Level-up your 3D Printer with a 3D Scanner

So, you got into the 3D printing craze, downloaded some models from Thingiverse or Cults3D, and printed a few of them. But have you ever created your own 3D model and printed it? No? Because 3D modeling is complex? Ah, yes, fair point. Learning how to make a decent 3D model is hard, but it doesn’t have to be. Because with a 3D scanner in hand, you suddenly open yourself up to a world of easy 3D model creation, so let’s look at what you can do with a 3D scanner and a 3D printer.

Repair

Start cranking out new parts for broken things around the home or for your car. If you’re a classic car enthusiast finding spare parts can be a nightmare or impossible, but it doesn’t have to be that way. With the help of a 3D scanner and printer, you can scan and print new parts without needing to rip your hair out in frustration. 

Duplication

Does your child have a favorite doll or action figure? One quick 3D scan and slightly longer spent 3D printing, and you have a handly replacement ready should the toy ever meet the fate of many an overly loved object. Bought a furniture flatpack, and it doesn’t have the correct number of screws, then no problem. Scan another one from the pack and print your own.

Alteration

Sometimes it only takes small changes to make a daily irritation a thing of the past. For example, every morning before you leave home, you need to fill up your favorite water bottle (a gift from your child) for the day, but it doesn’t quite fit into the water dispenser’s space due to the drainage grate being slightly too high, so you need to hold the bottle every time you fill it. Yeah, not a big deal, but that time adds up. If you fill that bottle every day for a year, that’s slightly over 6 hours gone, and in four years, you’ve now spent a full day filling that bottle.

But with a 3D scanner and a few minutes of scanning the drainage grate, then decreasing its thickness slightly so your bottle can fit underneath, 3D printing your altered model, and suddenly BOOM, problem solved, irritation gone forever.

Unique Gifts

Make some extraordinary gifts with a bit of 3D scanning, scan friends or family, then create 3D-printed miniature body models. Or scan whatever objects you think are cool, then scale them down to create unique customized earrings, bracelets, or necklaces.

Passion Projects

Perhaps you’ve got the creation itch and want to work on your project. And with the help of a 3D scanner, it just got easier to create something. Let’s say you’re into model trains or Warhammer and want to create a realistic mini-world to play campaigns or have your trains steam through. Well, with the help of 3D scanners, this is pretty easy by letting you scan real-world objects and then scaling them down to fit your mini-world.

Monetization

Rember those model sharing sites Cults3D, 3D Natives, Sketchfab, etc. You, too, could be creating models and selling them on these sites with the help of a 3D scanner to make them and a 3D printer to test them. 

See? You’re missing out on truly taking advantage of your 3D printer, so why not get a 3D scanner and start exploring the possibilities?