This is NOT working.

[@TechnicalsTinkers]

It's almost like I expect immediate results with limited effort

[@Foreign_Tropical]

Dont wait a year. Try your store right now to see how the local market respond to it. Limited effort? You not only work very hard, but have had significant startup costs. Every business is different, what works for yours locally might not for 3d printing. Keep a close eye to finances to see if this is something worth pursuing long term. Remember the IRS does not allow you to claim losses in perpetuity, any "business" that has losses repeatedly and consistently is a hobby. You have said you are not interested in that already.

[@witness1013]

I despise 3D priting and the 'community' it's a bunch of nerds looking for a problem to solve instead of having a solution. I watch 101% because I love your crypto content from this era and previous - but I can't standing 3D printing dorks and hope you don't become one. I'm waiting for you to come up w/ a good hobby so I can enjoy what you post.

[@FrodeBergetonNilsen]

Sounds like a true gold digger

[@KernsleatherworksVA]

I'm guilty of this as well. I printed it, it should sell, I should be rich from it. Field of Dreams mentality.

[@SUVRVing]

For literally everything you've printed except the crypto mining stuff, I've thought, "Why would anyone buy that?" I'd double down on the crypto.

[@johntetreault]

I think a lot of sellers approach this all wrong, they focus on finding the next hit product that will sell...and that's how we end up with Rhino heads, and thousands of people selling flexi dragons and coasters... I think the trick is to identify your customer niche first...and you were most successful doing this... You catered to the crypto miner niche... There are guys making thousands selling jigs for woodworking... Identify your customer niche first, then, identify a need in that niche, and become THE source for the product that fulfills that need... Could be Jeep mods, could be giant firearm models to gun dealers... Could be crypto miner mounts .. identify your target audience, then find what they need.

[@ryandetzel848]

Yup. The great part about 3d printing is it's fast to iterate (assuming you can model) and you don't need to hold 10k of an item. This makes it very easy to find those niches too because you can, lets say, release 10 products in various niches and let them sit and gain traction. If they don't sell, you're out a week or two of initial time and that's it. Move onto the next item and repeat. Chasing the dragon or coaster market is just silly, honestly I think buying any models won't lead to the kind of success you want because anyone with a credit card can duplicate that

[@JonLinde]

And in parallel, you can simply also offer general 3D printing services like the car bumper. I'm considering getting a 3d scanner and offer scan-and-print in the local area - like spare parts for broken shit. In my case it's just for fun and giggles.

[@Moddwerx3Dtech]

I don’t think after buying 4 printers I could make a substantial living off 3D printing. You should look into your 3D printers to help augment products you made with a new laser cutter and I’m sure you could make a decent living doing this

[@chrisgill5692]

@@JonLinde thats the key - absolutely has to be for fun n giggles, and as a side-line bonus, you just never know... might just find a niche. Need to enjoy it, be into tinkering and youtubing. Never gonna make easy money, just does not happen. Think TT knows this; he's a savvy KZbinr - it's just entertainment!! Impressed with his work ethic, scatter-gun approach and also appears to not sleep!! I am waiting for the kapow moment, when he hits us with the real business here??

[@MasterCraftFishing51]

The thing I see is selling 3d prints is honestly a waste of time. Sure 5 years ago there was hope but now you can get a 3d printer for $150 and print anything . I’m not sure if I even know a single person without a 3d printer . You go on Etsy and 100 people are selling the exact same things . Amazon you will see all the same prints there . 2 hours of print time for $2 profit . Then you get your electric bill . The listing fees , shipping, filament , your time , shipping supplies. Failed prints , Sanding out layer lines . Poor print quality . I was like this is stupid you have realy really really got to love this to do it .

[@johntetreault]

Selling in your store vs selling on Etsy.... Who says you can't do both? Leave it up on Etsy, but put it in your store too... If someone buys it in your store, pull the Etsy listing... If someone buys it on Etsy, pull it from your store and ship it.

