These 3D prints will convert non believers

Some people think 3D printing is a useless technology and hobby. Quite frankly, they are just wrong. In this video, I present a range of 3D prints to convert non believers. While not every 3D print is useful, many 3D prints have a positive, meaningful impact on our daily lives. This ranges from convenience, hobbies and even life changing medical technology.
The next time someone dismisses 3D printing as a meaningless activity, send them to this video.
A big thanks to Liam from Astroprinter for collaborating on this video. The following links are relevant:
KZbin channel: / astroprinter
Twitch: / astroprinter
NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador bio: solarsystem.nasa.gov/ambassad...
Charity Makers live 24/7 stream / charitymakers
Toys for Tots by IC3D: www.ic3dprinters.com/2021-toys/
0:00 Introduction
0:43 Trinkets with value
3Dbenchy video: • How a 3DBenchy can tel...
Fidget drive: www.printables.com/model/1260...
Toys for Tots video: • ToysForTots 2021
2:20 Making things not possible any other way
Injection moulding video: • High-Speed Cup molding...
Chain mail with spikes: www.thingiverse.com/thing:336...
Willys Jeep: fab365.net/items/199
3:48 Education
F1 in Schools video: • Winning the F1 in Scho...
Micro Catapult (PLA remix): www.thingiverse.com/thing:188...
4:56 Prototypes
Meet a Maker - Myles: • 3D print for a living?...
White House: www.thingiverse.com/thing:461...
5:53 Making hobbies better
DIY car airbox: • 3D printing functional...
Switch JoyCon strap holder remix: www.thingiverse.com/thing:310...
Swing out keyboard holder: www.printables.com/model/1801...
Meet a Maker with cosplay: • These creators will am...
7:44 Functional and replacement parts
Replacing broken items guide: • Replace broken items a...
3D scanning and printing an unobtainable car vent: • 3D scanning + 3D print...
9:43 Things that you just can’t buy:
F1 image credit: Jeff Wunrow - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William...
Licensed with CC2: creativecommons.org/licenses/...
10:50 Changing people’s lives
3D printed eye prosthetic article: edition.cnn.com/2021/11/25/he...
3D printing organs article: wyss.harvard.edu/technology/3...
E-NABLE 3D printed hands website: enablingthefuture.org/
11:35 Conclusion
Buy quality and affordable filament from X3D. Buy 3, get 1 free and a free sample pack with every order: www.x3d.com.au
Get Quality Resins from 3D Printers Online. 5% off storewide for Teaching Tech subscribers [Code: tech5]
3dprintersonline.com.au/
Take a look around and if you like what you see, please subscribe.
Support me on Patreon: / teachingtech

[@theofficialczex1708]

I have a friend who's allergic to certain metals. She had injured her forearm, and the brace her insurance would pay for had metal components that directly contacted her skin. I designed and printed replacements in CF-filled PC, and they worked perfectly.

[@josephquinn6060]

That's amazing! Just be careful with carbon-fiber-filled materials, because if the fibers aren't totally encased they can cause serious irritation

[@Thierry080]

@@josephquinn6060 Agreed, some unfilled material might be advantageous in the long term.

[@theofficialczex1708]

@@greatestevar They were coated in an epoxy resin and drip-dried.

[@bunni3140]

I'm allergic to nickel like many of my patients, so annoying. Good thinking.

[@PiefacePete46]

@@bunni3140 This is a bit "off topic", but my son developed a rash on his belly... It turned out he was allergic to the nickel plating on his jeans belt buckle! Long before I had a 3D printer though. ☹️

[@j.a.2575]

It's a shame how many people don't know the immense satisfaction that comes from having a custom part that you designed, fit perfectly with a real world object. It never gets old.

[@hvip4]

I like fitting my real world object into a 3D printed one

[@marlon6598]

@@hvip4 😳

[@rinrin4711]

@@hvip4, Ayo? 🤨

[@miracleonglenelm5285]

@@hvip4 I thought I was the only one

[@miracleonglenelm5285]

Highly agree, it was funny I told my dad I bought a 3d printer he thought it was a waste of money. 2 months later "hey can you print a part I need" me: "yep let me fire up my waste of money, what color you want?"

[@knoopx]

the key to 3d printing is learning cad. once you do then it becomes an invaluable tool.

[@jothain]

Absolutely. Without 3D CAD skills to me 3D printer would be absolutely useless thing to own.

[@matthew33721]

@@jothain luckily 3d design is pretty intuitive and there's a lot of different ways around different issues. I really feel as if someone could pick up fusion 360 and make most anything basic they could need within a week. I recently bought a 3d printer and haven't done any 3d modeling since college 6 years ago and I was able to pick up fusion 360 again in minutes

[@matthew33721]

@@jothain without the want to learn I would see someone buying this as an icebreaker piece and never actually making anything useful

[@Moostery]

I've been meaning to learn some sort of CAD software instead of just designing stuff in my head. Maybe getting a 3D printer will push me to finally learn.

[@jothain]

@@Moostery That's exactly how I went. I was already adept with 2D CAD's and was planning to get into 3D. Then I bought 3D printer to "ignite" actually getting into 3D design and actually get functional parts. It's quite easy to get into. Just don't expect to make anything too complicated like frame of something like power drill or something. Simple basic functional parts and expand features from time to time. 👍🏻

[@rickclaussen902]

A neighbor needed replacement knobs for her cooktop. The manufacturer wanted $75 for each one of 5. The originals were made of cheap thin plastic. I found a design online that was close enough to match, I used a CAD program to make them thicker and stronger and printed them for less than $1 each.

[@Andrei-n]

did you print it with PLA?

