3D printing is all the rage right now. People dream of science fiction style replicators and smart homes that can deliver anything you want with the touch of a button.

However, 3D printing is still pretty new technology. While it’s getting better all the time, a quick search will show you that, while there many things you can 3D print, the number of useful thing to 3D print is quite small.

Here’s a few of them that can be useful for you to have in your personal or professional life:

Storage

Storage solutions are important for every environment. With 3D printing, you can create a series of stackable drawers that are customized for your space and what you need to store in them. You could also create cubbies for holding your family or office’s diverse collection of charging cords, or headphone stands for a call center or gaming desk. With 3D printing, you can customize these storage containers in ways that you likely won’t find on a shelf.

Gears

Another useful thing to 3D print is gears. This is another area where the customizability of 3D printing comes in handy. You can print gears in just about any size, large or small, and whatever configuration you need for your project. Whether you need them to conduct repairs or to build a prototype, 3D printing gears can be as sturdy as machined gears and much easier to make.

Tools

Yes, you can 3D print tools to specifications. You can even 3D print an adjustable wrench. This has a lot of potential. It is going to be more lightweight and—once again!—can be customized. If you need a tool that has some odd modifications, like needing to be at a certain angle or an unusually small size, a 3D printed version is going to be a much easier way to have those modifications added than jury-rigging something together.

Replacement Parts

Much in the same vein as 3D printed gears, you can 3D print parts that have broken for other items. This is very helpful since sometimes you can’t get smaller replacement parts for headsets or furniture on their own. It’s especially helpful if you have an older item that is no longer manufactured since replacement parts are likely difficult to impossible to find.

Coffee Sleeves

While this item may not seem as useful as the others, remember that spilling your hot coffee or burning your hands on it is guaranteed to ruin any day. There is a wide range of coffee sleeves to 3D print. Some of them look like conventional coffee sleeves from the store, while there are more out-there and creative designs that look like they belong in a science-fiction movie. You can easily personalize your 3D printed coffee sleeve to make it clear that this is really your coffee for your “confused” officemates.

Door Stops

Quit having to contort yourself to hold a door open to take the trash out at work or use a pile of books to keep your home office door open. Instead, get a doorstop 3D printed. Because they can be designed for one purpose, 3D printed doorstops are not just heavy objects but can be designed not to slip while not being too heavy, like many commercially available doorstops, which are often just large heavy sculptures that are difficult to move.

Hinges

You can easily have customized hinges 3D printed. They are just as tough as the ones you’ll get at the hardware store, but they can be designed specifically for your project. This opens up a lot of possibilities and will result in a much more finished look for whatever you’re working on.

Phone Gramophone

Instead of burning your phone’s battery out using a Bluetooth speaker, use the power of acoustics with a phone gramophone. This clever device allows you to maximize the volume of your music without using up even more battery power. It’s also a lot lighter and takes up less space than many larger speakers, making it great for traveling when you want to add some music but don’t have limitless battery life.

At Jawstec, we are on the cutting edge of 3D printing technology. Our experts know their equipment and are happy to work with you to understand what you need, as well as make sure that the final product is actually useful. We have a lot of ideas like these that will help you be more productive and deliver better products using the latest 3D printing technology available.