Hobbyists printing toys for fun and profit: what would you need to make this work for you?
Hi all,
I’m looking to see how realistic it is to have a few hobbyists in various parts of the world print out models built using some end-user modeling software I’m developing. The goal is for me to provide ready-to-print gcode files with no model issues to repair, no back-and-forth with the customers, etc – as little manual labor as possible. Mostly I’d prefer to be “shipping” bits over the internet vs. shipping physical products, for speed, cost and environmental reasons. It’s also nice if it can help hobbyists support their 3D printing habits with some extra income.
I’m aware that there are numerous printing services that will will handle these sorts of requests but I am currently going for a different set of constraints than what the professional shops are optimized for: Generally the models are non-functional and relatively simple toys. As such, I’d like to keep the costs lower by worrying less about quality and creating gcode on my end that doesn’t require post-processing steps. I’d also like to keep things simple and reliable by sticking to printers I trust (I currently use MK3S+), which is why I’m posting here. I would likely specify (and possibly provide, if the volume was high enough) acceptable filament.
I’d love to know if this is something that sounds interesting to people and, if so, what would be needed to have it make sense. Public discussion or private messages welcome!
RE: Hobbyists printing toys for fun and profit: what would you need to make this work for you?
My gut tells me that the people who already have the skills to make the models and gcodes already have access to a printer.
RE: Hobbyists printing toys for fun and profit: what would you need to make this work for you?
Oops, I must not have been clear enough. The way these models get created is that non-experts use my web-based app and then order whatever they are happy with. In the backend, my app generates valid gcode for them (sometimes in parts that can be assembled). Then, I just need to print and ship the items.
It's this last step that I'm trying to sort out, to keep shipping costs, time, environmental impact down. So, it's my software generating all of the gcode. I hope that's clearer!
This is what the Prints database is supposed to do, well, it does, except that the ratio of decent prints to rubbish has gone very low.
What you're doing is a little like importing SVG files into Tinkercad and extruding. I've tried this sort of thing with my nephews - though not with Tinkercad. When they see something they've drawn reproduced as a 3d print they do get a buzz but the play value needs to be high or the prints are rapidly discarded.
Fun, perhaps, briefly, but I don't see where the profit comes in.
Cheerio,
RE: Hobbyists printing toys for fun and profit: what would you need to make this work for you?
I don't think I see the part that says what's in it for the people printing the models...
Out of the good of their hearts?
Plus, I don't see much legs to the idea of sending something to someone you've never met and hope they'll print gcode that works just fine on their machines. What if something goes wrong? Whose fault is it?
I don't know, sounds like a dead born idea to me but then again, I'm a known skeptic.
RE: Hobbyists printing toys for fun and profit: what would you need to make this work for you?
If you have valuable intellectual property that makes the noted [some amazing magic here] part actually useful then you are looking at a VERY profitable company.
If you are referring to just a catalog then how is that different from thingverse or the database here?
Oops, I must not have been clear enough. The way these models get created is that non-experts use my web-based app
and then [some amazing magic here]
order whatever they are happy with. In the backend, my app generates valid gcode for them (sometimes in parts that can be assembled). Then, I just need to print and ship the items.
It's this last step that I'm trying to sort out, to keep shipping costs, time, environmental impact down. So, it's my software generating all of the gcode. I hope that's clearer!
RE:
gcode is quirky!
Several different flavors, and variants and model-to-model differences between similar printers.
gcode files can also be very filament-specific.
I have a MK3S Prusa, and I've had prints totally barf when attempting to print pre-sliced .gcode files for similar but not identical Prusa models.
RE: Hobbyists printing toys for fun and profit: what would you need to make this work for you?
I don't think I see the part that says what's in it for the people printing the models...
Out of the good of their hearts?
I would pay for it:
"It’s also nice if it can help hobbyists support their 3D printing habits with some extra income."
Plus, I don't see much legs to the idea of sending something to someone you've never met and hope they'll print gcode that works just fine on their machines. What if something goes wrong? Whose fault is it?
It would be my fault. The goal would be the keep the failure rate low enough that I could eat that cost.
I don't know, sounds like a dead born idea to me but then again, I'm a known skeptic.
There's plenty of room in the world for skeptics. And optimists!
RE: Hobbyists printing toys for fun and profit: what would you need to make this work for you?
gcode is quirky!
Several different flavors, and variants and model-to-model differences between similar printers.
gcode files can also be very filament-specific.
I have a MK3S Prusa, and I've had prints totally barf when attempting to print pre-sliced .gcode files for similar but not identical Prusa models.
Yeah, for sure. Part of what I'm curious about is understanding <i>how quirky</i> it is, to see if there could be an acceptable failure rate. I'd also try to find people with the right Prusa models (or even provide them if it made sense). I've had a very high success rate printing my generated models on my own machines so far, but I understand that success rate might well drop with others' setups.
RE: Hobbyists printing toys for fun and profit: what would you need to make this work for you?
If you have valuable intellectual property that makes the noted [some amazing magic here] part actually useful then you are looking at a VERY profitable company.
If you are referring to just a catalog then how is that different from thingverse or the database here?
It's not a catalog. The idea is to make somewhat limited but still pretty powerful 3D modeling accessible to non-experts. Most of what you do is find/edit/draw 2D shapes + make a few choices. You can watch a few of the videos at makeandplay.com to get a sense for what I'm talking about.
RE: Hobbyists printing toys for fun and profit: what would you need to make this work for you?
I may not be the right target for this; but if you have a Maker's group close to you this could be a good thing to kickstart with them. That being you provide the software-based app, you select which members have the capability to print (based on their available toolset), and then you start driving the requests. I could be way off, off course, but that is how a service like OSHPARK started (perhaps not exactly like that, but hopefully you get the drift). Sounds intriguing.
RE: Hobbyists printing toys for fun and profit: what would you need to make this work for you?
if you want someone to print your gcode files you have to give them the same printer you created the files for.
1+1=10 - take a look at my disgusting and useless models
RE: Hobbyists printing toys for fun and profit: what would you need to make this work for you?
Yeah, that makes some sense, especially to quickly learn and work around problems. In the long run, I'm most interested in finding folks who aren't too close to me, to allow for distributed printing and minimal shipping.
RE: Hobbyists printing toys for fun and profit: what would you need to make this work for you?
Yeah, I'd definitely want to make sure the printer model (and filament) matched, or even find partners in locations of interest and provide the right equipment and materials.
RE: Hobbyists printing toys for fun and profit: what would you need to make this work for you?
gcode is quirky!
Several different flavors, and variants and model-to-model differences between similar printers.
gcode files can also be very filament-specific.
I have a MK3S Prusa, and I've had prints totally barf when attempting to print pre-sliced .gcode files for similar but not identical Prusa models.
Yeah, for sure. Part of what I'm curious about is understanding <i>how quirky</i> it is, to see if there could be an acceptable failure rate. I'd also try to find people with the right Prusa models (or even provide them if it made sense). I've had a very high success rate printing my generated models on my own machines so far, but I understand that success rate might well drop with others' setups.
The 'acceptable failure rate' among 3d print fans tends to be very low.
RE: Hobbyists printing toys for fun and profit: what would you need to make this work for you?
It only has to be acceptable to me as I’d be the one eating the cost 😛