this post was submitted on 04 May 2025
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I don't hate 3d printers I think they're an awesome technology, but enthusiasts sure love printing bullshit
It's easier to print bullshit than to learn cad. I'm learning to model by printing gridfinity organizers. It's easy and practical. I waste less time searching for junk and waste more time modeling the bins. 👍
I think at least 80% of my printing is organizers.
It's beautiful 😍
I think using 3d printing as a way of learning CAD is great! Definitely a great learning tool for kids and students and such and also adults
I think I just view people who print other people's designs for silly reasons in the same way that I view GenAI prompters who call themselves artists unironically. Like, my guy, you just pressed enter and something else did all the work. Use it as a tool to extend your creativity if you want, not as a substitute! You're not a bad person if you use it as a substitute, it's just confusing to me and seems like a waste of time and resources
But then again, I'm basically just saying "stop having fun" so I don't really think it's that much of an issue
I feel really uncomfortable in the online maker space at times. It's filled with crypto bros and zionists. One of the most downloaded prints one week was one of Trump assassination attempt. Can't tell if it's to grift or keep. Unnerving community.
You know, I finally got into 3D printing after putting it off for years, and I think you’re right. Part of why I was hesitant to start was that all tech is just expensive here in Lebanon, and it’s not always easy to source good filament that hasn’t been slurping moisture in a shop for five years.
I was watching a video by a (seemingly American) channel I wasn’t very familiar with, and he just dropped a “here in Israel, due to the war, we haven’t been able to…” very casually before complaining about something “war-related” that I experience all the time. Maybe electrical blackouts, or interrupted shipping, or lack of parts, or whatever. But he was still showing new products, was still getting free stuff from sponsors… huh. I don’t necessarily have anything against him as a person, but it was weird to see how easy it was for him. Most online shops don’t ship here. I know from some friends who do YouTube as a side thing that even shitty little scam sponsors won’t touch you if you send them wire instructions for a Lebanese bank. So, I don’t know. I frankly don’t think it’s that bad, I haven’t seen too many (vocal) genocide fans. There might just be a proportionally large 3D printing scene there.
Now the crypto bro stuff… That’s a whole thing. Right as crypto was becoming something my parents would ask me about, a lot of non-technical people around me were taking up roles in fintech. Think CS graduates you’d expect to work in technical but not super difficult job. This was in the middle of an economic abyss here so you know people were getting taken advantage of and getting paid in “digital assets” or whatever. And these guys would proudly call themselves Web3 professionals or founders etc. These were the same guys who should know better because they understand what crypto actually is, but they were (or at least pretended to be) drinking the Kool-Aid. And that terrified me - and it also helped me understand the clear distinction between a “tech bro” and an actual “tech person” (and actual “bros” in tech - which do exist and don’t suck ass!)
This was also around the time I started reading a bit of HN, where I also found these tech-related takes that were very different from how I saw the world. The folks around me in tech that I was friends with tended to be more anarchist-flavored. I don’t use HN at all now.
One thing I despise about the 3D printing “scene” now is the huge volume of print farm slop. I’ll be watching a video on YouTube about something basic like how to counteract ringing on my printer. The algorithm then doesn’t just suggest more beginner tuning and cool experimental stuff, oh no. It suggests videos about print farms, often run by people who are clearly not technical/enthusiasts. They just have walls of machines pumping out objects I couldn’t fathom anyone buying. Like I’ve used a commercial 3D printing service before for prototyping, print farms have a place (especially if I want to print in a material that would be risky or hard to print at home), but like generic looking little vases? Why? There’s also all the low quality models people pump out, and apparently maker fairs are having trouble with people selling generic prints and undercutting handmade stuff… Like maybe if you’re there to model stuff for someone, that’s great, but this isn’t it.
This is why I was sure I found the right instance when one of the key things that resonated with me in the signup process was something about not wanting to monetize hobbies. And I think that’s what separates those people from me. I can enjoy things because I enjoy them. My hobbies belong to me.
So fuck the vultures because those people are always going to suck the marrow out of any good tech. The grifters will always be there before you, any time something new becomes useful. I’ve also found that the 3D printing community has also been very diligent in making sure companies contribute to open source ever since the RepRap big bang of modern printing, and that most people you meet tend to be cool folks who print cool stuff. There’s a lot of good, too.
Here I am as someone who’s never actually printed someone else’s model. The waste I contribute is due to my lack of foresight when designing in 3D space regarding what I actually need from a mechanical perspective for whatever I’m needing.
Designed and created some stackable ammo trays recently… great idea but the first prototype failed; poor execution. Yeah I mean it was something I did on my lunch break (only 15 min!) and 8 hours of printing lol.
But still, the point is that even a licensed ME like myself, who’s well versed in cad, can still learn from prior art. Sometimes, MOST TIMES, someone has already done it—and better than your low effort shit.
Back in my day, 3D printing enthusiasts printed stuff to tweak their 3D printers. 3D printers print prints for printer printer's printers.
A lot of them are, but this kind of bullshit is the kind of thing that will have a lot more visibility than the rest because it is usually what gets shared and shown.
The vast majority of what I've printed I never bothered sharing because it is custom made so specifically that nobody else would find a use for it. Or it is something that is so boring that even though I'm happy to have printed it instead of buying it, it is still a boring household object that nobody would care about.
what's the bullshit gear thing in the bottom example?
Many reduction gears, so each turn of one is a fraction of the turn of the one next to it. Pretty pointless.
ah ty