5 Practical Uses For 3D Printing (So You Can Justify Buying One)
You really want to buy a 3D printer, but how can you justify the purchase to your significant other?
Once you get through the initial, obligatory prints like a Benchy and cute desktop figures, you'll need to print some useful things. Fortunately, you don't have to start from scratch because sites like Thingiverse and MakerWorld have tons of fun and useful prints available for free. The 3D printer community has found tons of ways to upgrade and streamline your life and workplace once you have a printer.
My favorite useful prints fall into these 5 categories that you can show your significant other so you're printing in 2026.
Use 1: Gridfinitiy Organization
No list of useful 3D prints would be complete without some mention of the gridfinity organization system.
Gridfinity is a system of grids for shelves and drawers that a multitude of organizers can seamlessly slot into. Instead of the generic bins available at Target, you can print custom sizes that save space while highlighting what's missing for tool drawers, parts containers, and kitchen utensils.
Use 2: Custom Tool Wall Storage
We've covered drawers and shelves, but what about your tool wall?
The 3D printing community is made up of thousands of Makers who like to see their tools nicely displayed. Models exist for most popular tools that you can easily screw to your tool wall with custom sizing for that satisfying fit.
Use 3: Tool Accessories & Jigs
Accessories and jigs are where I see tons of increased project quality potential once you get a few prints under your belt.
I have a set of rounded corner templates with various radiuses that easily clamp to a corner to round. Since 3D prints are precise, you'll get the same results every time and rounding corners is just the start.
Use 4: Rapid Prototyping
While not required, you'll want to create your own prints and learning to CAD model in Fusion 360 will greatly help.
When you have an idea in your head of a project component that you want to be in metal, it's cost prohibitive to always cast each iteration. However, you can 3D print the part to tune it perfectly, then send the file out to companies that will print or mill the piece out of metal for your final part.
Use 5: Scale Model Reference
If you like to carve or create replicas of real-world (or movie-world) objects, you need to have a good reference.
Pictures can only get you so far, but if you had a small-scale model right next to your material, you could see how things should look before you carve your material away. I found this particularly useful when creating a life-sized probe droid and realized I needed more lenses and antenna once I printed a small-scale model.
