Of late I’ve been going a little crazy with my newest art tool, the Scrib3D printing pen, a beginner-tier 3D printing handheld.

The Baker County Library has been offering 3D printing to the public for some time, outputting all manner of useful and decorative items in a matter of hours. Though ink pens predated Gutenberg’s printer by generations, the 3D pen didn’t exist until well after the advent of the 3D printer. But for as advanced as it is, it’s simple, and for as simple as it is, it’s satisfying. In the window of an hour or so it can render some amazing creations in experienced hands. My appreciation of it, particularly, is how it can split the difference between sketch and sculptural styles.

At first it’s good to “ink” with it — simply draw on a surface what you’d like to create to get an idea of what the stuff feels like. It’s a tool that needs patience as it doles out its filament through the tiny heated tip, piping out a semi-molten 1mm string of plastic as it goes. As the plastic cools and hardens, it quickly allows you to accumulate layers of structure.

A starting pen online is a mere $30 investment, and spools of 1.75 mm filament start at about $15 for 300+ meters of material. The filament comes in all plastic colors, even glow-in-the-dark and clear, with new specialty materials coming out regularly. What’s more, you can choose filaments made from recycled plastics, turning bottles that were headed to the landfill into something new and useful.

The tool itself is quite safe, running on a USB power supply. While extended contact with the ceramic tip could burn, it’s relatively safe to touch. The pen even ejects its filler and goes into “sleep” mode when unused for several minutes. It’s output is actually quite strong, especially as you accumulate layers and add to whatever you’re building on. And with careful application of a torch or heat gun, it’s immediately flexible again to be reshaped.

I’ve made several ornaments for my houseplants, and even a life-size replica of my own arm within about an hour. In truth, it leaves me yearning for more — a 3D pen scaled up to the point I could build yard furniture or a treehouse.

Of course, I could just buy five more of them and tape them together like a lunatic, but I think that day will come soon enough without the need for duct tape and jerry-rigging.