[@cgwworldministries83]

Not counting the price of the electricity and printer 😜

[@RomanMines64]

@@cgwworldministries83 The average power draw of a 3D printer is around 125Watts, resulting in a cost per hour of 1.58 cents, and 37.92 Cents per day(with a kWh price of 12.69 cents in the US the rest of the world isn't much different). Note This is 1.58 cents per hour prints will usually last between 30 mins and 12 hours these prints will cost between $0.79 and $18.96 that is pretty much nothing

[@JohnLatrobe]

@@RomanMines64 I’m certain you meant 18.96 cents, not dollars.

[@RomanMines64]

@@JohnLatrobe yeah, but even if it was dollars, it would be pretty much nothing in monetary terms

[@matbroomfield]

I totally agree that printing things that you can't buy is invaluable. I printed parts for my mototorcycle and my outdated alarm system. I also LOVE printing scans of classic sculptures.

[@robcaseyire]

Can I ask what scanner do you use?

[@matbroomfield]

@@dim6892 Without knowing where it was going or what function it served, or what I printed it from, that was a silly comment.

[@larrysteinke1839]

@@dim6892 PETG is not so brittle and there are many different hardness TPUs that are extremely tough and not brittle at all.

[@WeekdayWeekend]

7:36 That constellation model for the vision-impaired is a simply amazing idea. He should be extremely proud.

[@iandawkins2182]

My Ender 3 paid for itself in the first nine months simply printing replacement parts as you have done or printing custom electrical project boxes. I am lucky as I can use CAD but you hit the nail on the head, it's important getting people interested in designing there own parts. Respect and many thanks for the work you put in for the community.

[@iandawkins2182]

@RuDuffEnough WellRu Absolutely, knowing even basic CAD skills enhances the interest and factuality of 3D printing.. I am learning Blender now driven by my 3D printing needs. Another positive is there are so many great free programs available now.

[@iandawkins2182]

@RuDuffEnough WellRu 100% respect to Autodesk for supporting the hobby maker with free licences, I wish the big commercial companies were more forthcoming with private use licencing. Blender is more focused on organic and free form structures but well worth learning ultimately.

[@iandawkins2182]

@RuDuffEnough WellRu 3D printing is to me the most empowering home technology available today especially if you have some basic CAD skills. If you are using CAD primarily for 3D printing best follow tutorials from the 3D printing hobby as designing for 3D printing has it's own challenges.

[@mikechafin7351]

That is how I got into 3D printing. I wanted to learn CAD/CAM so I started working with Fusion 360. I bought an Ender3 as a way to validate my designs not thinking it would be much more than a toy. I was wrong. The printer has payed for itself many times over by making replacement parts for all kinds things and in some cases allowed me to design out a weakness that caused the original to fail. Next, I want to explore flexible filaments as I can see many applications.

[@iandawkins2182]

@@mikechafin7351 Same for me, I come from an engineering background and got an Ender 3 about three years ago as a bit of fun. Turned out to be one of the best things I have done, love the freedom to create useful parts for the home and workshop. I too want to try flexible filaments, mainly use PLA and PETG.

[@PatriotAr15]

I feel that the usefuless of a 3D printer sort of grows as you learn more. For example learning how to use Fusion 360 is a game changer.

[@daveh7720]

As a product developer for 40 years I found that people who "didn't see the need" for a new device could think of dozens of uses for it once they had one. Their imagination needed a little nudge to get them thinking about possibilities that were previously closed to them.

[@one-man-band]

I can't wait for the CAD video, as a 3d printing fan, designing my own parts is definitely my biggest shortcoming.

[@ruzzcraze1862]

There are plenty of resources out there for cad, just jump straight into the basics, be ready to google, and give yourself some time. Don’t wait for anything just start now. It’s easier than you expect

[@aleksandertisler955]

@@ruzzcraze1862 i found this tutorial very helpful kzbin.info/aero/PLxGIelsDS8bAMB3-5lsoSGrLbFmGFhfxM

[@one-man-band]

@@ruzzcraze1862 Oh, i didn't mean to imply I haven't started, I designed a vesa mountable raspberry pi case so i could mount a pi right behind the monitor is was outputting to. It was a long and difficult process that involved a lot of trial and error. I just like Michael's education style and figure he would be able to give me a better foundation for doing more projects in the future.

[@DianosAbael]

Same! I like his teaching style and is VERY important to have fun while staying focused. Nowadays time is short and learning faster and with joy is important. There are many courses but not many from experienced TEACHERS 😉

[@Gryzounours]

Type fusion 360 Moka on KZbin, there is a great tutorial you should check.

[@scotthoffmaster4600]

Only thing you left out...is the community that surrounds 3d printing. Awesome people like you and so many others that give so freely of yourself to enlighten and teach. The word thanks seems inadequate but..thanks! Im also a huge car guy and the printed airbox is probably one of my favorite videos of yours thats as much educational as it is entertaining.

[@thisiscristian]

I absolutely agree 👍

[@timplett1]

A year or so ago I was looking into commercial grade 3d printers, trying to get my workplace to invest in one. Apparently it is very common for the large automakers (in North America at least) to not carry little/no spare parts for their assembly lines. They instead have a high end FDM 3d printer as well as a metal 3d printer. When a part breaks, they simultaneously start printing a replacement in plastic, one in metal, as well as order the proper replacement part. Depending on the part, the plastic one is complete in under a day and the line resumes operation. The metal one will take 2-3 days, and once it is complete it is installed and the plastic one is discarded. Finally, once the proper replacement arrives, it will be installed, and the metal 3d print is often kept as a quick stand-in for future breakdowns. 3d printing allows them to not have to keep large amounts of money tied up in spare parts for every possible breakdown, but still reduces the impact of any breakdown. If it's useful for large scale manufacturing, I think it's more than a useless toy.

