I've been trying to justify purchasing a 3D printer and so far the best I've come up with is this list of useless crap I have very little use for.. https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/30-useful-ways-3d-printing-used-home/
The author suggested that in the near future we'll ALL need 3D printers to manufacture such needed items as tape dispensers, plastic bag carriers, key holders along with the many many items readily available for a buck (or less) at dollar stores everywhere ..
OMG! How have we survived this long without our own personal 3D printers? 
I'm not saying there's no use for 3D printers, far from it, but if I'm to invest in one I really need it to be able to make things I would never be able to acquire any other way.. Making junk to fill up yet another junk drawer isn't among the reasons to get a 3D printer. 
Who has a 3D printer and what indispensable items have you made that you simply cannot live without ?

(11-26-2018, 06:01 PM)grampahol Wrote: I've been trying to justify purchasing a 3D printer and so far the best I've come up with is this list of useless crap I have very little use for.. https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/30-useful-ways-3d-printing-used-home/
The author suggested that in the near future we'll ALL need 3D printers to manufacture such needed items as tape dispensers, plastic bag carriers, key holders along with the many many items readily available for a buck (or less) at dollar stores everywhere ..
OMG! How have we survived this long without our own personal 3D printers? 
I'm not saying there's no use for 3D printers, far from it, but if I'm to invest in one I really need it to be able to make things I would never be able to acquire any other way.. Making junk to fill up yet another junk drawer isn't among the reasons to get a 3D printer. 
Who has a 3D printer and what indispensable items have you made that you simply cannot live without ?

Do you have any hobbies? They tend to be useful for hobbyists who need specialized pieces or tools for their projects.

So we had a Machinist at work who retired several years ago that had one. He did a lot with robotics for a program at a high school somewhere around Charlottesville, and he justified the purchase because of everything he could do for his robotics team. Prior to the printer, if he/they wanted to change out some gearing, for example, he would bring some material to work and make a single piece in a CNC lathe before going home and hope the desired effect was what obtained. With the 3D printer, he could make three or four different gears for just pennies and try them all and compare the effects. I saw several pieces he made out of the thing, and I found it to be incredibly impressive.

I used a 3D printer to make a 3D printer for my friend.

(11-26-2018, 06:01 PM)grampahol Wrote: I've been trying to justify purchasing a 3D printer and so far the best I've come up with is this list of useless crap I have very little use for.. https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/30-useful-ways-3d-printing-used-home/
The author suggested that in the near future we'll ALL need 3D printers to manufacture such needed items as tape dispensers, plastic bag carriers, key holders along with the many many items readily available for a buck (or less) at dollar stores everywhere ..
OMG! How have we survived this long without our own personal 3D printers? 
I'm not saying there's no use for 3D printers, far from it, but if I'm to invest in one I really need it to be able to make things I would never be able to acquire any other way.. Making junk to fill up yet another junk drawer isn't among the reasons to get a 3D printer. 
Who has a 3D printer and what indispensable items have you made that you simply cannot live without ?

my uncle gave me a 3d printer but I didn't really have a place to set it up and plans to use it.  so I traded it away to my wifes uncle who does auto cad

They can do lots of cool things... but not very practical for personal items.  unless your doing something like custom statues for people paying big bucks. or your line of business deals in prototyping.

bottom line if it gets to the point where everyone needs one... they will be extremely affordable by then and better suited to fit in your home

(11-27-2018, 06:39 PM)XenoMorph Wrote: bottom line if it gets to the point where everyone needs one... they will be extremely affordable by then and better suited to fit in your home

The first big flatscreen TV I bought lasted almost 10 years.  Just bought a new one for less than half the price I would have paid for the same TV 10 years ago.

Same thing will eventually happen for 3D printers and all th new technology.

I suppose the type of equipment I want cost much more than the stuff I can afford.. Example might be 3d wood carving stuff.. The name of the equipment escapes me right now ,but I had looked into one for around $150. The problem was it could only handle items about 5" x 5" whereas the items I wanted to make were 10 times the size.. The piece of equipment I actually wanted cost much much more ...way out of my range