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?

  • OllieMendes [he/him,any]
    ·
    3 years ago

    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.

    • Abazaba [he/him]
      ·
      3 years ago

      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!

      • EmmaGoldman [she/her, comrade/them]M
        ·
        3 years ago

        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.

      • nat_turner_overdrive [he/him]
        ·
        3 years ago

        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/

        • Abazaba [he/him]
          ·
          3 years ago

          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?

          • nat_turner_overdrive [he/him]
            ·
            3 years ago

            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?!"