From Wish to Masterpiece: Robert's Journey into 3D Printing with Snapmaker

Hi Happy Snapmaker Makers,

My name is Robert, 45 years old, and I am a happy Snapmaker maker.

My printing story began over 9 years ago, when I was browsing the internet and searching for 3D printers. I came across a lot of different brands and then the Snapmaker Original popped up and immediately stood out to me — a small 3-in-1 machine with the looks of an Apple computer.

My first thought was: "This is amazing!" ("I want it").

I really liked the idea of having multiple options in one machine. And as an Apple enthusiast, I was really attracted to the clean and simplistic design.

I wanted to have one. One day. As these were the early stages of 3D printing, I wanted to wait just a little longer and see where developments would go.

Over the following years, I kept reading a lot about 3D printing, CNC, and lasering. I saw how these devices finally found a way into the homes of hobbyists and other enthusiasts like myself. But because I'm not the type of guy that just buys cool stuff on a whim, I bided my time.

In 2019, development truly took off and Snapmaker received significant financial backing through Kickstarter to create an even bigger machine. Now I was REALLY interested — but still, I needed a little more patience.

Then came Snapmaker 2.0, with its larger build volume, enclosure, and rotary module. I watched the reviews closely. It looked great!

But still, it wasn't my time…

Around 2022, the Snapmaker Artisan was launched: an even bigger build volume, new control unit, faster linear rail system — and an even cleaner design.
So, this was it. December 2023. I decided to give myself the best Christmas present ever.
As we Dutchies say: "De kogel is door de kerk" (The bullet was through the church.)
I got myself the Snapmaker Artisan full kit.

The unboxing of my Christmas present was glorious. I was incredibly impressed by the clean, high-quality design of every part — just wow!

So now the journey really begins with building the machine and printing my first-ever 3D print.

At least, that's what I thought...I really thought I had done my homework, but quickly found out there is way more to it. 

I realised I needed more than the standard calibrations that came with the machine to get the quality output I wanted. There are so much variables at play that you need to understand to get it right. It's a steep learning curve and there was no one around to educate me, so I had to do it myself.
But I like a good challenge!

I found some really useful resources on the Teaching Tech 3D Printer Site. I highly recommend it for any 3D printing newbie — it helps build a better understanding of the whole process.

After finally setting things up correctly, I started my first real print. It was fascinating and exciting to watch it grow on the print bed.

Over the next few weeks/months, I printed several small and simple projects. Just trying out different things to get a better feel for it. I printed ….. and …. and… I tested the laser and CNC. With every little project, my enthusiasm grew. I wanted more.

I was ready for the next phase of my 3D journey.

I joined the Snapmaker Facebook page where I connected with some great people, Barry Rathbone being one of them. Barry and I started posting some interesting print designs to each other to raise the bar for each other. It became a challenge for me to learn how to do more impressive 3D prints and how to use the slicer in a proper way.

After every print we made, we posted it on the Snapmaker Facebook page.

Then one day, to my surprise, Snapmaker reached out to me and explained that our posts were elevating their Facebook page and helping to grow the community. This was crazy! I had never thought about that. I was just having fun with friends and learning more about 3D printing!

From this moment on, Snapmaker HQ and I stayed in touch and I feel like we have developed a warm relationship. I find Snapmaker is a really accessible company with great customer support and superb service.

In my opinion, this is the way to run a company.

Right now, I'm two years into my Snapmaker journey. I've made some crazy prints already, and I keep learning new things every day.

I want to thank all the people from the Snapmaker Facebook group for their patience and support to me and the rest of our community. Newcomers are treated with respect and never laughed at for the stupid mistakes we all sometimes make in our learning process.

A big thank you to Snapmaker for this great journey into 3D printing, lasering, and CNC. I hope the development will take us all to a higher level.

Last word: Sharing is caring — and bundling forces together will bring even more wonderful things.

— Robert Saas