Chris Fenton hopes to build a working electromechanical computer out of parts made by a 3D printer. He has currently developed a working prototype of a punch card reader.

If you want to get into 3D printing but don't want to splurge on an expensive machine, the Anet A8 is an affordable DIY piece of hardware to get you going.

If you want a 3D printer but are short on space, check out Ben Heck's 3D-printer-in-a-briefcase.

The MakerBot Thing-O-Matic is a desktop 3D printer that comes in kit form and, once assembled, can then be plugged into a PC via USB to print 3D objects from your own 3D digital designs.