3D printing has been huge for DIY makers of all stripes, and it's about to get more official with brands like Philips offering replacement printable components. Once the niche toy of rich tinkerers, 3D printing has become a must have companion for many homes. They're now so easy to use and affordable it's not uncommon to find them in libraries and coworking spaces. It's easier than ever to get access to some flavour of 3D printer, which is perfect if you need to replace that one weirdly specific piece of plastic from that thing that broke, like a guard for your razer.
While grand tasks of 3D printing like turning one into a terrifying tattoo machine are wonderful, sometimes it's the little projects that really make these tools feel useful. Printing small parts or jigs has to be one of the most common uses for most people's 3D printer – that's after they've printed that one-shot dragon print everyone does. The hard part is often locating or creating the models to the specifications you want.
