylejohnson4284]

How much filament does each weights use? Those are really cool

[@macymakes3d]

Different amounts for each weight. Smallest is around 150g and largest is around 450

[@dabitcoinbandit3553]

Im finna just cash out my savings and get the bambu p1p. You inspired me

[@macymakes3d]

😂

[@davidmann4436]

macy, do you do designing as well. Or work from other peoples designs? If you do design, what application do you use?

[@macymakes3d]

Most of the things I design are for art purposes. I use adobe illustrator for the svgs and then tinkercad to make the stls. I do very minimal actual 3d modeling

[@robvandelinder6452]

Does your offer still stand for the printer waste? Interested!

[@ewe23]

Great video! What are the blue things on top of your bottom row of printers? Also, what's the name of the little characters you showed that are $10 per month? Thanks!

[@macymakes3d]

The blue things are risers so the AMS sits higher making it so the wires don’t rub on the bottom. You can also put them on the enclosed printers and it’ll allow you to raise the lid. The characters are by Zou3d. You subscribe to the patreon and get access to the files.

[@3DWolfEngineering]

in case this wasnt commented yet... do you know you can stack 3d prints ? at least flat ones... never tried it myself tho, nevertheless i guess worth a shot

[@gw1814]

For the ipad spreadsheet, are you just using excel or a special application to manage the print jobs?

[@macymakes3d]

I just use google sheets. I tried using Monday.com but found myself resorting back to the original spreadsheet since it was so simple.

[@apnudi]

Lots of talk out there about reliability and print quality of Prusa printers vs Bambu printers. Have you noticed any reliability or print quality issues with Bambu?

[@marcellussaunders4200]

Do you get paid in advance? Do you bill repeat customers? How do you determine your pricing?

[@ethan8473]

Out of curiosity, what filament brand do you use?

[@redsixonefive]

where can i get those clamps at 18:09. they look awesome

[@JBaxterPhoto]

What storage shelves are you using for your six printers? Thank you so much!

[@macymakes3d]

The kobalt ones from Lowes. They shake quite a bit so I need to figure out how to manage that but I like them besides that.

[@TheKnightArgent]

How about a looooong trough to place behind the printers that you can pull out and empty? Maybe a narrow bladed hoe-like tool you can use to pull the poop from the far end closer?

[@LigneDesign]

Do you recycle (plastic bags, etc) ? ♻️

[@thesc0tsm4n9]

should look at doing injection molding with the waste material, there's plenty of products you could make with that.

[@DARTHPLATITUDE]

what does your spreadsheet look like?

[@spudwilmot7002]

that filament waste makes me shed a tear 😢

[@Sgtwebbpd]

Have you had any issues using overture filment in the AMS?

[@macymakes3d]

No not really. Sometimes once the roll is pretty empty it'll snag and won't feed, but most of the time things are fine.

[@AlexanderSmith600]

Also are people lifting these barbells or just decorative? They look very light!!! 🪶

[@macymakes3d]

They're for kids. Helps them learn to lift with proper form before using real weights

[@Spazer454]

what was the ams holder on the p1p that looked so much more stable and centred

[@macymakes3d]

AMS Riser - makerworld.com/en/models/16530#profileId-15347

[@wheeleitor2134]

What do you do when you have just a little of printing material left and you have a big print ahead?

[@macymakes3d]

Sometimes I'll let it roll out and start a new roll using the AMS, but if not, then I'll use it for bookmarks or keychains or small prints that only need a small amount of filament.

[@Almostazn12]

I would love to do the same thing as you. About to purchase a P1S combo from Bambu Lab. You mentioned Shopify and Etsy, do you prefer Shopify? What is your reasoning?

[@macymakes3d]

Etsy is a great marketplace for getting customers. I'm trying to use shopify to grow the customer base I've already gotten. They each have a purpose and I definitely plan to keep using both.

[@kevin_huber_at]

it give a 3d model of a poop slide for the bambulab printers , the poop will then be on the left side of the printers

[@user-pp3rz2dh5j]

holy cow you have a lot of printers LOL damn

[@ridanindustries2975]

at 5:38 is that the box from a small dehumidifier used as a trash can for plastic. lol cause I do the same

[@macymakes3d]

It's a sunlu filament box but basically the same lol