I finally pulled the trigger and bought a 3D printer. I went with the Bambu P1S with the AMS unit to boot. It arrived about a week ago and I think I’m beginning to understand why my 3D printing friends talked religiously about the hobby. If you haven’t dipped your toe into the melted filament, you are missing out! My plan is to primarily use it to create organisation around the house, making small signs and the odd fidget toy. I hope the kids sees the possibilities in having it for all their different school and hobby  projects as well. One of the very first thing I’m going to tackle is my all the mess in my cupboard and drawers and my weapon is a little modular magic made by YouTuber Zack Freedman called Gridfinity.

Why the Bambu P1S with AMS?

The short and boring answer is that one of my friends send me the link to the Bambu shop and ordered me to buy one. After a few hours of research it was pretty obvious that it was the right choice. The Bambu P1S stood out for its balance of plug-and-play simplicity and powerhouse performance. It’s a CoreXY printer, which means it’s fast (like, really fast), and the enclosed design makes it versatile for materials like PLA, PETG, and even ABS. But the real game-changer? The Automatic Material System (AMS). With the AMS, I can print in multiple colors or materials without babysitting filament swaps. Four spools, seamless switching, and endless potential. It’s perfect for someone like me (and you) who’s new to 3D printing but wants to hit the ground running.

First Stop: Gridfinity

If you haven’t heard of Gridfinity, let me introduce you to my new obsession. It’s a modular organization system designed by Zack Freedman that uses stackable bins and baseplates to turn any drawer, shelf, or workspace into a masterpiece of order. The idea is simple: print a grid base, snap in custom bins, and suddenly everything has a place. I’ve got drawers full of random cables, and tools that have been begging for this kind of love. With the Bambu P1S’s speed and the AMS’s multicolor magic, I can crank out Gridfinity bins faster than you can say “where’d I put my screwdriver (tool or drink)?”

My first project? Organizing my desk. I’m talking a custom bin for pens, a stackable holder for USB drives, and maybe even a little tray for my external drives. The AMS lets me add pops of color; blue for tech stuff, green for tools, red for “empty @Weekly Review” so I can spot what I need at a glance. It’s practical, it’s pretty, and it’s a small win against chaos.

Beyond Gridfinity: Small Wins Around the House

Gridfinity is just the start though. I’ve got a growing list of ideas for small productivity projects that will make my home a little smoother to live in. Here are a few of my to-do’s with the printer:

• Cable management: Those pesky phone chargers, and HDMI cables dangling everywhere? I’m going to print custom clips and cable management to keep them tidy and off the floor.
• Spice Rack Inserts: We have spice jars all over the kitchen in multiple cupboards and drawers. That needs to change!

The beauty of the P1S is that it’s fast enough to churn these out in an afternoon, and the AMS means I can experiment with colors or even mix materials (like flexible TPU for grippy clips). It’s not just about fixing stuff—it’s about making my space work better for me.

Why This Matters

I’m no engineer, but Iv’e always loved tinkering and solving little everyday problems. This printer feels like a superpower, turning ideas into real, tangible things I can hold in my hands. I’m pretty sure I could by organizers and a spice rack in Ikea, but there’s something deeply satisfying about designing exactly what I need, down to the last detail. Printing Gridfinity bins for my stuff gives me a reason to think about if I even need the thing I’m making a space for.

I’m positive that you are going to see more posts about my 3D printing endeavors going forward.