06-22-2026, 01:41 PM
3D printing went from niche maker hobby to genuinely practical home tool over the last few years, especially with Bambu Lab making reliable printing accessible without hours of calibration.
Recent things I've printed that were actually useful:
Setup I'm running: Bambu Lab P1S with the AMS for multi-material. Before that I had an Ender 3 which taught me a lot but also ate a lot of hours.
Material breakdown for newcomers:
Where to find models: Printables (run by Prusa, good quality control), Thangs, MakerWorld (Bambu's platform, curated).
What are you printing? Any projects you're particularly proud of?
Recent things I've printed that were actually useful:
- Custom wall mounts for network gear and cable management
- Replacement clips for a broken IKEA shelf bracket (saved £15 and 30 min of IKEA trip)
- A desktop organiser for my small tools and USB cables
- Cable labels - print once, label forever
Setup I'm running: Bambu Lab P1S with the AMS for multi-material. Before that I had an Ender 3 which taught me a lot but also ate a lot of hours.
Material breakdown for newcomers:
- PLA - easiest to print, good for most things, not heat resistant
- PETG - slightly trickier, better heat tolerance, great for functional parts
- ASA/ABS - outdoor use, UV resistant, needs enclosure and ventilation
- TPU - flexible, good for phone cases and grips, finicky to dial in
Where to find models: Printables (run by Prusa, good quality control), Thangs, MakerWorld (Bambu's platform, curated).
What are you printing? Any projects you're particularly proud of?