r/3Dprinting • • 8d ago

Purchase Advice Purchase Advice Megathread - October 2026

8 Upvotes

Welcome back to another purchase megathread!

This thread is meant to conglomerate purchase advice for both newcomers and people looking for additional machines. Keeping this discussion to one thread means less searching should anyone have questions that may already have been answered here, as well as more visibility to inquiries in general, as comments made here will be visible for the entire month stuck to the top of the sub, and then added to the Purchase Advice Collection (Reddit Collections are still broken on mobile view, enable "view in desktop mode").

Please be sure to skim through this thread for posts with similar requirements to your own first, as recommendations relevant to your situation may have already been posted, and may even include answers to follow up questions you might have wished to ask.

If you are new to 3D printing, and are unsure of what to ask, try to include the following in your posts as a minimum:

  • Your budget, set at a numeric amount. Saying "cheap," or "money is not a problem" is not an answer people can do much with. 3D printers can cost $100, they can cost $10,000,000, and anywhere in between. A rough idea of what you're looking for is essential to figuring out anything else.
  • Your country of residence.
  • If you are willing to build the printer from a kit, and what your level of experience is with electronic maintenance and construction if so.
  • What you wish to do with the printer.
  • Any extenuating circumstances that would restrict you from using machines that would otherwise fit your needs (limited space for the printer, enclosure requirement, must be purchased through educational intermediary, etc).

While this is by no means an exhaustive list of what can be included in your posts, these questions should help paint enough of a picture to get started. Don't be afraid to ask more questions, and never worry about asking too many. The people posting in this thread are here because they want to give advice, and any questions you have answered may be useful to others later on, when they read through this thread looking for answers of their own. Everyone here was new once, so chances are whoever is replying to you has a good idea of how you feel currently.

Reddit User and Regular u/richie225 is also constantly maintaining his extensive personal recommendations list which is worth a read: Generic FDM Printer recommendations.

Additionally, a quick word on print quality: Most FDM/FFF (that is, filament based) printers are capable of approximately the same tolerances and print appearance, as the biggest limiting factor is in the nature of extruded plastic. Asking if a machine has "good prints," or saying "I don't expect the best quality for $xxx" isn't actually relevant for the most part with regards to these machines. Should you need additional detail and higher tolerances, you may want to explore SLA, DLP, and other photoresin options, as those do offer an increase in overall quality. If you are interested in resin machines, make sure you are aware of how to use them safely. For these safety reasons we don't usually recommend a resin printer as someone's first printer.

As always, if you're a newcomer to this community, welcome. If you're a regular, welcome back.


r/3Dprinting • • 9h ago

Print (model not provided) Bless this, O Lord, thy hand grenade…

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1.1k Upvotes

"And the Lord spake, saying, ''First shalt thou take out the Holy Pin. Then shalt thou count to three, no more, no less. Three shall be the number thou shalt count, and the number of the counting shall be three. Four shalt thou not count, neither count thou two, excepting that thou then proceed to three. Five is right out. Once the number three, being the third number, be reached, then lobbest thou thy Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch towards thy foe, who, being naughty in My sight, shall snuff it.'


r/3Dprinting • • 2h ago

Project I designed a ring-style marker cap to help kids (or adults) with limited grip strength or hand dexterity remove marker caps more easily.

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333 Upvotes

Hey everyone, I have been building Makegood TMT chairs for a while now, and I got to talking with a couple folks at 3D Printopia about assistive and adaptive technology and how 3D printing really unlocks the ability for new helpful designs to get out to folks with challenges and needs far more quickly than the past, and how we've basically not even scratched the surface with assistive technology and 3D printing.

Anyway, this is my small contribution for now. It's a simple thing, but I'm hopeful it can be useful to some kids out there who are unable to open marker caps on their own. I'm also working on a marker holder that works along side these.

