The Pros and Cons of 3D Printing

Thinking of getting into 3D Printing as a hobby?

Joining the 3D printing hobby group is very exciting, getting your hands on your very own 3D printer is awesome. Just think of the possibilities of things that you could create and maybe even make money off. There are some things to consider though.

3D printing as a hobby is great fun but it is also very very time consuming, you have to be willing to invest those days into learning, testing and printing. There are a lot of pros for 3D printing as a hobby but there also some points you will need to consider.

I will list out the pros and cons of 3D printing as a hobby to help you reach a verdict on whether it is definitely something you can/want to do.

Pros

Money Making Potential

There is definitely potential to make some money off of 3D printing, for example, you can create personalised keyrings and sell them. Getting good with printing will allow you to create bigger and better things which could be worth some value to people.

It's Really Good Fun

One of the best things about 3D printing is that it’s very fun to do, being able to re-create that lost TV remote cover is amazing. Learning more and more skills within the printing allows you to create things you never thought you could, it feels great creating your very own dragon pencil holder.

The Community Is Great

Learning a new skill or hobby can sometimes depend on getting help/advice from others, the 3D printing community are really good when it comes to tips and troubleshooting. If you do pick up a problem, you could go into a forum and get your question answered rather quickly.

There are also a lot of user-made templates and blueprints that are shared around, allowing you to create cool items that you maybe didn’t know how to make.

Cons

It requires patience to learn

Learning a new skill or hobby can sometimes depend on getting help/advice from others, the 3D printing community are really good when it comes to tips and troubleshooting. If you do pick up a problem, you could go into a forum and get your question answered rather quickly.

There are also a lot of user-made templates and blueprints that are shared around, allowing you to create cool items that you maybe didn’t know how to make.

You need to consider what printer you need

If you’re buying a 3D printer to design big objects and parts, you need to consider what will be big enough for the highest price you can afford. Not all 3D printers will be able to design the same objects as others, for example, a smaller printer won’t be able to make a car door.

You need to consider, with your budget, what size printer you will need and what type of objects you will be creating.

The costs of upgrading your printer do add up

If you purchase a cheaper 3D printer and start to get really into/good at printing, you will want more power and more functions added on to your printer. However, these upgrades add up long-term, leaving you spending more money without you even realising it. Upgrading certain aspects will be more expensive than others, so consider what printer you buy for future use, going future-proof isn’t a bad shout.

Conclusion

Overall,  it is definitely worth getting into it, especially if it’s something you’ve always wanted to try. It does take a chunk of your time at first and can be a long process but learning how to do it properly and creating amazing objects is something you can’t do otherwise.

Depending on why you’re getting into it, there’s potential to make money through your talent of creating bespoke items. There’s also a great and lively community always there to help you with your issues and to speak about projects with.

It’s definitely a great way to start the new year. New year, new you…

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