[@willyjimmy8881]

We use 3d printers in our maintenance shops but can't sit around waiting for parts to print, downtime is way too expensive. We do prototype alot, especially experimenting with modifications for existing components. For some in-house developed equipment we print components where we can so we don't have to pay for custom parts from vendors. They're pretty invaluable at this point but most people never see them in use.

[@Yummeh]

Wow I did not know that, really cool!

[@MostlyConfused]

I bought my Ender without really knowing what I was getting myself into, as I have zero technical background. But after a couple years I have a bunch of things I designed on tinkercad and printed to use around the house, holders and such - my favourite is actually a super simple set of feet that clip on to my modern steel weld table and protect my floor from scratching - not a chance in the world to buy these off shelf, and I've just designed and printed a set of sanding dics dispensers for a friend. Teaching Tech has been with me since the beginning of my printing journey, and a fair chunk of credit for all this goes to Michael.

[@PiefacePete46]

I bet, like me, you use Michael's videos as a reference source. He may not actually be "Teaching Tech" to the kids these days, but there's a lot of us "Big Kids" benefiting from his teachings. :o)

[@MostlyConfused]

@@PiefacePete46 Totally. Michael and Angus from Maker's Muse and Chep are the three guys who got me through the initial frustration and into some results.

[@Hilmi12]

Astronomy and 3D printing are a match made in heaven, so many custom adapters needed to connect equipment from different manufacturers. I have made solar filter holder I custom designed, hand controller brackets and so many other accessories

[@andrewhofmann5453]

I bet you were a cool teacher back in the day. Glad you advocate for this tech, we need it!

[@jack80kiwi]

I found 3 D printing 2 yrs ago and as a 80 year old I love it . I have learnt how to do CAD drawing and design and make things that I want and also my wife . I started in engineering when I was 16 yrs old as an ophthalmic instrument maker and after a lot of different engineering jobs ended up in aircraft maintenance building gas turbine engines. I have two printers now both highly modified , I just load the file into octoprint and press the GO button, very satisfying.

[@PiefacePete46]

John Davison: Who said us "Old Beggars" shouldn't have fun! 😄👍

[@SUPPORTYOURSELF]

Some friends and I are getting ready to print some impossible to find vintage van and motorcycle parts. Really exciting stuff to bring old parts back to life! Great video, label me inspired.

[@Helli__]

The most things I print are functional. A spare knob for my oven was my first print after setting up the printer. There followed replacements for various parts of home appliances, parts for my motorcycle (e.g. fork blinkers), a small Dremel CNC for a Dremel that I had laying around, covers, housings, mounting solutions, and so on...

[@bunni3140]

Hey Michael, thanks for everything you do. Mentioning that some things can only be created with additive manufacturing is great but but I feel that you've overlooked some of the most valuable applications related to this. Unless clients have previous experience with AM like aerospace users, I find that many people and organizations still need substantial convincing that "3D printing" is even something to be taken seriously and some seem to think it's new or a fad, remaining ignorant of the half a century of tremendous work and research that got us to where we are today. Hopefully the examples I provide can help shed light on the reality. I'm not sure how AM got this reputation of being a hobby thing, but there is a **lot** more to it. Starting at the simplest level, yourself and many of your viewers probably have products in your homes right now produced on factory equipment and continuous production processes I've upgraded with my 3D printed parts. Amazon boxes and packaging for food for example... Lots of the people reading this will likely have one of these things sitting in arm's reach right now. One of the ways we protect employees and improve flow is by using air transfer tables to hover thousands of pounds of material so you can move it with a finger instead of wrecking your back or using a ton of electricity. My air transfer nozzles make this possible at vastly reduced cost, enabling the small factories who produce these boxes to afford such upgrades and compete with the big outfits for contracts. Also, I build automation control systems such as touch screen equipped microcomputers to run these giant machines. Since I build everything from the PCBs and operating systems up to the final product, nobody makes mounting hardware, screen bezels, suitable electronics cases, etc. Rather than pay $50,000+ for tooling to injection mold something (useless, since they're all different) I can simply spend a handful of hours to design the parts needed, print them, test, and integrate them for end use in the factory. Mounts for other hardware, safety shields, cable guards, routing for air tubing and many other things benefit from this as well. I've spent over 6 years improving the production process on my own equipment to be able to reliably produce end use products which does come with a cost, but now I can make fancy things on inexpensive machines similar to an Ender 3 that big fab houses claim are unprintable and HPee and Strat-ahem printers simply *can't* produce due to the limitations of these systems. I've actually never printed a toy for anyone but my cats but I've produced automotive parts which were unobtainable like you mentioned, many tools for fabrication, medical and robotics components, and weapon safety improvements to name a few. Having worked in medicine for over a decade as well, I'd like to point out that 3D printed PEEK orthopedic implants are *the* ideal solution which can be customized for the individual patient, capable of achieving a flexural modulus similar to bone and better wear and rejection characteristics than titanium alloys. In some cases like pediatric cranial plates, 3D printing is the only practical solution. Models for surgeons to practice with before a procedure can be produced from actual CT/MR images of the patient in advance and used to reduce risk and improve outcomes, and to better inform the patient as well as biomedical equipment manufacturers assisting the team. The US Army now deploys with 3D printers to assist various missions, and replacement parts for Air Force aircraft can be produced on the spot without risking more lives, equipment, and money to send them to the site. Printed components allow me to design RADAR systems which have uniquely controllable beam paths, and the equipment I provide laser cutting and marking services with is largely printed in-house. Additive structures built by similar machines economically produce disaster shelters, homes, and agricultural structures in place to make basic survival more affordable, less harmful, and more energy efficient but that isn't exclusively using polymers. Given the complexity, serious nature, and how little most AM processes really have in common with printing, I really have a problem with the term "3D printing" in general. This isn't printing, you don't click "print" and magic comes out, it is nowhere near as trivial as that and "printing" seems to imply creating a visual representation of something. While this *can* be a use case for additive, that's like calling a freight train a cat litter carrier but I'm sure that is all my cats think they're good for. Engineers are just too busy solving problems or too constrained by the business and governmental requirements for secrecy to make videos about it, but I wish KZbin would quit perpetuating the concept that "printing" is simply for D&D, airsoft, and cosplay - this is absolutely untrue. I hope that content creators like yourself will cover some of these practical use cases in more depth in the future, and the fun and importance of becoming additive manufacturing technologists rather than consumers and printer collectors. Sadly, sponsored content may be paradoxically throwing fuel on the fire. I appreciate your policy on sponsored content, but I think it can create a conflict of interest for some. To earn money by working in manufacturing restricts your ability to make content about making, but becoming sponsored may imply that some creators should not talk about the important reasons why the all new XYZ printer mod is useless if you would just learn about how the machine works. Guys, you don't *need* any of the crap they keep trying to sell you. They're quick solutions to problems you can easily solve yourself. Sure, some are well designed and it doesn't get *easier* than buying something. However, nobody can sell you a better machine than you can learn to design, they can only sell you what they're capable of mass producing at a profit and that often comes with hidden costs necessary to sustain their business models. If you really like the technology behind the making then remember the spirit of RepRap and the whole point of the contemporary movement was for people to learn to build and improve the industry and the world, not to buy things designed by the community which are being sold as if they were developed by the silly brand names they sometimes represent. An "Ender 3" or a "Prusa i3" is basically just a kit for building a RepRap Mendel without having to source parts, have friends who are already CNC nerds, or learn a hundred things to get started. They're a starting point on a journey, not the destination so look beyond the retail solutions and think about how *you* can solve problems. If you made it through all that, thanks for reading lol.

