1 year with a 3D printer - here's what I learned.

It's time to make a 3D printing video.

One year ago, I got a 3D printer for the studio. But because I had no idea what I

studio. But because I had no idea what I was doing with this machine once I got it out of the box, I decided to wait until I learned a thing or two about it before making a video. And now here we are. But the reason why I got a 3D

are. But the reason why I got a 3D printer in the first place still stands.

And that reason is because custom problems require custom solutions. And I

want to get into more build type of projects on this here YouTube channel.

And 3D printers are immensely helpful for that once you know how to use them, of course. So, if you are interested in

of course. So, if you are interested in getting into 3D printing, here's a quick summary of how it went down for me. The

first thing you print, no matter what it is, even if it's a calibration cube like the one my printer spat out after I installed the sample filament, will feel like magic. Kind of like sorcery or

like magic. Kind of like sorcery or alchemy, making something out of nothing. I still open my drawer and look

nothing. I still open my drawer and look at this small little oddly colored cube from time to time. And it just takes me back to the awe and wonder I felt watching the printer's axes move for the first time or the first layer being laid

down on the print bed. It just really is magical to see a 3D object come to life before your eyes. Pretty quickly you realize even though this technology seems magical, it does not actually work by magic. There is real work involved.

by magic. There is real work involved.

Sometimes the 3D printing process can be a fun puzzle to solve, but other times not so much. It can be frustrating. But

that's just the printing process. Once

you get acquainted with printing other people's models that you've downloaded, you'll start hatching your own ideas of things that you might want to model. So,

you start dipping your toes into 3D modeling. You start to think to

modeling. You start to think to yourself, "Oh, I only need a piece like yay big for this. Oh, I could definitely print it if I could only model it." So,

you start picking up a little bit of 3D design software here and there, which is equal parts rewarding and frustrating all over again. So, now you've essentially got two parallel hobbies that have equal chance of becoming frustrating at any given moment. But the

other side of that is when the reward of perfectly designing something coincides with the reward of perfectly printing something. It multiplies that rewarding

something. It multiplies that rewarding feeling times two. To have an idea, then express that idea into a digital design is rewarding enough. But then to watch that design go from a digital space to becoming a real physical object before your very eyes. That's the part that

brings the magic of 3D printing right back to you. And it feels incredible.

Okay, now that brings me to a few 3D printed solutions that I want to share with the class. The first of which is this renovated foosball table. I'm not

very good at foosball, but I loved as a kid to play foosball with my dad. And

this is our original family foosball table. When our foosball table got a

table. When our foosball table got a little bit ratty and worn down, I didn't just want to throw it away. So, I

actually 3D printed new foosball guys as well as handles to match just to get some experience with 3D printing other people's models while I repainted the table. My first 3D design of my own,

table. My first 3D design of my own, though, was these scorekeepers. Whenever

we used to play, we would always forget whose score was whose, and we would forget which way you slide the wooden tokens. So, I came up with the idea to

tokens. So, I came up with the idea to design and print cubes with the score embossed on them, and to print each set in the different team color so you can't forget which score is yours. The pegs

that hold these scoreke keepers in place are originally just wooden dowel things, but instead of just painting them, I decided to try my hand at modeling an existing object in 3D. There are some fancy ways to do this now with 3D scanners and whatnot, but I wanted to

learn the oldfashioned way first. So, I

took some precise measurements with my calipers, as precise as I could, and came up with a model that I thought looked pretty similar. And then I printed a test piece, and then another test piece, and another, changing the dimensions just a little bit each time

to make sure I got it right in the end.

Having 3D printed pieces and handles on the foosball table definitely changes the weight and feel while playing, but ultimately I'm not bothered by it nearly as much as I am proud of how the renovation of this foosball table turned out. And at a certain point, once you

out. And at a certain point, once you have the itch for 3D printing, you just start to see the 3D printed solutions all around you. Like when I started getting back into trading card games and I wanted something a little bit nicer to store my cards in than just the usual

cardboard box. So, I got these

cardboard box. So, I got these decorative boxes at the store, but the cards just didn't fit quite right. So, I

3D printed some insets for each box just to have a little bit nicer experience with my cards. And after upgrading my main editing machine, my Mac Mini, from the M1 model to the M4 model with the new form factor, I realized I couldn't

use the same mount as the M1 since it's just a different size. But this time around, instead of just ordering a metal one on Amazon like I did before, I realized I could make my own custom solution for a lot less. So, I got out

the digital calipers and made myself a new one to fit the M4 Mac Mini, designed it myself, printed it myself, watched it come to life, and now I use it every day. And here's where the evolution is

day. And here's where the evolution is complete and ultimately my impetus for making this video. This was the first model I made that I was actually proud enough to post online for other people to download. And that was a unique full

to download. And that was a unique full circle feeling to me because I've spent the last year just kind of downloading other people's models or coming up with quick models on my own that I didn't really feel like were good enough to be shared with others. I didn't think

they'd be useful to anyone but me. But

this was a turning point for me where I realized I could actually post something that someone else might download. And

it's just a really cool feeling. It's

only been a year of 3D printing for me and I know that there is so so much more to learn. providing models for others to

to learn. providing models for others to print was a very special feeling that I wasn't anticipating when I got into this hobby about a year ago. I realized not everyone has a 3D printer or even wants one or wants to go through this whole process of learning 3D printing and

modeling and stuff like that. So, with

that in mind, I will be selling completed prints of this M4 Mac Mini bracket and all of its variations if anyone is interested in purchasing a completed one and just having it shipped to them. This mounting bracket is as

to them. This mounting bracket is as sturdy as possible while being as open as possible for cooling and port access.

There is a notch on one side reminiscent of the Face ID notch on certain iPhones to stop the M4 Mac Mini from sliding out the front as you plug cables into the back. There are two screw holes meant

back. There are two screw holes meant for short counters wood screws so that the screw heads are flush with the plastic and don't scratch up the top of your aluminum Mac Mini. The beautiful

thing about designing and printing objects for yourself is that you can make your own customizations whenever you like. Like when I added an external

you like. Like when I added an external Thunderbolt 4 NVME SSD enclosure to my M4 Mac Mini workflow, all I had to do was adjust my bracket design to include a sidecar to hold the SSD. or like when I was testing the M4 Mac Mini dock for a

video and ended up liking it so much that I kept it on my M4 Mac Mini permanently. I reworked the design of my

permanently. I reworked the design of my bracket to be just a little bit taller to accommodate both the M4 Mac Mini and the coordinating docking station. So, of

course, I have each variation of that option for the M4 doc available as well.

So, that would be the M4 Mac Mini by itself, the M4 Mac Mini with the sidecar SSD, the M4 Mac Mini with the dock, and the M4 Mac Mini with the dock and the sidecar for the SSD. All variations will be available should you decide to order

a completed print for yourself and just have it shipped to you. But again, if you already have a 3D printer, all of these files are available for free, so you can just download it and print it out on your own. The files are available on my pages at Thingiverse, Printables,

and Cults 3D, whichever one you like to use. All in all, I've just really

use. All in all, I've just really enjoyed picking up 3D printing over this past year, and I look even more forward to sharing it with all of you now that I know a thing or two.