My Year of the 3D Printer

I have been designing parts for additive manufacturing for several years, but I had never set up and run a printer before this year. 2020 was the year of my 3D printing awakening; I revived my lab’s Maker’s Tool Works MendelMax 3 printer and used it at home to print face shield parts for healthcare workers, I was gifted two 3D printers of my own, and I began selling 3D printed components on the online maker marketplace Tindie. This year I consumed several spools of filament, made prints in PLA, PETG, ABS, Polypropylene, and PVDF, and most importantly learned a lot about how to successfully operate and maintain a FDM 3D printer. So, to celebrate my first year of homegrown 3D printing bliss here are my five favorite prints from this year.

Owning a 3D printer has come in handy for so many applications around the house and in my life. The above prints are just a small handful of the useful, interesting, and beautiful things that I’ve printed this year; I’ve also printed duct adapters for ducts in my house and for research purposes, roses and a heart-shaped box as gifts, and parts to upgrade the 3D printers that I use. I have really enjoyed operating my own 3D printer in 2020, and I expect my printing to grow and improve in the coming year!