[@cyrusyamin1942]

This is an extremely useful and thoughtful comment. Thank you. I need to think about this some more, as I am a novice in this area, and, perhaps might get in touch with you.

[@txkflier]

A friend of mine 3D printed an intake manifold for a car engine to make sure the one they were about to cast in aluminum would fit properly.

[@djktman]

I work in the film industry and it's a total must to be able to find solutions for every different problems. I'm currently printing Pelican Case Dividers right now to utilize the space in the case more.

[@J_Madison]

For 95% of people, 3D printing is all about spending way too much money to make cheap trinkets you wouldn't bother buying in a store. For the remaining 5% or so who actually design custom stuff and print it.. well, my hats off to you.

[@gavinguy148]

3D printing for sim racing has been a game changer for me. Making simple housings and brackets etc in Tinkercad has been so useful.

[@sysghost]

Whenever I meet a non-believer, I simply show them my electric scooter that I just arrived in riding on. It's filled with 3D printed parts such as extra battery holders, Display protection cover, mudflaps, extra turn light extender (made of TPU), phone mount, extra hooks to hang grocery bags on, lock-wire holder

[@jasonmiller5956]

We were in Texas for the Big Freeze a couple of years ago. The outdoor shower froze and a key part holding back the water broke. There was no valve local to that shower so we had to turn off water for the entire house. However after a few printing a few prototypes of a custom plug to hold back the water in the shower assembly I was able to temporarily fix it until we could order proper parts. Got the water back on to the rest of the house and became a true believer in 3D printing.

[@jon1913]

I work for a fortune 100 company and we use 3D printing all the time. We have a $50 million lab dedicated to additive manufacturing with dozens of printers including huge Stratasys FDM and metal printers. We have used these to make parts that are simply impossible with standard manufacturing techniques, to make tools & fixtures at a fraction of traditional costs, prototype ergonomics for same day iterative design... the list goes on and on. At this point anyone who thinks 3d printing is a gimmick is just ignorant.

[@PiefacePete46]

Jon: I reckon the target for the scoffers is the beginner/hobby 3D printer fraternity. We are our own worst enemies, as we often seem to show an endless stream of nonsensical objects, captured on video while en-route from the printer to the landfill! My satisfaction comes from practical solutions that I see and use every day. When the serial-criticisers see the sort of things you are creating, they have no choice but to skulk off into the undergrowth. I envy you your job; I went down a far less satisfying path!

[@TheEricSchubert]

I love that astrophotography/astronomy was mentioned here, as I also love taking photos of galaxies and nebulae. I've used 3D printing to create a whole slew of custom mounts, electronics enclosures, and adapters to customize my imaging setups. No way would I have been able to buy these components without a ton of fiddling and testing or custom part orders.

[@juicycoding819]

Hey Michael! Great Video! One thing to add is Makers Making Change. It simply is a way for makers to help others with disabilities by 3d printing or manufacturing accessibility technologies. Think of it like asking a freelancer with 3d printers and cad knowledge to produce a part to help them use their computer mouse

[@flex-ranger2]

Mate you are a Godsend to the community, i've watched countless hours of your videos and even when communicating with others from around the world they'll always bring you up in conversation. Thank You for all the support you provide to the community and myself. Cheers Side note; People that bash the 3D community are those that lack the skills to get the printers to function correctly and confuse 3D printing with something that "JUST works" out of the box. There is often a steep learning curve when getting involved with 3D printing that those people cant get past.

[@MonkeyWithAWrench]

I have a 3d printed ram pump watering my garden right now (video on my channel), an air raid siren (also on channel), and have 3d printed injection molds. I've also used it for various tools and fixtures. My family's business also 3d prints concrete stamps for landscape curbing as well. I've 3d printed battery adapters for electric motorcycles. There is a lot that can be done with a printer. If you have cad skills and a need for custom parts, its an incredible tool to have.

