Today, I have found only a couple of interesting articles to bring to your attention. Our first article is a Mom who is seamstress by trade, but has created a wave with her Star Wars jewelry replicas! Next, we take a look at a warning about using some of the new experimental filaments in your 3D printers. Finally, we take a look at a few tips on how to make money with your 3D printer.

A 30-year-old Idaho mom is making waves with her Star Wars replica 3D printed jewelry. Adapting her seamstress skills and adoration of Star Wars she hopped into the 3D design and print world with both feet by designing and printing props from her favorite movie. Using Adobe illustrator and Sketchup she makes her 3D drawings come to life. After her design is complete she ships it off to Shapeways for it to be printed.

In past blogs I have touted the various new filaments that are materializing on the market. Graphene, nylon, various new types of PLA and ABS, and metal infused filaments. However, Fabbaloo has released an article that serves as a warning to users of experimental metal infused filaments because excessive use may put your machine at risk of disfiguring the precision holes in the extruder tip. Which really makes sense if you have ever used sandpaper and you think about the abrasive nature of it. The brass extruder tips are a soft metal and many of the metals used in these filaments are much harder and will tend to change the shape of extruder tips. However, extruder tips are fairly cheap and easily changed and the article recommends one other solution, too! If interested, click here!

As I am always interested in increasing my revenue streams, I’m always on the hunt for ways to make money with the knowledge I’ve picked up in the 3D printing community. One such way is to sell your designs to the public. Websites like Shapeways, Zazzy, Turbosquid, 3D Studio, and Daz D are just a sample of different design sites in which to post your designs for sale.

Another website, My Mini Factory (MMF), offers a place to sell your 3D printer services to local consumers. For example, if your area lacks a local vendor in which to get a design printed, MMF can hook you to a local person with a 3D printer that will print your design and you can pick it up locally!

Leverage your ideas. Do you have a niche already? Don’t use 3D printing as an end, but use it as a means. If you already have a niche, how can you use 3D printing to improve your product or services rather than just trying to sell a plastic item. Combine 3D printing with your hobby. Do you make jewelry? Then how can a 3D printer increase your efficiency or make your designs stand above the rest. Etsy is another great site to display your wears and make a sale. Items here are from all walks of life with not just a focus on 3D printing but a menagerie of different creative stuffs and would be a great place for the synergistic effects between your hobby and 3D printing!

I hope you found the two articles informative or at least fun to think about and if you are thinking of making a few extra dollars , maybe you can use the aforementioned thoughts and ramblings to fatten your pocketbook! Until next week, happy printing!