# 3-D printing with sawdust

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3-d-printing-with-sawdust/976927>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [December 21, 2022, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3-d-printing-with-sawdust/976927 "2022-12-21T23:53:47Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Bootb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19b73/32.png) [@Bootb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bootb)\
**Post date:** [December 21, 2022, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3-d-printing-with-sawdust/976927/1 "2022-12-21T23:53:47Z")

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Would you like a new lamp or guitar?

> **[This 3D printing system converts waste sawdust into stunning wooden lamps and...](https://www.zdnet.com/home-and-office/sustainability/this-3d-printing-system-converts-waste-sawdust-into-stunning-wooden-lamps-and-guitars/)**
>
> Desktop Metal's sawdust-printing outfit allows individual designers and large manufacturers to print elaborate wooden objects.

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**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\
**Post date:** [December 22, 2022, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3-d-printing-with-sawdust/976927/2 "2022-12-22T00:33:39Z")

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It wouldn’t really be wood, of course. Structurally, it’d be plastic, with bits of wood embedded in it. And the structural properties of wood really are desirable, for some applications.

Might still look really nice, though.

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**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\
**Post date:** [December 22, 2022, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3-d-printing-with-sawdust/976927/3 "2022-12-22T00:53:30Z")

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I can definitely see how some unique items could be made from this “wood”.

But for a guitar, while you could certainly make one that would be difficult (if not impossible) to make with conventional wood, I would like to hear how it sounds first. Plastic with embedded bits of wood isn’t going to resonate the same as real wood.

Take acrylic guitars, for example. They are cool too, but they don’t sound as good as a real wood guitar.