So currently I am busy living off of savings until next summer so I can work on my portfolio/build my knowledge base.
I am being taken care of by family- but I am scraping by in a lot of ways. I would like to supplement my income using my 3D printers & CAD abilities.
I know there are a lot of small parts out there that are difficult to aquire due to supply shortages. Any suggestions on what I could sell that would be easy to make on an fdm or resin printer?
I don't know if it's legal to sell but certain weapons parts. Grips, lowers, it's hard to buy OEM right now from what I've seen so could look into that. Some of the files can be downloaded free but they need PLA Plus.
I looked into it and it looks like any part of the gun can be printed as long as it's not part of the frame or receiver. Fantastic idea, thank you!
I highly recommend checking out the Floral Goodtimes Chime set, a perfectly innocent windchime set. There's a surprising overlap between the guns and windchimes fandoms, especially those of each that like 3d printing if you catch my drift.
It's been a minute since I've been gun nerding but I recall a lot of flared pistol magwells being 3d printed and sold for way too much money, seemed like a pretty good racket.
examples: https://www.yeggi.com/q/glock+flared+magwell/
Oh wow, 68$ for a part that could be made in two hours at most lmao.
My only question is that ai don't have a Glock so I can't test the parts. Do they sell model ones I could test the parts on?
For best testing you might be forced to get (or borrow, or go to a gun range and chat up somebody to see if they'd let you test them out perhaps in exchange for a magwell flare) a real pistol. Another option would be to offer Polymer80 specific "glock" magwells, you can get a p80 lower pretty cheaply and if you're just planning to test fit magwells you wouldn't need to do any completion tasks on the lower. This would also mean you do not legally possess a "firearm" since it is not completed.
P80s are pretty popular in the 'pimp my gun' demographic so it might be plenty of market share to only target those specifically. Also P80s are pretty cool, I put a manual safety on mine and it always confuses the shit out of glock owners when i let them shoot it. "What do you mean, the safety's on?!"
I've made a bit of scratch making bespoke containers for common Etsy items.
Lots of the small time perfumeeries on there use identical Ali-Express vials and it's pretty easy to make holders for them.
You can also do some generic modern art type stuff, definitely in a metallic copper PLA with a sharp/low poly shape or something, the algorithm loves anything that's a bit metallic.
As for practical day to day stuff, fasteners, containers, jigs, molds. Using PLA to make a mold for casting is super useful if you ever want to make your parts a bit more robust. Generic fixes too, I managed to repair my cars busted back window with a 3d printed part, the OEM replacement motor was $200, but the only thing broken was a small plastic bushing that was like 2¢ worth of plastic.
