Making money with 3D printing. Really?

[okaysecondtime]

Has anyone here heard of 3D printing?

In fact, I believe you can even make real fully functional cars with it.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/a16726/local-motors-strati-roadster-test-drive/

Is making money with 3D printing the next big thing? Especially if you can make your own designs that people can print out?

There are some marketplaces for it:

http://www.thingiverse.com/

https://pinshape.com/3d-marketplace

Yeah the 3D machines (Printers to be exact) are still pricey if you ask me but is this the next online Gold rush?

If anyone here is selling these files, would love to learn more from you. I love tech and making some $s on the side with this sounds awesome

 

[EpicGlobalWeb]

I like the Arduino build it yourself kit. They are amazing machines and use plant-based plastic so you don't support big oil companies using them, usually.

Plus, you can make anything from toys to plastic car parts and they cost to do it in materials is usually pennies. A friend of mine has a business where he manufactures cell phone cases, shift knobs, and a multitude of other items fashioned from a MakerBot. It's amazing.

But in reality, it is just a small-scale form of injection molding (3 axis CNC, really) and you should have a firm grasp on modeling software like Blender unless you plan on hiring that kind of help.

The arduino is the greatest in my opinion because you learn all the details of how 3D printing works when you build it, which will save you big time when trouble-shooting later. It is also the cheapest model I have found at just over $650, maybe less in some places of the web.

Others can cost considerably more depending on size, speed of printing, brand, and the usual price suspects.

 

[okaysecondtime]

First thanks for your reply EpicGlobalWeb. Appreciate it. Sounds like a process . . . Get the printer. learn the software . . . stuff like that. I'm pretty decent with tech but yeah if there is a time commitment involved then it's going to be challenging for me - I hope someone like Apple makes their own Printer or something. That's when the party will really start

 

[Developer]

Yeah, that's all we need now is the iPrinter... LOL

The mock-up imagery on that link above actually looks pretty slick.
I am not a huge fan of Apple, not a fan at all, in all honesty, how-
ever, I would buy one of those just for the sleek look. I think it'd
look pretty awesome on either of my office or my personal desks.

 

[HCFGrizzly]

3D printers have been around for some time now.
If you have imagination and a good business plan, then sure, you can make money with these printers.
I know people who are making money with lesser ideas, so why not with 3D printers?

 

[denvercardonations]

But, the printers are crazy expensive...

 

[fretooplek]

I think this is a very interesting idea, can be applied in many areas. But we need to carefully examine what You're trying to do to ensure the return of the printer itself

 

[Chancer]

I recently ordered 3-D printed parts worth around $300.
If the guy who printed them got the raw material from alibaba he payed only $10 for it. So ROI seems good, however you need to take into account that 3-D printers are very slow. It can take a full day to make a $200 part.
Also cracks may form during printing and you need to reprint - hence you need to avoid any strict deadlines.

In general there is good money in here but you need experience and you need to understand the printing process well.

For 3-D printing service purpose you can start with a printer as cheap as $600. So the initial investment can pay itself quite promptly if you know what you are doing.
But the best money here is in selling the printers, supplies for them and maintenance services. This has lower risk and requires less work than a 3-D printing service.


As i said, i have recently had some parts made. But i was anything but satisfied with what i got.
Hence i’m in the process of buying a printer myself in order to have full control over quality. I know i definitely could make good freelancing money with a printer, but will probably need a year of trial and error before i know enough to provide a reliable service.

 

[Rockk]

3D printers have been around for quite a while.

In the event that you have creative ability and a decent marketable strategy, then beyond any doubt, you can profit with these printers.

I know individuals who are profiting with lesser thoughts, so why not with 3D printers?