r/3Dprintingbusiness

hello! I’ve started doing custom orders and I’ve made 300$ so far, I haven’t even marketed myself or started a business or anything. do I keep doing it this way or do I try to expand? It seems super profitable and I’m making like 3x the cost I’m putting in. Ive read a lot of people saying they arent making money but I feel like that isn’t true.

Anybody going or have been to past events? What kind of vendors are there?

Feel like anything is missing?

I’m considering going but need to know if there is variety and nuance beyond a local maker fair.

What do you get good tshirts and fun gear to wear in your shop?

Seeking true 3D printing apparel.

So recently I decided to get back into RC airplanes and found I could print my own - shout out Eclipson! I bought some expensive LW PLA and then made a mess. I dabble in 3d printing only. I make some woodworking jigs and little parts here and there. My printer mostly sits unused.

I also used to have a resin printer, but I quickly learned I did NOT have the ventilation or space (or patience) necessary for that hobby, so I got rid of it.

Anyway, I live in the LA area and it's dense here, but we surprisingly lack maker spaces like a lot of cities have. They're probably just too expensive to be worth it for the real estate. Still, I'm sure there's like a billion people near me with printers or other tools that already know how to print aero PLA, or can laser cut or whatever, but there wasn't an easy way to find them.

Well, my day job is working in software, so I figured I'd build something for this - makermesh.net

Quick note for whoever wants to roast this or be super cynical (or mods). I am super cynical. I think everything is a scam or a scheme. MakerMesh is totally free. It doesn't have ads. It never will because I fucking hate ads. I just figured there must be a lot of people who've got equipment and knowledge that might like to get to know local people who can help make stuff and maybe make a couple of bucks. The only 'monetization' is a simple donation link if people find the site useful.

It's pretty simple at it's core. You create a profile, explain what tools and skills you've got. A patron (or a fellow maker) can reach out with a project idea, a 3d file, link, whatever, and facilitate a conversation. The site even has a built in 3d file viewer, so you can get an idea of a model before downloading (files are scanned for viruses). How you price it, or not, is entirely up to you. MakerMesh doesn't handle transactions, take a cut, etc. It's a community endeavor.

As a patron, you can search nearby for people with talent, contact them and go from there or you can post a project without picking a maker if you don't know what you need. It has a very simple, positive rating system (and a reporting option in the unlikely event it comes to that). It's also very private. Unless the user's share their info, locations, emails, phone numbers are not publicized).

Anyway, that's it - I'm not selling anything, just trying to get local people together to make stuff. Please check it out and give it a spin.

Tl;Dr: I normally don't do these because reading is fundamental, but here - I made a totally free maker community site called makermesh.net and I'd like you to give it a try. Or don't if you don't want to.

I’ve been designing and printing polymer clay cutters, embossers, and texture tools for a while now, and I wanted to share a bit of my experience with others who are growing their 3D printing businesses.

One thing I’ve learned is that the product itself is only half the battle. Clean photos, consistent branding, and understanding what makers actually need has made a bigger difference than any printer upgrade. I’ve also found that creating designs that solve small problems for creators (like crisp edges, consistent thickness, or unique shapes) gets way more traction than trying to compete on price.

I’m still improving every day, but I’m proud of the progress so far. If anyone else here is building a shop or selling printed tools, I’d love to hear what’s been working for you.

Happy printing and creating!

Hi im selling a lot of things with my 3d printer for 3 years and for 2 years i have no costumers. I watched a lot of videos , make tiktok,facebook and instagram videos but i have no customers. I tried to sell toys ,car tool and a lot of things but nothing. Can you give me advice how to sell in Armenia

I've been in 3D printing for about 8 years, but I only have an old Geeetech A10 (basically an Ender 3). I'm looking to upgrade to something like a Qidi or Bambu Lab printer and take a shot at B2B printing. Has anyone made decent money on CraftCloud only working part-time? I don't mean massive amounts, but enough to make it worth your time at least.

Is it possible to make anything with a single machine?

I would probably eventually scale up, but I'm trying to test the waters a bit before I rack up huge startup costs.

Hi everyone,

I’m looking to get into 3D printing and would really appreciate some practical advice from people with real experience.

My situation:

• I’m planning to start using a printer at home (not a workshop)
• Initial use is personal (learning, prototyping, functional parts, experimenting)
• But I also want to explore whether this can turn into a small business over time (selling parts, prototypes, or niche products locally)

So I’m trying to understand the real-world setup, not just specs.

A few specific questions:

1. Printer choice

• What would you recommend as a first printer that balances ease of use and scalability?
• Is it worth starting with something fully plug-and-play, or should I learn on a more “manual” machine?

2. FDM vs resin

• I’m leaning toward FDM for functional parts, but I’d like to understand if resin is worth adding later for business use
• At what point does resin actually make sense commercially?

3. Materials / filaments

• Which materials are realistically most useful for selling functional parts (PLA, PETG, ABS, nylon)?
• What should I avoid as a beginner if I care about reliability?

4. Business potential

• Is it realistic to start small (custom parts, repairs, niche components) and scale into a micro-business from home?
• What are the biggest bottlenecks you ran into when trying to monetize 3D printing?

5. Common mistakes

• What do you wish you knew before starting?
• Any traps like overbuying printers, choosing the wrong niche, or underestimating maintenance?

I’m not looking for hype or “best printer lists” — more interested in what actually works in practice if you treat this seriously as a side business.

Thanks in advance for any insights.

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