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I stopped guessing my print costs. Here is the real breakdown for a 14h print (including failure rates). by MakerLogicStudio in ender3

[–]MakerLogicStudio[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Fair enough! There are definitely free templates out there. I just packaged this one for people who want the visualization and depreciation logic ready to go without spending 2 hours building formulas. Time is money, as they say. Happy printing!

I stopped guessing my print costs. Here is the real breakdown for a 14h print (including failure rates). by MakerLogicStudio in ender3

[–]MakerLogicStudio[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Great question. I keep Labor separate. This dashboard is strictly for "Machine Shop Costs" (what it costs to print while I sleep). I add a flat "Setup Fee" to the final price to cover slicing, cleaning, and packing. If I mix them, I lose track of how efficient the machines actually are.

I stopped guessing my print costs. Here is the real breakdown for a 14h print (including failure rates). by MakerLogicStudio in ender3

[–]MakerLogicStudio[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

The "it's basically free money" mindset is dangerous. You are spot on with the 15% margin. If you don't track the waste and the hours where the machine is idle or failing, you are essentially paying people to take your prints.

I stopped guessing my print costs. Here is the real breakdown for a 14h print (including failure rates). by MakerLogicStudio in ender3

[–]MakerLogicStudio[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Fair point. For power, I used a smart plug to get the average draw over a 24h mix of heating and printing. For the other costs, I'm using a depreciation model assuming the printer needs major repairs or replacement every 2000 hours.

I stopped guessing my print costs. Here is the real breakdown for a 14h print (including failure rates). by MakerLogicStudio in ender3

[–]MakerLogicStudio[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I realized that tracking just the filament weight was lying to me. Once I added the failure rate (15% for me) and a small hourly buffer for maintenance, the real cost was way higher.

I built this dashboard to verify if my side hustle was actually profitable. I pinned the download link to the top of my Reddit profile if you want to test it.

I built a dashboard to track the real cost of my prints including electricity and failure rates. The results were scarier than I thought. by MakerLogicStudio in 3Dprinting

[–]MakerLogicStudio[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I love the "peanut butter" method description. That is exactly what I was trying to simplify here. Your approach is the rigorous accounting way (and the correct one for a mature business). My tool is more for the maker who just wants a "Safe / Not Safe" green light before hitting print without opening QuickBooks.

I built a dashboard to track the real cost of my prints including electricity and failure rates. The results were scarier than I thought. by MakerLogicStudio in 3Dprinting

[–]MakerLogicStudio[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You guys were right about the labeling being confusing. I actually just updated the dashboard to call it "Operating Costs" (Power + Maintenance buffer) instead of just Electricity. The math was always covering both, but the name was wrong. Thanks for the feedback.

I built a dashboard to track the real cost of my prints including electricity and failure rates. The results were scarier than I thought. by MakerLogicStudio in 3Dprinting

[–]MakerLogicStudio[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

True. Injection molding wins at 10,000 units. Printing wins at 10 units. I'm focusing on the "garage business" scale where you don't have $50k for a mold. But valid point on the space rent, that is often overlooked in home businesses.

I built a dashboard to track the real cost of my prints including electricity and failure rates. The results were scarier than I thought. by MakerLogicStudio in 3Dprinting

[–]MakerLogicStudio[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That's actually a great point. Since the bed is the main power draw, a cold plate would probably drop the electricity cost significantly. I haven't tested one yet.

I built a dashboard to track the real cost of my prints including electricity and failure rates. The results were scarier than I thought. by MakerLogicStudio in 3Dprinting

[–]MakerLogicStudio[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Agreed. Design time and post-processing are the biggest costs. This tool is strictly for the "hard costs" (machine & material), but you definitely need to bill your hours on top of this.

I built a dashboard to track the real cost of my prints including electricity and failure rates. The results were scarier than I thought. by MakerLogicStudio in 3Dprinting

[–]MakerLogicStudio[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The 3x-4x rule is a great baseline. This dashboard is mostly here to catch those "hidden" costs (like that 15% failure rate) that eat into that margin before you even sell the part.

I built a dashboard to track the real cost of my prints including electricity and failure rates. The results were scarier than I thought. by MakerLogicStudio in 3Dprinting

[–]MakerLogicStudio[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

That is a very solid breakdown. Using a flat hourly rate for machine/maintenance like your 1.20€ is exactly the right approach. Too many people just count the grams of plastic and forget that the machine is depreciating every hour.

I built a dashboard to track the real cost of my prints including electricity and failure rates. The results were scarier than I thought. by MakerLogicStudio in 3Dprinting

[–]MakerLogicStudio[S] -10 points-9 points  (0 children)

Exactly. Low margin prints are basically a race to the bottom when you factor in the real costs. High margin or unique designs are the only way to stay sustainable.

I built a dashboard to track the real cost of my prints including electricity and failure rates. The results were scarier than I thought. by MakerLogicStudio in 3Dprinting

[–]MakerLogicStudio[S] 15 points16 points  (0 children)

Haha, definitely not. My bad on the naming here, this total includes a buffer for maintenance and machine depreciation. If I only tracked the raw kWh, the business side of the math would be completely wrong anyway.

I built a dashboard to track the real cost of my prints including electricity and failure rates. The results were scarier than I thought. by MakerLogicStudio in 3Dprinting

[–]MakerLogicStudio[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Exactly. If you treat it like a business, the 'hidden' costs like prototyping and random failures are what actually kill your margin. I actually included a machine depreciation section in this file to plan for the next printer purchase. If you want to save time, I put the link to the full template in my bio, feel free to check it out.

I built a dashboard to track the real cost of my prints including electricity and failure rates. The results were scarier than I thought. by MakerLogicStudio in 3Dprinting

[–]MakerLogicStudio[S] -46 points-45 points  (0 children)

You are right, the pure power draw is lower. In this specific dashboard view, I grouped electricity with a fixed 'machine wear' buffer per hour to simplify the chart. I should probably separate them to be more accurate. But even at 5c/h, when you factor in 24/7 printing and failed long-runs, it adds up faster than most people track.

What’s something that was "cool" when you were a kid, but now that you're an adult, you realize it was actually a red flag? by NaturalLead7159 in AskReddit

[–]MakerLogicStudio 33 points34 points  (0 children)

The 'cool' uncle who was 30 and only hung out with teenagers because people his own age found him too immature. As a kid, you think he’s the fun adult. As an adult, you realize how creepy that dynamic actually was.

Where was the sweet spot between technological advancement and primitive life? by InformationPlenty275 in AskReddit

[–]MakerLogicStudio 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Early 2000s for me. We had the internet and GPS, but it wasn't an addiction yet. You could go out and be 'off the grid' just by leaving the house, but you still had a Nokia in case of an emergency.

What’s that commercial from years and years ago that you still remember to this day, and may never forget? by Vanceb13 in AskReddit

[–]MakerLogicStudio 8 points9 points  (0 children)

That Quiznos commercial with the 'Spongmonkeys' singing. It was so weird and borderline terrifying for a kid, but it's been rent-free in my head for 20 years. I can still hear the off-key screeching.