MonkeyMoon Studio

10/19/2026

You sold a product for $50. It cost $9 in materials. So you made $41, right?

Not exactly.

What about your labor? Machine time? Consumables? Packaging? Overhead? Selling fees? And those occasional mistakes that end up in the scrap bin?

For makers, woodworkers, 3D printing enthusiasts, and small-business owners, understanding what something really costs to produce can be the difference between making sales and making money.

And here's the other side of the equation: What something costs to make and what it's worth to a customer are two very different things.

We just published a new article at MakerSense IQ that explores the economics behind handmade and small-scale manufactured products, including a practical example that might surprise you.

No magic pricing formulas. Just a better way to think about cost, price, and profit.

Read the full article:
https://makersenseiq.com/learn/how-much-does-it-really-cost-to-make-your-product/

A maker's guide to cost, price, and profit.

10/10/2026

I couldn’t help myself and had to make just one more prop 😅 same process as the tankards, just a bit abbreviated.

10/10/2026

I printed these tankards with my 3D printer for a local Renaissance Festival, one for each family member. I bought 20 oz. SS inserts and designed around those. I used ChatGPT for the starting images, fed those into Hi3D for the STL model. I designed some boolean objects in a CAD program called Alibre. I fed all of that into Blender for final prep. Each mug/tankard consumed 350-450g, 10-16 hrs print time depending on the design/detail. Then painted, starting with flat black spray paint on gray PLA. Then hand brushed 3 more colors of varying shades of metallic silver-ish colors, finished with 3 coats of sprayed clear satin polyurethane. I designed in some satisfying snap fits for the inserts so they are retained by the top rim. It was quite the process, I spent a stupid amount of time on them, but very much worth the effort.

I made a video detailing the process from start to finish here:

https://youtu.be/1Embkn8XLB8?is=vK8t5r06qGLirqIr

09/10/2026

Pretty cool to see practical 3D printing getting some mainstream attention.

The Wall Street Journal recently published a piece about people using 3D printers to solve everyday problems instead of simply buying something new — and one of my designs made an appearance.

That practical, problem-solving side of 3D printing is a big part of why I enjoy it in the first place. Sometimes the best use for a printer isn't making something flashy; it's making the little thing you actually need.

Thanks to the Wall Street Journal for including my work.

https://www.wsj.com/tech/why-buy-it-when-you-can-print-it-a-diy-nation-has-a-fix-for-broken-doodads-d0821b7d?st=yZW6n2&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink

08/14/2026

I put the AlorAir dehumidifier through a real-world test in both my home office and my 1,500 sq. ft. workshop.

In the shop alone, it collected at least 5.3 gallons of water in 24 hours—over 42 pints, with the bucket actually overflowing before the test was complete.

In this Short, I cover the results along with a few of the unit’s key features and my initial impressions.

Product provided by AlorAir for review. Opinions and test results are my own.

AlorAir Galaxy 60P Dehumidifier: https://bit.ly/4xv8EK0
Discount code for 5% off: YTEM

07/12/2026

https://youtube.com/shorts/f0ChIpZvywY?feature=share

A simple practical project that combines natural materials with cle...

07/04/2026

My review of the DJI Mini 4K drone

Thinking about buying the DJI Mini 4K Fly More Combo? This isn't a ...

06/26/2026

Need 3D printer filament? How about 35% off your first order on premium quality filament from Polymaker?!

Polymaker manufacturers many high quality filaments. I use them extensively with great success. This discount may change soon so get in on it now for maximum savings.

https://shop.polymaker.com/CHRISADCOCK

This is an affiliate link so I do receive a small commission, but there is ZERO additional cost to you.

06/14/2026

3D printed parts are not solid plastic blocks — even at low infill, they contain a lot of trapped air. In this quick test, I’m showing how a basic 3D printed part with around 10% infill can provide surprising insulation performance, roughly comparable in concept to common fiberglass insulation.

This is not a laboratory test, but it is a practical demonstration of why printed parts can work well for vents, covers, spacers, brackets, and other applications where heat transfer matters.

The takeaway: infill percentage, wall thickness, material choice, and trapped air all matter. Sometimes the “empty” space inside a print is doing more work than you might expect.

Engineered Modern
Thoughtfully designed. Carefully crafted.

06/01/2026

https://youtu.be/p6KisTV9W-o

A small plastic piece went missing from this lawn sprinkler, making the entire unit unusable. Instead of throwing it away and buying a new one, I designed a ...