A cracked fitting or a part the maker stopped selling can keep a boat out of the water. We print boat parts from the broken original, a drawing or a set of measurements, in UV-stable grades such as ASA, and deliver them free next day to marinas, boatyards and owners across the PO postcodes.
When a boat part is no longer made, the original becomes the drawing. Post it to us from anywhere near Portsmouth or across Hampshire, or send clear photos with a tape measure in shot, and we measure it, redraw it in CAD and print a copy to the same dimensions. That is how we copied an obsolete sailing furler drum: the original was worn and out of production, so we modelled the replacement from it.
If the maker still sells the fitting, buy the original. If not, a new part modelled from the pieces is the lasting fix, printed in a grade that copes with sun and spray and delivered near Portsmouth or anywhere in Hampshire by free next-day delivery. A part that carries rigging load is different: we do not provide structural sign-off, so check those with a rigger first.
| Your boat part | The route we suggest | What to send us |
|---|---|---|
| The maker still sells it | Buy the original from the maker or a chandlery | Nothing yet |
| Cracked or worn, still in one piece | A printed copy measured from the original | The part, or photos with a tape measure in shot |
| Broken into pieces | A new part modelled in CAD from the pieces | Every piece you have, plus what it fits onto |
| No longer made, no original left | A new design from measurements of the parts around it | Photos, measurements and what the part does |
| Carries rigging or structural load | Ask a rigger or the original maker first; we do not provide structural sign-off | Their specification, if you go ahead |
Six services, printed in our workshops in Dorset and Newbury. A marine fitting, a jig for a production line, a prop for an event or a hundred matching brackets: send what you have and an engineer prices it.
From a rough first model to a pre-production sample, with design-for-print notes in the quote so a weak feature is fixed before it is printed.
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Identical parts in one run with no mould to pay for. No minimum quantity, and the first-article sample is free once you commit to the batch.
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No CAD file? We model the part from the broken original, a sketch or a set of measurements, then print it.
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Props, stand pieces and branded giveaways, from a single centrepiece to a matched run, timed to your event date.
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Pieces bigger than one print bed, printed in sections, bonded and finished, with transport and on-site install.
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Parts the maker no longer sells, measured from a single original and reprinted to the same dimensions.
Learn more →"We needed a sit-in F1-car for an exhibition to showcase our new racing game. 3D Printing Express took our CAD, optimised it for strength and weight as we had no idea how it all worked! Turned out beautifully. They colour matched the finish and was looking like the real deal. On show day the cockpit ran non-stop, adults and kids jumped in."
"We ordered a batch of 100 PA-12 parts from 3D Printing Express and could not be happier. Every part arrived consistent, dimensionally accurate, and ready for use straight from the box. The PA-12 gave us the strength and stability we needed for functional testing, with minimal post-processing required."
A repeat client in Waterlooville. We print furniture protectors for its chairs and beds.
We have made work for the Historic Dockyard.
We have taken on naval work, and we sign NDAs before you send a file.
Students get a 10% student discount on prototypes, models and project parts.
There is no counter in Portsmouth to walk into: every part is printed in our workshops in Dorset and Newbury and delivered free next day, before 10:30am, across the city and the towns around it. Nearer Southampton? See 3D printing Southampton.
Choose the tier that fits your deadline; the quote confirms it within 2 working hours. Once your part is made, you get free next-day delivery by DPD, before 10:30am, to any PO postcode.
5-7 working days
The lead time for every print job, whatever its size.
3-5 working days
For a deadline that is close but not tomorrow.
1-2 working days
For a part you need back this week.
As little as same day
For a breakdown or a launch date that cannot move.
Free next-day UK delivery on every UK order, and we ship outside the UK too. A same-day courier can be arranged at a charge. Lead times depend on complexity, material and queue.
Brief, quote, print, delivery. Four steps from a file or a broken part to a new one in your hands.
Send the file
A STEP or STL file, a drawing, a photo, or the broken part itself in the post.
Inside 2 hours
An engineer replies with a price or a price range, the lead time and anything that could go wrong in print.
5-7 working days
Printed in our Dorset and Newbury workshops at the speed tier you chose.
Free, next day
By DPD, before 10:30am, to any PO postcode.
A photo of the broken part and a rough size are enough to start. An engineer replies within 2 working hours with a price or price range and the material we would use. No jargon and no obligation.
Three more jobs we take on for Hampshire businesses and households, each with the same 2-hour quote and free delivery.
Small batch production is where 3D printing pays off for a Portsmouth or Hampshire company: a run of identical parts with no mould and no tooling bill. There is no minimum quantity, the quote shows a per-unit price, and on a committed batch the first-article sample is free, so you check one before the rest are printed. Furniture protectors for Nightingale Court Care Home are made this way.
