Preface

It’s time to stop treating 3D printers like standalone machines—they’re just another tool in your toolbox.

You’re holding a book full of projects, ranging from simple and utilitarian to the utterly fantastical. While these projects require a 3D printer to produce custom parts, each utilizes a unique combination of electronics, hand assembly techniques, and additional tools, parts, and software. The printer is a custom fabrication enabler, but it’s what you create with it that matters.

Because we’ve rejected the hype that puts the printer on a pedestal and embraced the “another tool” philosophy, we’ve found our printers to continue to prove themselves time-saving, multifaceted machines. By reducing the amount of time spent in front ...

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