Should I Get a 3D Printer
Since I stumbled upon this video from SuperfastMatt, in which he makes the case that “it’s time to put a 3d printer in your garage”, my mind has been consumed with the idea. This hyper-fixation is a common occurrence for me and these short-term obsessions tend to burn out. Based on my ongoing and deepening love for my Homelab I have found that if these bursts of interest align with my goals and interests they can survive the initial burnout once the hyper-fixation fades. Too many of these interests are roadkill in my rearview mirror and my disposable income is the lowest it’s ever been so I’m going to overanalyze here to answer the question.
Should I buy a 3D printer?
Why I Shouldn’t Buy One
I’ll start with the case against and hopefully be able to address each point below. The most obvious reason against is that I don’t have any specific thing which I want to use the printer for that feels like an overwhelming reason to buy one. I have several smaller applications I can think of like:
- Organizers for small parts and board game boxes
- Cooler pieces for board games
- A cup-holder extender so my water bottle will fit in the car
- Miniatures for D&D nights
- Clips, hangers, and other doodads These are all fun but none is a reason to spend significant funds on a 3D printer.
The second reason I shouldn’t buy a 3D printer is that my track record with gear like this is very hit-or-miss. My ADD can cause hyper-fixation which has resulted in me buying many expensive hobby starters which have gone unused.
Why I Want One
As I mentioned above there’s no specific thing I want to print with the printer which is both a pro and a con in this argument. I’m not fixed on a specific item or class of items I want but I’m attached to the idea that I can design something to print myself which fits my specific requirements. Similar to running a Homelab, 3D printing is a hobby with infinite uses and therefore I believe it can serve a similar role to my Homelab but for my goal of Making more.
The counterargument is that I started my Homelab already possessing a ton of the skills I needed for that hobby. I’ve continued to learn but there’s a massive difference between evolving a skillset and gaining a new one. Learning CAD software to design things to print is a large undertaking (and a barrier to entry), though I have done some 3D modeling before and it is software that is a strong suit of mine. CAD is also a valuable skill that has near-infinite uses both at home and in the job market.
A Commitment to Who I Want to Be
Buying expensive hobby equipment as a form of commitment to the hobby feels a bit like having a kid to save your marriage, a flawed premise. I have a garage full of expensive and unused beer brewing equipment to prove that it doesn’t work. But, as I explored in Becoming a Maker for My Son (and for Me), my motivation and appetite for self-improvement has never been higher. There are key differences between this potential investment and my sad collection of brewing equipment.
Brewing as a hobby was grown around a friendship with a person I’ve since lost contact with and without that relationship it could not survive the hobby battle royale that rages in my brain 24/7. I love beer and I enjoyed making it, but the passion for it was a shared experience that faded alongside our friendship. My interest in a 3D printing hobby is driven by my desire to learn, make, and become the kind of person who can make. Fair or not, I see my inability to make and repair physical things as a hole in my person and as I watch my son mirroring me and my flaws it’s one I am driven to fill.
A Bridge from Virtual to Physical
Networks, software, servers, and websites all make sense to me implicitly. Despite my lack of experience in the physical making space, I believe my brain is suited for it. I’m good at spatial visualization and in mediums I’m comfortable with, like cardboard, I’m able to build, create, and problem-solve to accomplish my goals. Much of my discomfort with physical making stems from a lack of knowledge on how to manipulate the materials. 3D printing is unique in that you can design physical objects using software and then perfectly create them in materials with a variety of properties. I hope that this bridge from the virtual to the physical can start to tear down the mental barrier I have in front of physical making.
So Yes or No?
It’s a yes. It’s a productive hobby that aligns with my goals and provides immediate and future value to my household. It facilitates building my identity in the way I want to grow and bridges the gap between my current abilities and the skills I want to obtain. From experience, I know I can’t predict if I’ll stick with a hobby truly but the similarity between a 3D printer and my Homelab as a catalyst project makes me believe that I will.
Writing this also clarified my brewing hobby, and I think I’m ready to part with that gear, which should provide the space and funds I need to get started.