My first steps into 3D printing

One of my hobbies is tinkering with electronics and cheap microcontrollers from the ESP family. To complete a project, I often needed a case for things I built. One option is to buy a pre-made case, but instead I found it to be a good reason to buy a 3D printer.

But this post is not about the decision process of selecting the printer. It’s about my initial experiences with this device and all those things I discovered on the way. Maybe it can help you answer if you should buy a 3D printer or not.

The beginning

I had literally zero experience with 3D printing. I’ve read about it, I’ve watched some reviews of printers, but I had never touched one before. I’ve explored communities like Printables and MakerWorld, and I couldn’t believe people made all of those things on their devices at home. There was something fascinating about the whole 3D printing technology that I decided to enter this world.

I bought the printer, ran the slicer, and after importing the Benchy model¹, I started my first print, waiting patiently and observing the process. It looked magical. The object just appeared right in front of my eyes and a few meters of plastic turned into something different, pretty, and somehow usable. A few prints later I had a feeling that I was downloading actual things from the Internet.

Learning the process

Each subsequent print was like a test. A different color. Different brands of filament. Different material. Different parameters. Each failure has taught me something new. I learned how small details matter and how impatience can destroy even the best model. Considering how many parameters you can set, what materials you can use, and the fact that each model is different, all of this makes the whole process interesting and engaging.

I think the real adventure starts with designing your own models. Being able to make literally anything you want or need (from plastic of course) gives a sense of freedom. For now I’m just remixing other people’s work, but maybe someday I will actually make something from scratch.

Looking at the designer’s toolbox I guess it’s actually a totally different skill. From my software engineer’s perspective, it’s the difference between using a program others wrote and writing your own customized version. Maybe you will find something that fulfills your needs, but if you know how to do it, the limits are gone – at least those related to skills.

Reality check and usability

Ultimately, after some time, I learned that not every model is worth printing. There are tons of free models, looking insanely good, that have no real purpose, unless the possession is the main goal - all sorts of gadgets, toys or things you throw into the corner days after. On the other hand, I found a few useful projects like Gridfinity, which helped me completely change my approach to organisation. Basically, when you can print anything, you also have to decide what not to print.

Surprisingly, the most common question I get when 3D printing is mentioned is “what do you print?”. It’s hard to answer it precisely, at least in my case. A 3D printer has no actual purpose – it’s a tool. It prints stuff, the same way a standard paper printer prints. The outcome is all that matters.

The truth is, the process takes time. I probably devote more time to my printer than I assumed I needed, but treating it as a hobby definitely helped me to not throw everything away. Curiosity was what drove me forward. Otherwise, I would pause after the 3rd print with no idea what to print next and why. If your goal is only the final print, don’t waste your money and time. Just buy exactly what you need.

Or enjoy the process, like I do.