[@Andy81m]

My father had a lawnmower in his garage for more than 10 years destroyed. A simple piece I made with my printer helped to make it repaired. At the beginning my parents laughed about my printer but now I get a message a week from my father with a question about: can you print this or that. And over a year I printed many parts for friends and helped them with a simple print on their big problems. The best is if you have a problem or a missing part and modeling the piece on the computer and print it and hold it in your hands. Then you install it and when you hear the clicking noise and hear the perfect fitting it always keeps me a smile in my face

[@jonathanluce9130]

I totally agree with you, designing and printing parts to solve every day problems is a very satisfying and fun thing to do. Keep up the good work.

[@n3m37h]

I work at a small brewery and I have printed up many tools that I use. Ive designed retention clip removers so I can fix sanke spears. A wrench for our fermenter caps (previously used needle nose pliers) jig for cutting our filter pads (instead of buying precut pads that cost 4x the amount) and countless other things that make our job that much easier

[@martinmckee5333]

I view 3D printers as a tool. I have two and I don't feel the same excitement with 3D printing itself that so many people seem to, but I do find it invaluable for repairs around the house, mounts, brackets, and to support my other hobbies. My favorite repair was a bearing block and endcap set that I designed and printed for my vacuum cleaner. The parts were about 3h of design work and $2 of materials, but it saved me from having to buy a whole new brush from the manufacturer for $60. I got to solve an interesting design problem, reduce waste, and save significant money all at once.

[@martinmckee5333]

@@createagoogleaccount7574 For what I mostly do (model rocketry, airplanes, and robotics), a laser cutter is a better complement. Still, it doesn't take much to do reasonably precision production of complex parts these days.

[@DragRedSim]

Sim-racing is why I originally got into 3d printing. I’m still a relative newbie, but I’m getting towards printing at least functional parts. I have a couple plans in the works to that effect. For me, there’s nothing like seeing a need for something that doesn’t exist, designing it, having it brought into physical form, and using it successfully.

[@Peacehawk0911]

I remember working security for the company that invented 3d printing. They showed me the things it could do back in 2001. Full size jet, and race car engines. They said their goal was to have a printer in every home for making household needs. Replace a pot handle, etc. Amazing to see how far it's grown, and to become an owner of my first printer. The fun is endless.

[@Cunning_Trout]

I spent a lot of time modelling a part for marine safety equipment that often breaks and cost around $300 to replace. Made pretty similar one that breaks as much (as it should, it's auto-trigger part), but it's around $1.

[@crankstermedia]

Great topic Michael. The biggest challenge for non engineers is to take an idea to functional part. Most CAD is too complex for hobby makers who just want create their own functional prints. Help make that path simpler and you’ll be even more of a rockstar :)

[@cidercreekranch]

I print tools for use in woodworking. As I write this I'm printing the body for a two part marking gauge that I designed.

[@ziggybombers1563]

Seeing toys that help the unfortunate people almost brought a tear to my eye, thank you for sharing that. As a home woodworking man I use my daughter’s 3D printer, I’ve made a Dewalt router sled using printed parts and the run out is about 0.2mm over 900mm, there’s just no way I could get that accuracy trying to make it any other way. There is so much more I’ve done for my little workshop using 3D printing the list just goes on. Again great video bud 👍⭐️

[@markh2005]

I love to hear how I can help disadvantged people with my printer - keep that coming please Michael.

[@reverse_engineered]

We were starting plants for our garden this spring and we wanted seed block makers, but they were sold out everywhere with lead times going into next year. I found a few models on line that I used for inspiration, then designed my own that combined the best of all the models. It worked great and saved us a lot of time preparing our seedlings.

[@AW_DIY_garage]

One of the first things that I designed was the plunger replacement for my wife's KitchenAid mixer cheese grater attachment. I agree with you that functional prints are fun when they go right. Just today I rapidly prototyped three adapters for cups for my laser engraver. I was able to try out three different designs in the span of one day.

[@TheOystei]

Thanks for including an update on the airbox, you said in that video that you would do a follow up on it after 6 months, but as far as i know that never materialized. But really good to know it's holding up. have been thinking about using the same filament to make some stuff for my own drift car as well.

[@DrEckig]

Printing toys, lamps or other cool stuff as gifts created so many happy moments in the past few months of making & tinkering. Truly an amazing hobby that gives tons of joy for every gram of filament.

[@gibsonav]

I volunteered to teach 3D printing at our local library after finding out they had one they hadn't even turned on for two years (the person who knew how to use it left). After teaching quite a few kids on Saturdays (5 Saturdays in a row on four separate occasions!) they started their own club. The first thing they decided to do was to volunteer to make 3D printed prostetics for children who were in war zones. We partnered with a goup working with the Ukraine and were able to supply almost a dozen forearm to hand (left AND right) in varying sizes for different ages, and they did it all themselves. Proud of them!

[@HappyHarryHardon]

I’m brand new to 3D printing and am super excited that I’m able to make small car parts. Right now I’m printing a 3 circuit horn ring for a race car. It makes the buttons in the steering wheel work without external wires. It’s also removable. Thanks 3D printing!

[@kenniffss]

The hinges on my plastic drill bit case broke a while ago, have had it held together with cable ties which was less than ideal. Last night I sketched up some hinges and fitted them at work today, quite satisfying.

[@otterwench]

I'm so excited about your free CAD course! I just bought my first 3d printer (flashforge 3 pro) for my upcoming 60th birthday and want to design sprigs for potters and molds for baked clay, for starters, but I am intrigued by the possibilities for giving back.

[@3DHP]

Excellent video Michael.I loved hearing about my friend Astroprinter.I will share this on my Socials. I was great having you on my Livestream.

