3D printing is the most fun for me when I can focus on designing instead of babysitting the machine.

That early phase was exactly this mix of enthusiasm and constant tinkering. The first printer was cheap, exciting, and educational, but good results did not just appear on their own. Overhangs, material behavior, setup quirks, and all the typical weaknesses of earlier machines meant that even halfway clean prints often already felt like a small success.

Later I added a second machine, a Creality, which made larger parts possible. But even that was still far away from what I would call relaxed work today. Open-frame printing, dust, bad printer days, and that feeling that good results only happen when the stars align were simply part of the deal for a long time.

Since 2025 I have been running a Bambu Lab X1C, and that changed a lot for me. I no longer have to constantly simplify or abstract ideas just so the printer might still manage them cleanly. I now have much more freedom while designing, can work with sensible tolerances, and can think about threads or tighter fits far more confidently. For someone who prefers designing over printing anyway, that is the actual upgrade.

Since that newer printer arrived, more and more private projects have happened simply because I can trust parts to print cleanly. In roughly two years that turned into around 700 print hours for private use alone. That variety is exactly what makes the medium interesting to me: from a perfect spacer under a dishwasher to inserts for a spice cabinet to parts for a classic van so a modern radio fits properly. Most of the time it takes several iterations until a part is genuinely good, but that is precisely the enjoyable part. And when the result is useful not just for me but for others too, I am happy to share the designs, currently mostly on MakerWorld. Unless noted otherwise, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 is usually the default for private use. Commercial use is something we should discuss. Some parts are also officially licensed and available in Paul’s shop: sure-parts on eBay . For other projects we can likely figure something out as well.