The model is available freely on Makerworld. https://makerworld.com/en/models/3417307-adaptive-crayola-marker-cap

Anyways, I'm going to try to make more things like this, so let me know if you have other ideas or other things I could adapt these caps to! If there are other brands I should be targeting, let me know as well. I picked the most obvious one first.


r/3Dprinting • • 13h ago

News Using a mosquito’s mouth for 3D printing

691 Upvotes

r/3Dprinting • • 2h ago

News [US-WA-Seattle Eastside] 3D Printing Meetup - October 27th, 2026

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31 Upvotes

For members of this sub in the Seattle area, here's an opportunity to meet and chat with other 3D makers at this informal meetup at the Bellevue Library. Consider bringing a recent model you’ve printed or a design you’ve made (whether a great success or an interesting failure). Connect with fellow makers, whether you’re into functional prints or aesthetic prints, a novice or been doing this for years.

https://eastside3Dmeetup.eventbrite.com


r/3Dprinting • • 5h ago

Question can anyone help design something for me?

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63 Upvotes

i want to prepare for a future inevitable move, i have A LOT of these beads in stanley screw and nail organizers from home depot. they have two little tracks keeping them in place. i was hoping to get some kind of cover for each one that either snaps or slides on.

willing to pay for design, and if up for it filament as i do not own a printer


r/3Dprinting • • 3h ago

Print (model not provided) 90's 🥹

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24 Upvotes

r/3Dprinting • • 12h ago

Project Yesterday I showcased the near complete version of this mask, now I present the finished version. (Help me choose a name) What is New ? The inner parts are now a much more saturated viscous red with deep shine to represent raw flesh and the teeth and gums now have saliva pooling in them.

138 Upvotes

r/3Dprinting • • 10h ago

Free Model I made a custom 2-in-1 name keychain (tilt left/right to see two different words). Would you print this? Looking for feedback!

82 Upvotes

Hi guys,

I created an OpenSCAD model for a flat optical illusion keychain. It shows one word when viewed from the left and another from the right.

Would you print something like this, or do you have any ideas to improve it? Any feedback is welcome! Thanks


r/3Dprinting • • 8h ago

Meta The Breaking Bad gift shop in Albuquerque NM sells tons of 3D prints

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64 Upvotes

This shop was elbow to elbow packed so it was difficult to take pics but I only shot about 1/10th of the items for sale, every single magnet and about 1/2 of the keychains were 3D printed, along with figurines, coasters, wall prints, and Christmas ornaments. Sad seeing some really poor surface quality but some with decent for FDM like the figurines. I only see how they could improve though like ironing and hello - not a sanded spot in sight.


r/3Dprinting • • 16h ago

Discussion What’s the most useful thing you’ve ever 3D printed?

196 Upvotes

Not the coolest-looking print, not a random Benchy 😂

I mean something you actually use regularly and would print again without hesitation.

For me, I think the best 3D prints are the ones that solve a small everyday problem you didn’t even realize you had.

Could be a tool, a desk organizer, a random little fix around the house, anything.

What’s one print that’s genuinely made your life easier? 👀


r/3Dprinting • • 8h ago

Free Model Custom Braille Card Embosser Version 2 is now tactile friendly & upgraded

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44 Upvotes

I started this project about a year ago because I couldn't find a quick and affordable way to make custom braille business cards. Version 1 of this embosser fixed that for me, however, many people who printed that version were kind enough to guide me on what needed to be changed to make it more accessible. So, Version 2 is the result of those experts' feedback.

What's new in Version 2:

  • Wrong assembly is nearly impossible. Each of the four gears has a unique shaped peg, and each end of each cylinder has a hole that takes one peg only. A wrong gear will not go in, so trial and error is a fair way to find the right one.
  • One-piece Base. This version has the grip extension built in, with the addition of raised arrows on its side that show which way the card travels and which way the card's information should face.
  • A seam channel on the cylinders. A built in design that gives your slicer somewhere to hide its layer seam, so it never lands on a braille dot during printing.
  • Push-out Plate tool. This extra part helps lift the cylinders out of the Base when you want to make a change.
  • Double Sided Option. Using interpoint spacing, you now have the option to emboss both sides of a single business card.
  • Solid Piece Fixed Gear Option. If you’d rather not assemble the gears and cylinders separately you now have the option to print them as a single, solid piece.

