Three Months In: Our 3DGT Printing Adventure

The Thrill of Opening

Opening the shop was a dream come true. The first time a customer walked through the door, we got that proper “this is really happening” feeling. Meeting other 3D printing enthusiasts, swapping ideas, and helping people with their projects has been brilliant.

Of course, the excitement comes with a hefty workload. Alongside the shop, we’ve still got family life to juggle — grown-up kids, a grandbaby, and the usual house stuff that mysteriously never completes itself.

A chaotic desk at the back of the shop full of printed items waiting to be assembled.

The Balancing Act

One of the biggest lessons we’ve learned so far is the value of priorities. When you’re a small business partnership, it’s very easy to let work expand to fill every available hour. Vic can happily disappear into design work late into the night, and the printers don’t exactly respect bedtime either.

To keep things healthier, Tanya has started scheduling clearer work and family time, and has taken control of the work diary so we can spread the workload more evenly. It’s not perfect, but it’s a lot more sustainable.

Adjusting expectations

Perfection isn’t realistic when you’re running a business and a household. One of the most freeing realisations has been accepting that it’s okay not to have everything under control all the time.

Vic is mainly in the shop, while Tanya does more from home — partly due to chronic illness, and partly to keep home life ticking over. That balance is what keeps everything moving.

We also protect one night a week as “us time”. Last week was a Doctor Who binge; this week it’s Paradise on Disney+.

Our goals and vision

Over the next few months, we want to keep improving how we show our work online, so more people can easily find the full range of what we make and what we can do. We also want to keep helping the local community see that 3D printing isn’t just a hobby — it can be practical, creative, and genuinely useful.

Embracing the journey

Every week brings new lessons — new materials, new designs, and new “well, that didn’t print how we expected” moments. It’s challenging, but it’s also the fun part. We’re learning as we go, and we’re grateful to everyone who’s popped in, asked questions, ordered prints, or cheered us on.

Reflecting on the Journey

Vibrant 3D printed fidgets on display in the shop.

These first three months have been full of growth, excitement, and a lot of colourful clutter. The work/home balance is still a work in progress, but we’re proud of what we’ve built so far.

Thanks for being part of our journey — and here’s to the next chapter.

Let’s keep dreaming and printing.