[@airatooo]

I guess it’s needs at least one of: 1) complexity that’s hard to reproduce or/and is protected IP 2) have high artistic value. For example, complex manufacturing that requires high skill and big upfront investment, with an edge in end to end production or automation or combination of manufacturing processes, etc; one of one unique art pieces, or commissioned art. Idk if simple 3d printing can be a stable business nowadays without large scale and automation.

[@pHuzi0n]

Looks like others had the same immediate thoughts. 1 - Put the large prints in your store AND on etsy and whatever other online platforms you want immediately. If something sells then you can always print a new one. 2 - Find your niche and run with it. Maybe advertise large scale 3d printing on a flyer that you post in your store window and have copies inside to hand out. Or make different accessories for crypto mining. Cold call guns stores and gun ranges offering giant gun prints or collab with a gun youtuber and shoot it to pieces to promote it so that you don't have to go looking, maybe they could use it as an outdoor sign or just decor inside. Hell, there's a guy who 3d prints trophies and that's his entire living. 3 - There is no quick path to success in starting a new business. You're going to have to grind it out if you want results.

[@TechnicalsTinkers]

Currently in the "find your niche" stage

[@dominickbrookes5103]

I've met many people in 3d printing who get really out of their comfort zone to find specialized tools that cost a lot made in metal, could be made of plastic but require modeling. Lots of money there though you do have to be intensional and explorative.

[@McShimi]

Devils advocate, why not print those big guns in different colours, in smaller parts and let the customer build it? It would save shipping costs and (from my pov) i would like to build it, i find that fun and have some investment in it, rather than just cash.

[@chiparooo]

Great idea!

[@oneChanelCherie]

@@McShimi I’ll be honest if I still had my hun shop I’d definitely buy one. They are pretty cool. You could get in contact with some gun dealers … SHOT is coming up. Someone may want a large model for their display.

[@davidfaulks6799]

Go your own way.this is the way

[@Slurgical_3D_Terrain_Channel]

It is hard to balance time on cost. The way I price is $75 hrs labour in CAD design with a minimum $25 for commission. The maintenance and printing setup I don’t know how to price for that. I did a small tiny parts for a loom that is no longer in production. Took me 40 mins to reproduce. 3 cents to print and less than 10 mins to print. I charged $25 for CAD and $10 for the part and sold 16 of them. I printed an extra 10 just in case someone asks for. There are loom clubs. Initially the lady wanted one. The her loom club friends wanted the same part as well.

[@matthewtrapp7756]

Got to use one to build the other.. You do what sells for the moment to save capital to build the print shop, learn advertising, learn modeling, get reviews and then specialize into some niche.

[@tnev22]

There is no magic product that opens a funnel to sales. I see the search for this run ramped through all the print pages. Goal is an audience. Like you said with the mining print - you had a channel that spotlighted them. You were meeting a need for a niche - and had a base of people in that niche to advertise to. It literally does not matter what is printing - as long as the printer is busy and you’re making a profit. Dragons and trinkets get so much heat but we sold over 60k in dragons for 2024 because we have a following and base. Just tossing a product on Etsy will never result in this kind of turnout in my opinion.

[@repalmore]

I feel like most of the successful farms are printing products that they create. Like your mining stand, you took a design and modded it to meet your needs. Products like this seem to be the way. There is a fella that does Nerf gun mods and other related products etc. Just making fidget spinners and the like are perfect for some folks but I think you are after a different market. There other markets like fabrication shops and the like. Ramy makes molds for the airplanes he builds, maybe there is a market for molds that would be the perfect market for the Giga. Keep grinding on it, you'll find your niche.

[@Blacksmith-Joe]

Thought about offering a 3d print service for businesses rather than trying to sell shit to the general public?

[@DesignsByBrodhead]

My ears perked up when I heard 'coasters' ! I am just as shocked as you that they do well -- could be very quickly oversaturated. The ones that have done best for me are the niche sets (my drum corps sets, the snare drum set, etc). But I agree with what you said, I know I need to start looking and planning what's next because it won't last long.

