3D printers are not potty trained

[Sebastian Finke]

This all affects how / where you can use 3D printers. Let's start with the last one: Substantial designs seem to take a long long time to print - 20 hours or more I'd think. On the other hand libraries, and I guess many makerspaces too (???) only allow you to use the printer for just a few hours.

Not sure what your point is. If you have a long print then buy your own printer or use a service. If a part needs to be printed then that what you gotta do.

Supposedly PLA has very low health risks, but is there a decent write-up or reliabler research on potential health risks of 3D printing? It gets more tricky with other materials, so maybe you won't be able to use those features of your printer. Does it even make sense to run your printer in the living room or the bed room, or would you typically place it in a workspace or a garage?

If you just provide very good ventilation, won't the air currents affect print quality? Good enclosures would provide a solution to both problems, but then you'd have to arrange an air duct to lead the air outdoors. Don't think any consumer grade printers come with enclosures anyway?

You emit more harmful fumes driving a car... perhaps vehicles don't make sense either? Or processed food? Or knife throwing? My point is that regardless of the activity some degree of common sense is required by the end user. Are you worried about fumes? Open a window.

Does it make sense to run it in a living room? Probably not but more from an aesthetic point of view. My wife wouldn't go for it because it would spoil the look. Does it make sense to run it in a kitchen? No, simply because of the high humidity you typically find in a kitchen. In a bedroom? Not for me, but then I'm not a kid.

Plenty of consumer printers out there that are fully enclosed.

After a (PLA) print job you usually end with some little trash too, like small pieces of filament, supports, the extra base etc. Unless you clean quite dutifully, eventually that stuff would float everywhere if you use your printer regularly.

Uhm... really? Tidy up! Do you complain there are plates in the sink after you eat a meal?

re 3D printers really practical outside of a dedicated man cave? I take some of you folks have that since you're running several 3D printers?

I only have one. I wouldn't mind a second but it isn't pressing. Are they practical outside a mancave? I think they are. Libraries, schools, etc.