[@wolfblade]

I agree that the quick designs and prints for a practical need are really satisfying. I recently designed a stand for a replica Jurassic Park cane I had made. It was meant to just keep the cane more upright in a small black umbrella stand I bought, but I liked the look so much that I just have the stand out free standing. It adds more of a story to the cane, since the stand is now also something I created.

[@jethro2512]

Good video Michael and thanks for reinforcing the value of 3D printing. Looking forward to the CAD tutorial.

[@parkflyer68]

Thank you for taking the time to make such informative videos Michael, They are great for people like myself who like to be creative but not quite sure how to go about doing it!

[@nathanielmoore87]

Being able to design and print custom car parts is what got me into 3D printing. I started with a simple Ender 3 which I modified over time and recently added a resin printer and CR Scan Lizard 3D scanner.

[@billnoname8093]

what format do these scanners put the image to

[@nathanielmoore87]

@@billnoname8093 I just got my scanner and haven't played with it much yet. From what I understand, it creates a point cloud that is stitched into an stl in software.

[@runbuh]

Thank you for posting this video. I was unaware of the Toys For Tots work, and will join that effort in time for Christmas 2022! My entire 3D printing hobby started with my wife's car not having an integrated dock to charge her iPhone, and provide wired CarPlay connectivity. I came up with a simple set of measurements and a drawing showing my very rough idea. I then found an engineer in Scotland (I'm in the USA) who hung out on the car forums where I hang out, and he and I polished up the design into something awesome (he did most of the CAD work, since I am a noob). Along the way, I picked up 3D printing, Fusion 360, understanding filament types, and a whole lot more. This also means the wife doesn't complain too much about the printer being inside the house.

[@cyphre]

Great vid! I absolutely love being able to print brackets for things that don't exist. It's a world of custom manufacturing that can replicate injection molded plastics, but at any capacity; all without the massive overhead of injection molded plastics. I've made a set of custom wall mounts for my Valve index and Vive trackers, as well as a replacement bracket for my Unifi AP (purchased secondhand and didn't include the original bracket, nor does Ubiquiti just sell the original bracket).

[@davordamjanovic893]

2 days ago I made a "screwcap" for fishing reel handle for my friend. It uses an elliptical head screw with costume threads to tighten the handle. He had 2 broken ones and he couldn't tighten the handle; and on other 2/4 reels they had a crack. I printed 6 of them for good measure and they are a perfect fit. It took me about 20-30 min to create them and I am just a beginner in 3D modeling.

[@geologist_luna]

At the University of South Florida (USF), during the 2020 COVID-19 crisis, they were 3D printing medical supplies that could not be obtained via normal channels. The printers were FDA approved Resin printers, and were accepted in an emergency situation. Of course many of us were printing masks and other supplies as well.

[@Dan_Mone]

Just wow, I knew all these things but the way you presented is very clear. I won’t be surprised if after this video couple of people will get into this nice world of 3D printing and also in design. Didn’t know you are a sim racer. I combined 3D printing with sim racing. My mates are amazed how many things I made for sim racing, steering wheels that cost hundreds of pounds , upgrades to my pedals any many more! Nice video and looking forward for your CAD design lessons! All the best

[@kellysustaire4563]

Great video, my most satisfying and useful print was the the fittings for a 5 gallon dust bucket cyclone dust separator for my CNC machine. I printed the largest piece overnight and it was like I had a delivery on the bed of my 3D printer in the morning. Very gratifying!

[@brianmartin1613]

Hi Michael. Love your work on this channel. I got my ender 3 during the first lockdown here in nz at the age of 50. I have been learning from you and Angus from makers must since way before then watching both your videos and taking it all in. I have taught myself how to use a couple of cad software but would love to see a series from you explaining how you do things. I too love printing practice items that fix or make things better. Happy printing. Brian

[@CutlassOutdoors]

A couple of the more useful 3D prints I’ve done were a custom bracket I designed for a switch in my car, a center-console latch for a friend’s truck that was no longer available from the manufacturer, and a window switch bracket for one of my dad’s old cars. I also made a custom cookie cutter for my sister to use for her wedding reception, a bunch of cool toys for my kids, custom Christmas ornaments, and replacement parts for all sorts of household items. When my wife worked for an after school program, I made cute little trinkets (dragons, frogs, etc) for her students, which she used as prizes.

[@brucewilliams6292]

I agree proving out part design before producing metal parts has been a big help. In fact, several times the 3d parts proved strong enough so we could move on other items saving money and moving projects forward faster. I have made replacement parts for my cars several times and it has been god-send. Thanks for the video.

[@mururoa7024]

I made a conformal fixture to hold my awkwardly shaped wifi router to the wall without the need to modify the router's body or damage it in any way. Because the fixture is conformal to the body of the router you almost can't notice it's there. I also regularly make odd shaped (woodworking) router jigs, adapters and tool organizers. I never make things that I can just buy.

[@PiefacePete46]

Ha Ha... I had nowhere to mount a WiFi extender, so I 3D printed a mounting bracket that allowed it to hang on the end of a bookcase without screws. Tidy solutions for one-off problems. :o)

[@Nurgelrot]

Loving your new workspace. Looks really nice.

[@NaiyaBladesinger]

it's cosmetic, but printing sleeves for my husband's prosthetic is one of my favorite things to do. it's hard because it has to be custom fit so I have to get much better at CAD design and stuff, but it's what I love doing (ETA: I get the biggest requests for fidget toys from people. Stars, spirals, flexitoys and I delight in making those too)

[@shababhsiddique]

I have a room door knob that was broken for 2 years, The lock works but the handle comes off, after buying a 3d printer the first thing i printed was a replacement for that. and it was the most satisfying thing ever.

[@rbid]

one of the best videos I saw lately. Thanks for creating. Greetings from the Galilee.

