People First, Quality Always

Electrical Engineer by education. Software Engineer by trade. 3D Printer by heart.

My journey into 3D printing began 10 years ago with a simple problem: my old washing machine needed a door switch that was no longer available. Instead of buying a new machine, I bought my first printer—a Select Mini II from Monoprice—and designed the part myself. That little switch is still available on Thingiverse today, and that washing machine? Still running strong.

What started as a practical solution turned into a decade-long passion. From that first functional print, I've explored every corner of this technology—upgrading from that humble Select Mini to modified Creality CR-10s and high-precision resin printers. Each project taught me something new about bringing ideas into physical reality.

My favorite print? A Kirby-shaped fume extractor for my soldering projects. It perfectly captures what I love about 3D printing: solving real problems with a touch of personality. Whether it's functional parts or creative designs, I approach every print with the same enthusiasm I had fixing that washing machine.

Beyond 3D printing, I'm passionate about all things manufacturing—CNC machining, laser etching, prototyping—anything that transforms ideas into reality. When I'm not calibrating printers or tweaking designs, you'll find me with a cup of tea, exploring new methods to bring concepts to life.

August 2025. I was modifying my Creality CR-10 for a prototype project and needed custom parts printed. I tried one of those big online 3D printing services—you know the type. Upload your file, get an instant quote, wait for your parts. Simple, right?

Wrong. No one checked if the orientation was correct. No one asked about my specific needs. No quality assurance. No human to talk to when things went sideways. Just an expensive box of incorrectly printed parts that didn't fulfill my needs. For a premium price, I got zero service.

That's when I realized: the 3D printing industry had lost its soul. It became about automation and margins, not about helping people bring their ideas to life. During a work layoff, I decided to go all-in and build something different. Something better.

The Printed Bay was born. Yes, the name is a pun on The Pirate Bay (I grew up with it, and I love a good pun). But it also represents something deeper: democratizing access to quality manufacturing. Just as bytes move quicker and cheaper than physical goods, we're building a future where anyone can turn their digital designs into physical reality—with a real human ensuring it's done right.

Today, from our workshop in Des Plaines, IL, we're proving that technology and human expertise aren't mutually exclusive. Every order gets reviewed by a real person. Our design team reaches out to confirm dimensions, orientation, materials, and colors. We print as if it's for ourselves—because that's the only standard worth having.

"To bring the joy of 3D printing to everyone who needs shaped plastic and a technical eye on their project. We're building a distributed future where local printers serve their communities with global quality standards—because bytes move quicker and cheaper than plastic."