Printers are typically used to put ink onto a piece of paper.  But a 3D printer is different.

One Day Creek student named Brendan S. owns a 3D printer and shared how it worked.  “I got my 3D printer over winter break of 2015. I wanted to make cool projects and it’s fun to have around.”

A 3D printer works in a very complicated way. First off, it scans what it is going to print by pulling information from an online file or actually scanning through a separate machine called a 3D scanner. Then, the printer melts the material and begins to print the layers, starting at the bottom and working its way to the top. The material is a plastic filament that gets melted at a temperature of 200 degrees celsius. A finished project takes around four to eight hours depending on its size and complexity.

3D printer come in a variety of sizes and prices. Costs range from around $250 to $850,000.  A simplistic 3D printer is fairly inexpensive.

There are many things that are possible to make with a 3D printer.  “I’ve made replicas of stuff, such as sculptures and statues. I’ve also made toys that I’ve sold,” says Cole S.  

3D printers are very complicated machines and can make almost anything. Should the average student buy one?

“Absolutely, it’s good for learning and developing new things, like I did. I benefitted from that, by getting new hobbies by making racing drones. It also expands my experiences by learning new technology and just to know how 3D printers work,” said Brendan.