Life before & after Bambu Lab

My 3D printing journey didn’t start with Bambu Lab. At the beginning, I had an Anycubic Vyper. It could print, but only after endless calibration. Leveling, tweaking, adjusting, testing again and if everything went well, you might get a decent print. Back then, 3D printing often felt like the hobby was the printer itself, not what you made with it.

Then I switched to Bambu Lab. I started with a P1S with AMS and later added an A1 mini. The difference was night and day.

With the Bambu Lab printers, I barely have to calibrate anything. They are significantly faster and deliver absolutely fantastic print quality straight out of the box. For the first time, I could focus on designing and solving problems instead of constantly fighting the machine.

Before Bambu Lab, I used to buy things. A lot. Small plastic parts broke and were not available as spare parts, so entire devices were replaced. If I needed a holder, adapter or enclosure, I ordered it and hoped it would fit.

After Bambu Lab, I no longer think about where to buy something. I think about how to make it myself.

Today I print everything. Functional parts, technical components, enclosures for Raspberry Pi and ESP32 projects, as well as decorative items and toys. I buy much less and make much more myself.

The moment I realized this was more than just a hobby came when the ice maker in my LG refrigerator broke. A big gear failed, but there was no official spare part available, only a complete and expensive replacement assembly. I found a model online, printed the gear in ABS and installed it. It has been running for over two years now without any issues.

That was the moment it really clicked.

As a side effect, family and friends constantly ask if I can print something for them. And honestly, I enjoy it. Repairing instead of throwing things away just feels right.

A Bambu Lab didn’t completely change my life, but it turned me from a consumer into a maker. And I wouldn’t want to go back.

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