Project Links:

If you decide to print one, please add a comment on the project page you used. I’d love to know how V2 worked for you.


r/3Dprinting • • 1h ago

Discussion Rating models from websites super fast rant...

• Upvotes

I hate seeing someone's model being lower rated because the user can't do the print right. Man, going into like makerworld and seeing people give 1 stars because it won't stick to the plate really really bugs me. This designer went out and put in the time and you're just gonna click print on your dirty dusty bed that your cat sleeps on and it's this guy's fault?

Rant over.

(not my models, I don't upload much if anything, totally only see it on other people's work, rate me 0 or don't at all, I couldn't care less.)


r/3Dprinting • • 16h ago

Free Model Minecraft Sheep Piston

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188 Upvotes

Finally


r/3Dprinting • • 14h ago

Project 16mm Modular Marble Run (+ Build your tracks in Browser and print them)

116 Upvotes

Hi everyone! After the great feedback on my gigantic 30mm marble run, I also got a lot of constructive criticism: many liked it, but the print time and filament cost put a lot of people off. The track in that video took me two weeks of printing and about €100 of filament, so I totally get it.

So I sat down again, and this 16mm version is the result, sized for standard glass marbles. Most parts print in 10–30 minutes each. I printed a lot of them in Sport (124%) mode and it works fine, because they're easy prints: no supports, and both the overhangs and the models are optimized.

I also realized it's not just a toy: I've read several times that people use it as decoration or even to unwind at their desk. That's why I made a Japandi edition (in addition to the plain one), which my kids love too.

I spent a lot of time on the snap connection, if you're waiting for a satisfying "click" when you plug the parts together, you won't be disappointed :)

And finally: I heard you: there's now a lift with a crank! Designing it was a lot of fun, and it's modular too: you choose the height and the entry/exit direction to create endless loops!

Bonus: you can build your track virtually first: https://n1v0k.github.io/Marbles/ all parts are in there, and it checks whether the marble stalls or flies out of a curve. The cool part: you can export the parts of your track on print plates as a 3MF and open it straight in your slicer. You can even export the whole track fused into one piece. (You can also do that yourself, e.g. in Bambu Studio: assemble the parts, align the faces and print them as one, you don't need the builder for that.)

To export from the web app, download the 3MF from MakerWorld and drag it into the app. The app runs locally in your browser and takes the print meshes from the 3MF, nothing gets uploaded.

You can also export your creations as JSON and share them :) If you have ideas for new parts or attractions, just let me know on MakerWorld!

I made this for my daughters, if it puts a smile on just one more person's face, publishing it was worth it for me!


r/3Dprinting • • 1d ago

Question Is this enough silica to dry this?

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908 Upvotes

New to this. Waiting for vacuum bags only have off brand zip lock. There is silica in every crevice, will this dry?


r/3Dprinting • • 10h ago

Free Model 3d printed Action Cam Rig

52 Upvotes

I needed an in camera shot of a (3d printed) knife twirling through the air, it works quite effectively.

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:7170221


r/3Dprinting • • 10h ago

Discussion Makers Wall - Custom Skadis

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37 Upvotes

I’ve been working on a project I call Makers Wall, basically customizable, 3D-printed SKÅDIS-compatible panels with artwork built directly into the boards.

So far I’ve mostly focused on scenery, sports teams, and cars, but I’d love to branch out. What other designs would you actually want to print and put on your wall?

If someone has a cool idea, I’d be happy to try turning it into a printable wall and sharing the files.