[@bjhaynes7502]

I made a case for my son's shaving brush, tooth brushes, batteries...all for when we go on vacation. It made my life easy. I still need one more tooth brush holder. Next will be shaver holders, things for my son's Occulus, and video game systems, as soon as I finish upgrading my printer. And I would love to learn CAD so I could customize his stuff.

[@quiescenttraveler]

I’ve had a 3D printer for less than 3 weeks and already produced several custom parts. My killer app for 3D printing is replacement parts for swimming pool components. Lots of plastic nuts and connectors.

[@krayfox]

I like your content and watch you often. I had quite a bit of trouble breaking loose the fidget. Finally, clamped edge in vise and used 10mm wrench to break free. I also love designing and making these for myself and friends.

[@transatlant1c]

One of the most useful models I’ve printed was also one of the simplest - I needed a spacer for a tap as the previous one has disintegrated from age. If I had the skill and equipment I might’ve been able to make it out of metal or wood, but less than 5mins in CAD and only a few more printing and I had a replacement part. I use this example whenever people ask me ‘so what do you print’.

[@gofres]

I 3d printed a bunch of bits and bobs that have really helped tidy up my desk. I'm a noob to 3d printing but it's such a great feeling seeing my desk look much neater, things easier to use and access, plus knowing that I never ever would have been able to buy those things.

[@YetiKitn]

I love the idea of 3D printing but my god it is more frustrating than anything. I've actually watched a lot of your videos but still find that the failure rate is so high I've not even touched my printer in over a year. It seems like whenever I solve one problem 2 more take its place.

[@Gibson99]

It definitely has a learning curve. I almost gave up and sold my ender 3 after a month of trial and error, but thanks to some helpful friends, I worked out the kinks and now have a very reliable printer. A good chunk of that was learning what various slicer settings mean and how they affect your print. But now I can print pla, petg and tpu with ease.

[@YetiKitn]

@@Gibson99 Glad it worked out for you! I too have an ender 3. Even upgraded the board, added a auto levelling thing, tried endless slicer settings and different spools of pla. Just felt like I was throwing my money out the window and sat it on a shelf. It is quite sad really but unfortunately I don't know any local who can help. I still think it is great but it has so many points of failure. Bring on the star trek replicator!

[@tvathome562]

I also believe every now and then a lemon of a machine gets through, my most expensive printer is so unreliable, the other 3 arrived with warped beds, bad extruders.. It can be frustrating and a lot of problem solving, but stick with it, I believe it's getting easier with more affordable tech and better quality printer's.

[@onecarwood]

Great video and Liam is a great guy. He does a live stream every week and helps a lot of people that way too.

[@craigmushens4789]

I have designed and printed a lot of unique or unavailable parts. It is so satisfying to be able to design in 15-60 mins a part and have it in your hands in a few hours.

[@madp3d]

Excellent video. We can always use more ammo to fend off the skeptics. "As we speak", I'm printing a funnel/filter holder I designed to pour unused resin back in bottles. I'll upload it to Printables when it tests good. Thanks Michael.

[@coyoteran]

I learned how to do 3d design using OnShape while I was waiting for my Prusa Mk3, 4 years ago. The second thing I printed was a replacement part for my truck that I designed that is still in service today. Once you get a 3d printer it changes how you view the world. How can I improve a thing that should have been made better but wasn't due to manufacturing costs? Every single room in my house, garage, yard, and office contains at least one 3d printed object that has made my life easier, simpler or cheaper. A lot of them are my own design but I am not above using somebody else's good idea to make my life better. My hobby is collecting hobbies and my 3d printers have been invaluable, supporting my other hobbies.

[@ericcsuf]

Jay Leno in his Jay Leno's Garage videos mentions the use of a 3D printer often in his restoration work. Sometimes they print scale parts to be used as forms for casting something in metal. Sometimes it is just to have a scale part to examine space requirements and how something would fit with other parts of an existing car. I use mine all the time to design and make things for my hobbies (ham radio, woodworking, metalworking) and for useful things around the house. I can't justify anything more than my highly modified Ender 3, but I definitely get my money's worth from it. Good video that needed to be made.

[@wingunder]

Excellent content and topic! My 3d printer was only laying around for the first year. After getting fluent in 3d designing, my 3d printer is now almost in daily use. It complements several hobbies. The key to 3d printing is being able to effortlessly design 3d parts. 3d scanning by means of photogrammetry is very rewarding and once mastered, adds the next level to 3d printing. Convincing people of 3d printing is like convincing people to be makers. Some are makers and some are simply not. Lots of people are inherently makers, but to be a 3d maker, requires knowing how to 3d design as well as a bit of knowledge of 3d printers.

[@adambryant2876]

My clothes dryer died right at the manufacturer's planned 5-year obsolescence limit. With a couple of bearings and a 3D printed part, I was able to extend its lifetime another 8 years. I also am constantly printing brackets and adapters for various projects. I use OnShape for CAD.

[@KlockworXMusic]

I printed a part for a friends dishwasher that they were told wasn't available to buy except as part of a larger assembly costing $500 (for a $600 dishwasher). So I printed the part, reinforced with a stainless bolt through it and for attachment, made a slight modification to the machine itself and its fixed! Part took 30 mins to print from Polycarbonate (to handle possible high temperatures in the machine), it took about 5 mins to make necessary modification to the machine to accept it using the stainless bolt, and its been running flawlessly for a couple years now.

[@HannesMrg]

Custom (tool) Holders and organizers in general are one of the best things to print. They can be found online or are easy to model yourself, where commercial solutions often don't even exist.

[@onesadtech]

One of the first things I ever 3D printed (after a Benchy, of course) was a trigger for an old Jonsered chainsaw that I couldn't find anywhere online. Such a cool feeling. Something I want to start doing is modeling similar parts of the complete saws and other tools that I have.