[@RealCoreyJWilliams]

From what I’m seeing, there’s definitely a middle ground like planters or something along those lines that so well but don’t take post production and aren’t low profit margins. I’m kind of in the same boat right now as well where the little things aren’t worth my time have you ever thought about wholesale?

[@TechnicalsTinkers]

I'd be so down, but anyone looking for bulk stuff is probably phoning Shenzhen first! I would!

[@chrishead4123]

The money is with the masses.

[@jonathanrogers9961]

My goal is functioal prints, printed to order.

[@hewholurkz7239]

Bro, the market is saturated with everyone printing the same shit... you gotta remember, THIS IS A HOBBY... when you make your hobby your job, then it's not enjoyable anymore.. it's another job... sooooo, if you think of it that way, you may be able to separate the 2... you have a profitable business as it stands and are apparently comfortable in life... keep it as a hobby... im sure you have friends and your charities that will buy some stuff from you, but you gotta remember.. it's a hobby imo

[@rickiv7133]

Is there a section on Esty that shows recently sold items? You know how eBay has the search feature where you can see recently sold items and the price. I use it all the time to gauge resale prices and item popularity. As for your 3D business, I'd say go niche with the Giga. Larger barrier to entry but a lot more to lose if a print goes south.

[@DoubleTrouble3Dprinting]

Hey man, I've been considering this stuff as well for my own shop! Personally I've gone down the customizable route for my products - ex: hockey bag tags with names and numbers. Great to see someone else having the same debates as me ... hopefully were not both just crazy haha Have a good day Technicals !

[@noneednoneed5752]

I got a printer and a laser engraver, what helped me was stopping to be in love with the process and focus on finding a product that the clients wants or need ... Still haven't made a 3d printed sale, only a few laser sale Really have no relevant advice to give as of now, I am looking for a niche market

[@PERKINSP]

Morning TT People

[@paulmb]

Your niche are the large prints and having a printer running 24/7. Everyone with a 3d printer can make a SSD tray in less than an hour. Why not get in touch with a theatre or theatre props company. Another way you can go is crazy golf course for large prints.

[@ryandetzel848]

100%! I've been watching hundreds of videos and the themes are mass produce other peoples models. This might work, temporary, but it's not a long term business model. I'm taking a different approach -- automation. The beauty of 3d printing is the on demand part. For any niche you can literally produce hundreds of skus with zero inventory on hand and only when (and if) they get sold do you produce it. Similar to the conclusion you came to, I think the winning ideas are small, easy to produce (no post production), low failure rates, but also, and maybe you're not seeing this yet, they shouldn't be easy to copy. That little ssd holder, super easy to model and start printing in a few hours. Selling them might get you some short term money but once other people see your sales they'll quickly replicate that. Custom, niche, hard to copy, easy and cheap to product products. For my automation stuff I want it 95% hands off. Orders should auto print on a free printer, labels should print out, the software should tell me what box to pack and when it needs to go out. I don't want to even know or care what items are going out, just widget X is printing on printer B12 and needs this label in this box. Then I can focus on just finding the actual widgets that fit the criteria and testing the market.

[@TechnicalsTinkers]

All great advice, but every time I hear this or a variation of it it comes to how do you know what to actually print, besides trial/error/trying a lot of things - which is what i'm doing. Otherwise it would be 10-20min video of me sitting in a chair every day thinking

[@IAmNoggin]

When you feel lost, think about how you can skill stack. What is a problem in retail you can solve with a 3d print?

[@budwittman4907]

been selling a "snoop dog head bowl" i remanufatured from another model and i have them listed on fb marketplace and i offer shipping 10$ each bowl and 5$ shipping for up to 2 then the shipping gos up from there. i cant print them fast enough. they weigh 75 grams each costs 2$ to print and i print them in black and/or brown

[@FrodeBergetonNilsen]

I see you are going through the faces. We all do. Relax. Figure out what you are good at and who you are, like what do actually offer, and how to make that work for you. What is your vision? What is the value you actually add? What are you actually selling?

[@oneChanelCherie]

Great advice!