Small-batch production →
Large-scale 3D printing works by printing in sections, then bonding and finishing them into one piece, so a build is not limited to one print bed. That is how we made a life-size F1 simulator for an exhibition stand. For a Portsmouth or Hampshire company planning large 3D printed builds, such as a prop, a display piece or a big fixture, we quote per job and can deliver and install on site.
Large-scale builds →
Our 3D printing service offers replacement parts to anyone near Portsmouth or in Hampshire: a clip, knob, bracket, cover or housing that broke and cannot be bought. Send the broken part, a photo or measurements. An engineer replies within 2 working hours with a price or a price range, and the finished part arrives by free next-day delivery.
Replacement parts →Send a STEP file, a photo of the broken part or a few lines about what you need. An engineer replies within 2 working hours with a price or a price range, a material suggestion and a lead time. There is no obligation to order.
Prefer to talk it through first? Call 01202 618797.
PLA is fine on a desk and a poor choice on a deck, because sun and heat soften it. For boat parts we print in ASA, which stands up to UV, and in PETG where a part needs toughness more than looks. Flexible TPU suits seals, bumpers and grips.
For a part that sits in water we can add an epoxy sealing overcoat. Carbon-fibre grades such as PA12-CF suit stiff brackets and mounts.
Tell us where the part lives on the boat and what it does, and the quote will name the grade. On a committed batch the first-article sample is free, so you can try one before the run.
UV-stable grade for deck fittings, covers and anything left out in the sun.
Tough, moisture-tolerant grade for housings, clips and brackets below deck.
Flexible grade for seals, bumpers, grips and anything that has to give a little.
A sealing finish for parts in regular contact with water.
A snapshot of the colours and grades on our shelves. We stock Polymaker and Fiberon filaments as standard, with engineering composites on request. For marine parts, ask about ASA, PETG and TPU.
Not sure which grade will last on the water? We can help.
Email us your use case →Three jobs written up in full: the brief, the build and the result.
Four lines, each priced on its own, checked by an engineer before the quote reaches you.
The grade, the grams it uses and the hours it takes on the printer, listed separately.
Support removal is included. Sanding, painting, sealing and assembly each get their own line, and only if you ask for them.
Free next-day delivery by DPD, before 10:30am, on every UK order. A same-day courier is available at a charge.
Anything likely to fail, such as a wall too thin or a hole too tight, is flagged with a suggested change before you pay.
Batch runs show a per-unit price so you can compare quantities. The price we quote is the price you pay, with nothing added at the end.
Three things set the price: the material, the time on the printer and any finishing. Delivery to Portsmouth is free. The minimum order is £50 (£100 for resin) with no minimum quantity, so a single replacement part is fine.
PLA costs least. PETG, ABS and ASA cost more, and carbon-fibre composites more again. On a boat part, ASA is worth the difference.
Price follows the hours on the printer. A small clip prints quickly; a large housing takes longer and costs more.
Support removal is included. Painting, sealing and assembly are priced as separate lines, so you pay only for the finish you choose.
A batch brings the unit price down as more parts share each print. Ask for a price at two quantities to compare.
We quote every job individually: the first reply gives a price or a price range, then a fixed quote. Send your file and what the part does to get a quote in 2 hours. No commitment to order.
No. 3D Printing Express is a UK company with our main workshop in Dorset and a second workshop in Newbury, and there is no counter in Portsmouth to visit. Every order is delivered to Portsmouth free by DPD next day, before 10:30am, once it is made, and briefs come in by email, the quote form or phone.
£50 on every job except resin, which has a £100 minimum. There is no minimum quantity, so one part is fine as long as the order reaches £50.
Standard lead time is 5-7 working days. Fast Track is 3-5 working days, Priority 1-2 working days and Express as little as same day. Once made, parts reach PO postcodes free by DPD next day, before 10:30am. A same-day courier can be arranged at a charge.
Pick one that copies parts from the original, prints in UV-stable grades and tells you when a part needs a rigger instead. That is how we work: we have made a propeller cap for BT Marine and copied an obsolete sailing furler drum, and boat parts reach Portsmouth and the rest of Hampshire free next day.
Yes. Free next-day delivery by DPD covers every PO postcode, including Fareham, Gosport, Havant and Waterlooville, and the rest of the UK. We also ship outside the UK.
Yes. Students get 10% off, including University of Portsmouth students printing prototypes, models and project parts. The £50 minimum order still applies.
Yes. Post us the broken part, send a photo or a sketch, or describe what it does. We model it in-house and cost the design work case by case, alongside the print.