[@fellipec]

I love how we can make replacement parts easily. Last night a handle for a lid broken in our kitchen. Instead of waiting the next day to go try to source one in a shop, or try to find online and wait few days, I designed one in Fusion in about 10 minutes, print and installed in less than one hour

[@RCjunkie]

Thank you for your time of doing the vids!!!!!

[@rbrianlindahl5499]

I've designed an expanding collection of small & large items for use in my metal & wood shop. From a new dial for my antique Atlas lathe, to myriad small brackets, fittings, and tools.

[@pxlaidan]

Mate, I’m a Senior Design and Technologies teacher, I love hearing your story. I can’t even get my school to purchase the Denford Mill for the F1 in Schools program. We are about to purchase our 5th 3D printer though, I’ll have to see if we can consider printing the body and add weights for the weight constraints.

[@funx24X7]

I just love how easy it is to customize prints. With even some rudimentary 3D software knowledge you can take any existing model and emboss a name on it or add places for magnets. Makes for great gifts.

[@Tom-ik5sc]

One time I needed a new phone case for work the next morning. It was too late at night to go get one, so I found a file of one, and loaded a spool of TPU. It printed over night, and by the morning I had the case I needed. It was really cool to just be able to print something I needed, while saving a lot of time and money.

[@bryankennedy7123]

Just started having someone print prop parts for cosplay. The original objects used to be available in the 80s and 90s. Now that they don't exist anymore or are crazy expensive, 3D printing filled the void. Can't really build an older Star Wars ship anymore without it.

[@jamesfisk2758]

I designed a custom body mount for a RC truck in Fusion360 and 3D printed it. It was incredibly satisfying to make something from nothing.

[@Av-ks8uc]

I work in automotive embedded systems prototyping, and got myself an ender 3 last year. I also kinda first thought it was only to make trinkets, but it was an amazing excuse for me to learn CAD tools to add to my resume, as I'm just a student/intern/almost engineer so any resume filler is welcome. It indeed enhanced my other hobbies, building random stuff with microcontrollers: now, with a bit of CAD, and a few cents worth of filament, my projects look finished and professional, as I'm no longer doing "CAD" (cardboard aided design). My favorite thing to do with my printer is something I think you already tackled on the channel: solving a niche problem only I have. For instance, for my car, I hate these phone holders that clamp on your AC vents: it blocks the air, and gets loose; and I also hate the others that suction the windshield: any difference in temperature in the night makes it fail. So I measured a bit, and designed a phone holder that jams in my CD reader that I do not use, and it fits my phone securely with a couple of TPU insert that "clip in" the main part like legos. Same for my desk setup, I have 2 monitors that for the life of me I couldn't get to fit next to one another flush, and it was triggering my OCD. I designed a small piece that holds them a perfect 30°, and has a little rail on top to hold my camera. Right now, I am designing a replacement piece for my AC units that broke, and that the manufacturer (Mitsubishi) quotes an ungodly amount of money for a small plastic piece. It really gives you a different outlook on things, you look around your office looking for things to improve, to make better, and to hack. On a more "serious" note, it is as you mentioned an AMAZING prototyping tool. It allowed us engineers to reclaim the manufacturing process, allowing us to build prototypes in barely days compared to weeks. Also... It's an hobby in itself! I've spent more time and money upgrading and modifying my printer, learned about CNC systems, got myself an actual CNC/laser, and spent a lot of time learning/honing each machine to the point it can make my visions real

[@spiritburners]

I always knew you were good and now I know why because you are a teacher of young children the most important students that we need to teach and capture that imagination early so it carries them through to university and the rest of their lives. Well Done Michael.

[@rbid]

excellent video.. will be looking forward for your 3D cad series. Greetings from the Galilee.

[@KeithOlson]

For the CAD tutorial videos, FreeCAD + the OpenSCAD Workbench would be *fantastic,* as they each have their own strengths and weaknesses, and the convenience of being able to paste in a chunk of code and instantly create a fully modelled part CANNOT be overstated.

[@geor664]

Ive used openscad professionally and is great. Freecad has multiple issues which have been discussed elsewhere on various you tube channels. I found the UX problematic (Inconsistent) I don't use it any more. I strongly recommend trying Blender with the 3D printer library addin. (both free). There are many you tube tutorials on this. One of the best is from Maker Tails. And Michael, thank you for this 3D print overview.

[@manicdan481]

My brother got me a 3d printer and the first thing I used it for was to make a template to drill holes for cabinet handles. I didnt care what the dimensions were, I just needed them all to match. 5 minutes of cad using a free program and a 1 hour print, and I had a perfect template and saved me hours of trying to measure and drill.

[@FAB1150]

As you said, for me printing things made for extremely specific problems and things you just can't buy is the best and most satisfying thing in 3D printing. So much stuff that you would just throw away or say "oh well, I guess this thing is more cumbersome to use now" can be fixed in an afternoon! It's extremely rewarding and handy!

[@robertobrenes5283]

i have designed and printed a lot of brackets and adaptors for things I need, mount plats for monitors, hangers for lights, knobs for a car door, battery cap for a Vernier caliper, Cases for Electronics projects, one time i had to print some parts to fix my toilet's flushing mechanism

[@homiethefish]

In early days I printed lots of trinkets. Now 5 years on, last night I designed and printed my first print-in-place part. A hinged cover for a button on a laser. While finishing a TV show, I also designed and printed a clip for holding parts on the honeycomb surface in the laser.

[@kellyjean4981]

Such an eye opening video. I’m doing research in hopes of buying my first 3d printer. This video made me want one that much more! What a beautiful thing to be able to create items that could be donated to classrooms or to those who are in need.