Fortunately, you dont need one of your own to bring your imaginary creations to life.
You may still be wondering why you should care about 3D printing to begin with.
Its a fair question!
While 3D printer prices havent plummeted like some expected, the community around them has grown considerably.
), to useful things likephone standsorcord protectors.
They just might not be worth $500-2000 for the printer, as well.
There are a few things you gotta consider when youre looking for something to make.
Contrary to early adopter opinion, 3D printing isnt the best solution for everything.
Then I foundthis thing on Amazonfor $6.
3D printing is cool, but its not always necessary.
Before you order something, see if a regular mass-produced version exists.
Thatssuper awesome, but its also another thing that can affect your object.
Even if you do your due diligence, keep in mind that printing isnt always perfect.
Be prepared for the possibility that something might not come out exactly the way you envisioned it.
One of our (and your) favorites is Shapeways.
you’ve got the option to explore the object in a 3D model viewer.
And not the 3D kind: I dont own a regular, 2D paper printer either.
When you get there, among the many other cool things they have, youmay find a 3D printer.
Thats right, libraries are cool.
You heard it here first.
Theyll let you get hands-on with the software and learn how it works.
Learning in a library.
Not only will most makerspaces have shared resources (like 3D printers!
), they also have people who are experienced in using them on site.
All of these can quickly ruin a project, especially if you dont know how to fix your printer.
And the truth is…probably not?
Its easy to imagine a wonderful world where anything you might imagine, you might build.
The reality is that 3D printers are still printers.
3D printingservices, on the other hand, are much more consumer friendly.
