45 Clever Inventions This Person Made At Home With Nothing But A 3D Printer

These inventions were all made with 3D printers, and while they may seem like a modern tool for creating all kinds of things, the first commercially available 3D printer actually went on sale in 1987. It was the SLA-1, created by Chuck Hull and 3D Systems. But there’s a reason you didn’t see everyone using one: it cost over $100,000.

It was also strictly designed for industrial manufacturing, so it wasn’t exactly something you could pick up at your local tech store. But from 2007 onward, desktop 3D printers became more commonly available to the public. Companies like MakerBot started releasing affordable printer kits, allowing hobbyists and anyone interested in trying 3D printing to afford one; by 2012, prices dropped even further, making them an affordable option for the average consumer.

There are also plenty of printer types, some much easier to use than others. But generally, tech experts say modern 3D printers are fairly easy for beginners to use. Actually mastering one like the creators on this list, however, is where things get tricky. Some modern consumer printers already come fully assembled, with smart sensors and even pre-designed 3D models.

But you might still see immediate challenges, like calibrating the printer and adjusting temperatures, dealing with filament jams, and figuring out which materials to use, and how to use them. Plus, if you want to make your own custom objects, you normally have to learn computer-aided design software to create the designs, and some of these programs can also have a learning curve.

Nowadays, though, 3D printing goes well beyond expectations. In the medical world, especially, there have been many breakthroughs thanks to 3D printing, or more specifically, bioprinting. Specialists explain that by combining a patient’s stem cells, growth factors, and nutrients with hydrogel matrices, they can print fully functional biological structures layer by layer.

But what kind of biological structures? Well, there have been plenty. Among the clinical milestones, 3DBio Therapeutics bioprinted an ear for a patient born with microtia. It was a full ear implant made from her own cells, reducing the risk of rejection. Bone and cartilage reconstructions are also possible, and surgeons can print custom-shaped bones. Pretty cool.

Did you know houses have also been built using 3D printers? Obviously, we’re not talking about your average at-home printer, where you can easily print an Overwatch weapon model. Instead, architects can use giant robotic printers to build homes, schools, and even commercial structures from specialized concrete and recycled materials.

It supposedly takes only a few days, dramatically cutting construction costs and reducing material waste. This is especially interesting now that we have biocomposites made from hemp fiber and lime, known as hempcrete. However, if you’re in the US, you can only use this material as insulating infill around a load-bearing frame, so keep that in mind. For when you own a giant robot printer, of course.

Frankly, this tool is also used in many other areas, like haute couture, aerospace, and advanced engineering. Funnily enough, it is also often used in art preservation, which isn’t something one often considers. Apparently, many museums use 3D scanning and printing to replicate fragile historical artifacts.

This lets visitors handle replicas without damaging the original artifacts. 3D printing offers so many benefits that, honestly, if you’re not using it at an industrial level, the examples we brought today may be the inspiration you need for your next home project. So, do you have a 3D printer? If so, what has been your favorite thing to make? Let us know!