The new Saltash shop that wants to get you 3D printing

Most people buying their first 3D printer have never seen one running. They click, wait for a box, and hope for the best.

A new shop in Saltash wants to change that. Layer3D Ltd officially opens its doors on Lower Fore Street this Saturday (14 November), with a showroom where customers can watch printers at work, handle finished prints, compare materials and get advice face to face.

The whole business is built around one message: 3D Printing Is For Everyone.

See it working before you buy

Most consumer 3D printers are still bought online, which means plenty of people never see one working before they order. The Saltash showroom will have printers running alongside filament, accessories and examples of what can now be made at home.

Lee Broad, General Manager of Layer3D, wants people to come in and see it for themselves rather than scrolling past it online.

“I want someone to be able to walk in and say, ‘I know absolutely nothing about 3D printing,’ and for that to be completely fine,” he said. “We can show them a machine, explain how it works in normal language and help them work out what would suit them. That face-to-face side is a big part of what I wanted Layer3D to be.”

From craft fair dragons to your own printer

Lee knows there’s a perception to shift first.

“There is still an idea that 3D printing is for engineers, computer experts or serious hobbyists. It really isn’t,” he said. “It can be for someone who wants to make personalised gifts, somebody into crafts or modelling, a business that needs a prototype, or someone who just wants to replace a broken part at home. You don’t need to know how to design complicated models, and you don’t need to spend thousands of pounds to get started.”

He reckons the easiest way to explain it is through something many people will already have spotted.

“Go to a craft fair or market and you’ll often see articulated dragons, colourful plant pots, personalised signs and other 3D-printed things and think, ‘That’s really cool.’ A few years ago, your choice was basically whether to buy it. Now you can have a printer at home, find something you like and make it yourself.”

“That’s the bit I think a lot of people haven’t quite realised yet. It’s become much easier. You don’t have to sit down and design everything from scratch. There are creators all over the world making models available to print. You can start with those and, if you want to, learn the design side later.”

Escape room props to cupboard handles

The idea for the business grew out of Lee’s own practical projects, including work connected with escape rooms. Printers were used for props, puzzle components, housings, replacement parts, signage and other one-off pieces.

After years of using 3D printing to solve problems, he saw a chance to open the technology up to people who might never have considered it.

“One minute you can be making a replacement cupboard handle and the next minute you’re printing a personalised gift for someone,” he said. “That’s what makes it interesting. You start looking around and realising how many things can be made, repaired, adapted or personalised.”

“You might buy one to make things for a hobby and six months later you’re designing a storage organiser that fits your kitchen drawer perfectly.”

A present that makes its own presents

Modern machines are much easier to use than they were, with automatic calibration, faster printing and multicolour options increasingly available on affordable consumer models. Lee believes that makes them a genuine option for families as well as established hobbyists.

3D printing is also finding its way into more secondary schools, so a printer at home gives young people the chance to keep learning those skills outside the classroom.

“Buying presents for children can be difficult, whether it’s Christmas, a birthday or any other occasion. But instead of guessing what they want, why not give them a 3D printer and let them decide what to make?” he said. “With 3D printers starting from around a hundred and fifty pounds, it’s now an affordable hobby for families. From puzzles and fidget toys to models and decorations for their room, there’s plenty of scope to learn and be creative along the way.”

Help after the box is opened

Layer3D will stock printers, filament, materials and accessories, and offer custom 3D printing and local advice. Repairs, support, workshops and training are planned as the business develops.

“I don’t want somebody to buy their first printer and then feel they’re completely on their own,” Lee said. “If they’re confused, come in and ask. If a print keeps failing, talk to us. If they want to try a different material, we can help. That local support is something you don’t always get when everything is bought online.”

The business has also set up the 3D Printing Plymouth and Cornwall Facebook group, bringing together experienced makers, complete beginners and people who are simply curious about the technology.

Coffee, questions and no pressure to buy

The longer-term aim is for the shop to become a local hub where people can learn, see what others are making and find out what 3D printing can do for them. It serves Saltash, Plymouth, South East Cornwall and the wider South West.

Nobody coming through the door is expected to buy something. People are welcome to drop in, look around, ask questions, have a coffee and chat about 3D printing with like-minded people.

“There really isn’t one typical 3D-printing customer,” Lee said. “If you know everything about it, you’re welcome. If you know absolutely nothing, you’re just as welcome. That’s what we mean when we say 3D Printing Is For Everyone.”