MyMiniFactory Wants to Give You Free Filament

Let’s be honest, 3D printing is not by any stretch of the imagination an especially affordable or inexpensive hobby. While there are a few decent sub-$1000 desktop 3D printers on the market, most of the more popular models are probably going to set you back well over that. And let’s not forget the cost of filament, with typical prices for a 1 kilogram spool ranging between $30 and $60 depending on the brand, quality, and material. If you 3D print on any regular basis, that spool is probably not going to last you very long, especially if you’re a 3D artist and you are testing out your own designs or products.

3D printing marketplace and community MyMiniFactory is hoping to help aspiring 3D designers with some of their filament costs and bolster their stable of designers at the same time. The newest MyMiniFactory newsletter announced their new Free Filament for New Designers promotion and it is exactly what it sounds like. Any new 3D designer who signs up and uploads a new model will be sent a free spool of 3D printing filament.

MyMiniFactory is different from most of the other notable 3D model marketplaces. They differ quite a bit from their larger contemporaries like Shapeways or Thingiverse by specifically curating the models that they feature. But their curation is not quite as strict as some of the smaller, bespoke marketplaces that focus on only a specific type of 3D printable product like jewelry. MyMiniFactory, rather, curates an aesthetic that they feel attracts a specific type of designer that produces exciting models that have a broad appeal.

The typical MyMiniFactory designer (in my experience) is probably a little nerdy, tech-minded, and either a professional or someone who takes their hobby pretty seriously. And the focus on that type of designer is clearly paying off based on the pretty high quality selection of available models. They also are trying to build a solid community of users with features like their tip-based MyMiniFactory TV, which is essentially Twitch for 3D printing. They also hope to unveil a new referral program to bring in new users and designers.

Ant-Man Mask by Stefanos Anagnostopoulos

If you have never used MyMiniFactory before, you are eligible to receive the free spool of filament. Simply open up a new profile and upload a new model that has not been uploaded anywhere else. You will need to supply the STL and in order to verify that the model is 3D printable, at least one high-quality photograph of your model 3D printed.

The new user will need to include the words “FREE FILAMENT” and the address that they would like the filament shipped to in the item description. Once MyMiniFactory has verified the model’s printability, quality, and appropriateness for the marketplace they will reach out and ask what type of filament you would like. They expect the entire process to take one to two weeks. Anyone in any location qualifies for the free filament provided that you have uploaded a model.

And that’s it–just join MyMiniFactory that you get some free filament! Of course they would love it if you showed off your printer using your free filament on their streaming service. And you might get even get some tips for doing so. Have you had any experience using MyMiniFactory? Head on over to the MyMiniFactory Wants to Give you Free Filament forum thread at 3DPB.com and let us know what you think.