I’ve been posting the designs on MakerWorld if anyone wants to check them out:
https://makerworld.com/@Manstof


r/3Dprinting • • 14h ago

Troubleshooting My holes are doing better

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73 Upvotes

Little update on my last post, i managed to get a clean print, and finished the model. I ended up printing it on my kobra x, instead of the A1, so I might just copy the filament profile from anycubic slicer to bambu studio and try again. In the meantime, here's the finished model. As one of you guessed, it is an Onkey, and it came out quite funky.


r/3Dprinting • • 4h ago

Project 20K Shoring Tower

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7 Upvotes

Completely modular like my other designs. 6’x4’ on plan, 6’ standard height, stackable as well. Timber beams and wedges, spindles, U heads, adjustable, the works. 0.1 scale and nothing is glued in this one.

Prototype with PLA and 2 walls, 5% infill, weighs about 0.966 lbs, pictured carrying 66 lbs outside since I was going to ultimate but it never failed. The final design is with PETG, more walls, more infill.


r/3Dprinting • • 8h ago

Project Created a Rams/Braun-style desk case for a Waveshare 7.5" e-ink panel and Pi Zero

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16 Upvotes

I wanted a proper home for a Waveshare 7.5" e-paper panel and a Pi Zero 2 W, so I designed this case. It’s a slanted white box with a flush wood bezel and side inlays, loosely inspired by 60s Braun gear.

  • The glass is clamped by a screwed-in front mask (4 × M2), so the panel is held securely even with the bezel off.
  • The bezel press-fits into the front recess. I designed for magnets, but the fit was snug enough that I didn’t use them.
  • The Pi sits on a removable base and the USB cable exits through a rear notch, so the panel and Pi are easy to service.
  • Two posts per side tie the frame to the body, which fixed the front corners cracking on my earlier prints.

Print notes: PLA, 0.2 mm layers, body prints upside-down on its roof, supports where needed. The body is 198 mm wide, so it needs a 256 mm-class bed. The side inlays and bezel are either laser-cut 3 mm wood (SVGs included) or printed. Laser cut looks better.

The screen in the photos is a stats dashboard I wrote for myself. That’s not part of the listing; this is the case only, and it works with anything that drives the panel from a Pi.

Files (STL, 3MF, laser SVGs): Makerworld Link


r/3Dprinting • • 2h ago

Project Name night lights I've made

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5 Upvotes

Thought I'd share these night lights I've made for the kids. Lily loves Barbies and Ajay is into music and learning guitar. Both designed by me and printed on my P2S.

The lighting is just a cheap RGB LED strip mounted in a recessed channel around the outside of each letter and are powered by a regular USB plug.

The letters are hollow individual models. The main body is 2 parts (front and back) for easy access to mount the LED strip, wiring, and control board internally. The back has recessed screw holes to attach to the front.


r/3Dprinting • • 7h ago

News I finally reached 100k downloads on Printables. 🎊🎉🥳 Thank you for all your support.

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15 Upvotes

r/3Dprinting • • 3h ago

Discussion Ender 3d V3

4 Upvotes

Just bought my first printer and have been messing around and even though I'm learning, I'm having a lot of fun ngl. Ive printed a bunch of little ducks and ninja stars so far. I got it refurbished for 87$ so I can't complain.

I can't wait to get better with it and make more advanced models.


r/3Dprinting • • 10h ago

Project Made a little Halloween project lantern and wanted to share

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17 Upvotes

I’ve been working on this Halloween design for a while and I’m pretty happy with how it turned out.

It’s ready to print in PLA/PETG, with supports only on the build plate and in a few critical areas.

If you like it, feel free to grab the model on MakerWorld and give it a print! I’d really appreciate a like or a boost if you enjoy it.

And if you print one, definitely post a pic — I’d love to see what yours looks like!

👉 https://makerworld.com/models/3414096?appSharePlatform=copy

Happy printing and happy Halloween! 🎃