From Hobby to Business: My 3D Printing Side Job

What started as a hobby with 3D printing has turned into a real, profitable side business this year. My company 3Dennis now sells self-designed practical objects. I’m selling through my own website 3dennis.com, but also online marketplaces such as Bol and Amazon.

The key to making this scalable was automation. Using my Python script for NXOpen automation, I can generate CAD models much faster than doing everything manually. This lets me create new products quickly and iterate on designs without spending hours on repetitive modeling tasks.

My setup at home is almost fully automated now - the 3D printers can run continuously, and most of my ordering flow is fully automated now so I can easily do the job on the side. Just have to pack the orders and ship them. It’s been satisfying to see something that started as weekend tinkering turn into actual income, and the automation makes it possible to scale without it becoming a full-time job.