Where It Began — From Gift to Side Hustle

It started with a gift — a 3D printer passed along by a co-worker of my wife, intended for our homeschooled son to expand his coursework. They thought it would be a fun, hands-on STEM-based learning opportunity/hobby since our son loves to tinker. Turns out, the printer didn’t quite click with him… but it definitely did with me.

Once I printed something beyond the usual calibration cube or Benchy boat (an functional outdoor path light mount, actually), I was completely hooked. What started as a hobby quickly became a creative outlet — and eventually, the beginning of Silver Labs 3D.

Every print since that first from the Kitchen counter, 3D printing has been a chance to solve a problem, make something functional, build something to display, or just create something that looks cool. And honestly, I haven’t looked back. I've learned a ton, mostly what not to do again - especially keep the printer on the kitchen counter.