Four years ago, I started 3D printing. Just for fun. A little experimenting, making cool things and discovering what was possible.
Fast-forward four years, three printers, a rather impressive filament collection and countless printing hours later.
And guess what? I'm nowhere near done playing.
Meet my little team
My 3D printing room is home to three printers. And since they're practically part of the family by now, they obviously needed names.
Kev1n – The Creality K1
Kev1n is my speedy guy. A proper little workhorse who loves showing off what he can do.
Most of the time, he does exactly what I ask.
Sometimes, he has other ideas. Usually right after I've finally figured out the perfect settings.
We've been through a lot together. Beautiful prints, spectacular failures and a few moments when I seriously questioned my choice of hobby.
But Kev1n and I understand each other.
Most days.
Annie – The Anycubic Kobra 3 with ACE Pro
Annie brought more colour into my life. Literally.
With her ACE Pro, she can combine multiple colours in a single print, opening up a whole new world of possibilities.
Because honestly, why print something in one colour when you can use four?
Annie is brilliant for the cute, quirky and colourful creations I love making. From adorable characters to decorations with a little extra personality.
And yes, sometimes I spend longer choosing the perfect colour combination than choosing what to print.
Snappie – The Snapmaker U1
And then came Snappie.
My newest toy.
With multiple print heads, Snappie takes multicolour printing to another level.
This is the printer that makes me want to push boundaries. Beautiful colour combinations, intricate details and ambitious projects that start with one simple question:
"Do you think this will actually work?"
Sometimes the answer is no.
But that's usually just my cue to try again.
From creepy to cute (and everything in between)
Looking at my collection, you'd probably think several completely different people were responsible for it.
One day, I'm printing a creepy Art the Clown bust. The next, I'm ridiculously excited about an adorable little creature holding a cup of coffee.
I love Deadpool, unusual decorations, American retro designs, colourful characters and anything with a sense of humour.
I'm also a huge fan of puzzles. Especially the kind where you hide a little present inside and make someone work for their gift.
And sometimes I print something purely practical. Because I need it, because it's useful, or simply because I think:
"Surely I can print that myself?"
My creations don't follow one particular theme.
But they do have something in common.
They need personality.
I love prints that stand out. Things that are funny, bold, slightly weird or simply too cool to ignore.
The kind of creations that make someone stop, look twice and say:
"Okay, that's awesome!"
Perfect prints? Not always.
What you don't see in the pictures are all the failed prints.
The spaghetti monsters. The supports that gave up halfway through. The colours that didn't quite work. And that mysterious setting that worked perfectly yesterday but apparently changed its mind overnight.
Four years of printing definitely doesn't mean everything goes smoothly.
But that's part of the fun.
Experimenting, learning new things, tweaking settings and finally getting that magical moment when you lift a finished print off the bed and think:
YES! That's exactly what I wanted!
Welcome to Leo & Layers
Leo & Layers is really just an extension of my favourite hobby.
A place to share what I create, what inspires me and what's possible with a few rolls of plastic, three slightly temperamental printers and a brain that never seems to run out of new ideas.
No factory. No mass production.
Just someone who, even after four years, still gets excited every time a new print finishes.
And who has probably come up with three more projects before the previous one is even done.
Your idea. Made in layers.