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What are some useful things to create with a typical 3D printer? (lemmy.ml)

submitted 6 days ago by comfy@lemmy.ml to c/asklemmy@lemmy.ml

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I'm going to have access to a 3D printer for a few days. I know two friends who've used them, but it's only been for art and figurines, or professional purposes.

Are there any other cases you can think of where a custom-printed item is better than the myriad of mass-produced plastic items?

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[–] TootSweet@lemmy.world 15 points 6 days ago

Just some examples of things I've printed or plan to. Ones marked with an asterisk (*) at the end are ones I largely or entirely designed myself or plan to largely or entirely design myself. Ones marked with a plus (+) are ones that are half completed. Minuses (-) are ones I haven't started yet but intend to.

Wall mounts for Nintendo Switch components (dock, controllers, Joycon charger, etc.) Definite space saver. *
Wall mount for a Raspberry-Pi-based NAS solution. *
Parts to augment a computer chassis wall mount for my ridiculously-large chassis. (Yes, there's a bit of a pattern there.) *
A custom Raspberry Pi case that mounts nicely and nondestructively to my desk.
A custom adapter for my drill that let me run the drain in my washing machine when the motor was broken. *
A custom plate to cover my nightstand clock face so it doesn't shine in my eyes all night. *
A custom die for a Sizzix Die Cutting Machine for quilting use. (That one took a lot of work.) *
A custom tool for precisely bending 16mm steel strapping (which I'd sharpened into a blade) in service to the custom die just above. *
Custom yarn bowls for my crafty mother. *
Custom stitch markers for my crafty mother. *
Custom barrel buttons for my crafty mother. *
A couple of custom mounts for SAD lamps. *
Custom shelving for a bathroom. *
Custom mods for some wire shelving in the same bathroom. *
Custom mount for a reflector mirror to let me see more with the security camera on my front porch. *
A tool for straightening 3D-printing filament. *
Spacers for mounting a peg board on the wall.
I also had a folding door that broke and got kinda janky. I had a few extra of those peg board spacers, and they turned out coincidentally to be exactly the right size to properly shore up that door.
Custom shelving for DVDs/Blurays and video games. *+
A custom shelf-drawer for my mousepad. *-
A custom 3D printed mechanical keyboard... once I'm done writing the program for rapidly prototyping 3D-printed keyboards. *+

I'm sure I'm forgetting a bunch. And the above is only the useful things and excluding the mostly art/fun items.

I have in mind to do more 3D-printing of tools. I don't have much specifically in mind. But that custom steel strapping bender is pretty cool. Also, some of what I mentioned above is available on my Thingiverse.