Here’s what happened when my 3D pen almost caught fire

I’ve noticed that a lot of creatives lately are jumping on the 3D pen hype, and I thought this might be the perfect time to share the experience I had when my Polaroid Play 3D pen (now discontinued) actually melted in my hands and started smoking.

I don’t mean to put anyone off from buying one of the best 3D pens with this article, and no harm was caused to myself or my surroundings when this event took place, but it has made me a little wary about leaving my 3D pens unattended, even though this occurred while I was fully concentrated on a project and in the process of using the pen. 3D pens have the potential to be excellent tools for project design and prototyping, but more commonly, are used for fun crafts and bringing doodles to life.

Most of the newer 3D pens on the market are very safe for both kids and adults to use, and some are even marketed specifically for children aged 5 and up. While I think that 3D pens are super fun and crafty for kids, especially those with interests in the STEM industry, these tools are definitely not toys, and it’s worth noting this experience as a reminder to never leave young ones unattended with a 3D pen. With that covered, let me tell you all about it.

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I bought this Polaroid Play 3D pen (now discontinued) way before I bought my very first 3D printer, and I quickly got the hang of making fun little objects with it, sparking my initial interest in 3D printers to begin with. I then started using my 3D pen in new ways, to repair and patch up any problem areas with my 3D printed models, and to add some hand-crafted flourish to things I had already created.

The incident occurred when I was patching up a hole on the back of one of my HueForge 3D prints, and since I was creating some content at the time with my phone out, I actually happened to get some of it on video (see below).

I don’t fully know what the problem was or what caused the 3D pen to behave like this, but if I had to guess, I think some filament may have been clogged deep down in the mechanics of the pen, and wouldn’t melt correctly through the nozzle, causing my 3D pen to pretty much combust and tear itself apart as soon as I heated it up.

It was pretty shocking that this happened, but I’m thankful that no harm was caused, and the pen itself only cost me around £40 when I bought it back in 2021, so maybe I got what I paid for in this case.

If you're considering a 3D pen purchase, then there's no need to worry. There are plenty of newer 3D pen models with advanced safety features included to prevent things like this from happening. Just do your research and read some reviews beforehand, and things will be fine. I've rounded up some top deals below on 3D pens to get you started.