[@TechnicalsTinkers]

Plastic garbage destined for the oceans, like 99% of print shops

[@FrodeBergetonNilsen]

@@TechnicalsTinkers If you really think what you are selling is "garbage", then this is going to get rough really soon.

[@TechnicalsTinkers]

As long as you keep showing up to watch

[@chezcotton]

You should use the Giga to make chairs. There’s so many cool shapes and patters you could do that are difficult or impossible to make with other methods. At least that’s what I want the giga for furniture and art. I can’t afford a giga and don’t have the space to put it anywhere lol so my advice might not be the best

[@mithardy]

My friend you are in the same head space I was in half a year ago. I started with the flexi and fidget stuff and sold nothing because I didnt have the advertising money to burn. I am an engineer by trade so functional prints are what I do best. My Etsy shop sells a lot of $5 and $7 items but I make more money from facebook market place. I always remember the difference between failure and success is one more try.

[@TheCasualGamer01]

Printing custom maybe? This way the user can request colors etc. you print and ship.

[@Manakid]

I would say look at Japanese stationery stuff. Because its aesthetic is simple, small, and low effort (Like for notepads and pen bags). Finding the aesthetic is the hard part, but when you do its smooth sailing and it scales fairly fast, jest need to keep the detail vary high. So, use a 0.12 layer height or smaller. I do small batches for a local store, makes me about an extra $100~$300/wk with a printers or two.

[@oneChanelCherie]

Y’all are so much further ahead of me. I got my printer 5 weeks ago and still trying to decide what to print. I’ve done a few things for people and not sure if I charged the correct amount. Just did pricing like I do for my other businesses. Like most of y’all I don’t want to jump on the trending bandwagon either, dragons, etc. I already hate the logistics of shipping for my other company so I was thinking in person sales. Which doing in person means a totally different thought process. So idk. I’m watching, learning, listening and trying. But in any case I’ll be here watching to see what you come up with. ❤

[@MarkFisch]

What’s ur other KZbin channel

[@TechnicalsTinkers]

The Technials

[@RBallarddesigns]

I really want a Giga but have not pulled the trigger. However I think that machine is capable of profit with large prints. The two products I wanted to do with it are comic book covers (uncle Jesse did a video on this earlier in the year) and also model card parts (like the old plastic models where you cut out the parts and assemble. ) I think those would make great art projects on that thing and would sell decent

[@Latrocinium086]

The profit’s in the niches. If I had the orange storm I’d try furniture. Tables, chairs, dressers, cabinets. Things you can charge big prices for and people are comfortable paying. Also large decorations. Like a large vase. Think the moai if reasonably priced will sell well. Maybe choose a filament that makes it look more stone like. On the small printers, low profile prints. Things less than a cpl hundred layers and most likely functional. Look at what’s already hit for you. E.g. The rolling trays, crypto miners duct. One guy has a biz selling vacuum adapters for laser filtering systems. Up to 4 small farms for. It’s a niche, it’s functional and it’s one color simple.

[@3Dprintinglawyer]

At least you failed fast. It seems like the unexpected shipping costs really got in the way of your large print idea. I thought your paint job on the rhino was great, btw.

[@TechnicalsTinkers]

Ease up cowboy, this is the part of the story where our hero pretends to be distraught, before rallying.

[@Dooquid]

I'm going to be honest here tech, you seem like your burning out/losing hope. I don't say this with malice, I enjoy seeing you happy. 3d market is frustrating I just recently decided to purchase a P1S and I've stressed over how saturated the 3d market is. From what I've learned online is okay but local is where it's at. But other than making money, don't like this hobby/KZbin die out. Even if your not making money off it we are here for the ride. I've been watching you for awhile now and never subbed. You got my sub today. Just keep being you and if 3d business don't work out, just do 3D KZbin videos, your comfortable in front of a camera and have a dope personality, don't give up

[@TechnicalsTinkers]

Thanks, remember that media is a component of this project. All good shows have highs and lows.

[@crazynanoman]

Etsy is worst platform for sales.

[@Affinity3DStudios]

Forget catching trends, learn to model easy items yourself or pay someone to do it!

