I was thinking about this question today as someone used our work printer for some personal stuff.
As for me, I am printing little things that I would say make it worth it. I’ve printed lens adapters for my camera for example. That’s worth a good 14 to 30 bucks per print. My most favorite photo was with an adapted lens that came from a projector. I also printed IEMs and those things are worth it. Listening to music is second to none on those things. Plus I printed the same shell but for ear protection and again the fit is perfect and sure there’s post processing to get smooth surfaces but in the end it looks like a professional made it. So I think 3d printers are worth it.
This is the crazy part for me. Sometimes I’ll just sit there and stare at a part I designed and printed and just be in awe that this was in my brain a few hours ago and now I’m actually holding it in my hands. Well maybe not this exactly, but as close as I could come to what I was thinking of.
That was blowing my mind the first time I printed a prototype. Still kinda does.
That and sharing models is great. Like I can literally download a physical object. Sure the printing is an extra step, but that’s still amazing to me 10 years after firing up my first printer.
Have you printed the wrench that went to the International Space Station? That is a whole other level of mind blowing.
Like you can download the same file that was sent into Earth’s orbit and the same file that astronauts printed and used to make repairs up there.
I love to tell people that and people just can’t comprehend that we digitally sent a wrench into space lol
Yea I know, it’s great.
I didn’t because I didn’t need one, but printing bridging features in zero-G must be something else.
Resin printing in space would be such a mess though.