[@TechnicalsTinkers]

Same question still applies. "What to sell?"

[@tenmilecreations]

Any product you see being produced right now could be improved upon or customized. I think that's really where it falls in place offering something unique to the customer can't get anywhere else if that thing becomes mainstream and now it's all over the place you just move onto the next thing.. Worth mentioning, I think the giant prints went a long way to helping grow your KZbin so might be worth continuing to do in the future for that, myself enjoy seeing what you would produce with the giga.

[@TechnicalsTinkers]

Dude keep your voice down, you're going to give away what i'm actually doing! I don't want people knowing i'm a "Type 3" on the Tenmile scale 🤣

[@Brett5106]

Your mindset was all wrong from the beginning. You got upset when I said, "Go slow". You really seem not to care about quality. A great example was the rhino head. With the attitude you have towards no tinkering, no post-processing , and no painting. You really need to stick with basic prints. I think you rushed into buying that giga before you had a winning concept. Good luck.

[@WhereNerdyisCool]

Exactly this. I cringed at the big dice prints that didn’t come out good at all. You’re charging premium prices for things you probably wouldn’t buy. Quality matters.

[@TechnicalsTinkers]

Don't recall perfectly, but I believe my reply back then (upset? what?) was that I can't go slow. I have to keep pace to deliver content. Things would get stale quick if I had 10 episodes in a row focusing on one single thing. With respect, I think you guys forget how big of a component the media is in this project.

[@WhereNerdyisCool]

@ maybe. I’m watching from the sidelines as a guy who’s been 3D printing since it came off patent 🤓. I’ve bit my tongue / backspaced a lot because I want to offer constructive criticism yet learn from your venture too. You dove in trying to resell right away without affording yourself a lot of time to learn how to print precisely and accurately. We’ve seen that in the fails. I’m not sure what you see as your market, or niche? I’m printing like crazy and attending craft shows every weekend. I’ve figured out the price point that works in that venue and adjusted my inventory based on what sells and what people tell me they are looking for. I can’t quit the day job yet but maybe someday!

[@Brett5106]

​@@TechnicalsTinkers I stated go slow on printing and learn. Not in regards to youtube.

[@JustTrendcraft]

One year is to much time you wont generate profit by then because you are not taking into account the space is using even tho you dont have to pay for it in that case you should consider rent it for events might have better luck

[@saliston]

i dont have a farm just a couple of printers. This is just for myself but my work asked me to create some cubicle coat hangers (75) of them had a couple friends ask me to print some stuff out for them. for the coat hangers i did $8 a piece. It coverted my costs with some extra thrown in. They picked the most complicated design so i had to do a bunch of post processing and they wanted their logo on them which forced me to only use one printer since its the only one that can do multi color. All in all it was a good learning experience. Also did a Krampus mask for someone. That i just charged double the filament costs. no post processing other then removing supports. i did have to use the slicer to split it in a couple places but other then that its good.

[@0JThomps0]

It's a difficult quandary. I still believe large art pieces and functional prints could be the way to go. However, in my case, I'd like to try selling locally first. I don't like the idea of having to pack and ship. You got to go with something that keeps you excited or you're not going to continue doing it.

[@MarkRouleau]

What is your other business?

[@CritterRacing]

Keep it as a hobby. Switch to reveiws.

[@TechnicalsTinkers]

Switch to reviews?

[@carymartz8762]

Why is my comment being deleted, I posted twice?

[@TechnicalsTinkers]

Brother, no idea. People say that from time to time about comments being nuked. I have no filters in place and never delete comments, EVER. YT algo mysteries.

[@Zhaitsev]

Is that shirt getting tighter, or is it just me. Maybe time to buy it in the right size for your body.

[@TechnicalsTinkers]

No way, i'd only go smaller. Also bloated from breakfast

[@Moddwerx3Dtech]

It’s the top button man

[@TechnicalsTinkers]

That's like not wearing a tie to work

[@JasonKingKong]

3D printed shirts are the future!

[@DoubleTrouble3Dprinting]

👍👍