It's difficult to describe what a 3D-printed hammer feels like when the head is made of an iron-plastic composite and the handle a maplewood one. The metal part feels colder, but it's not quite as cold as iron. Meanwhile the surface of the handle, the distribution of weight and the feel make it seem like borderline for-real wood. It's a strange thing: Somewhere between a real hammer and one made entirely of plastic. Hammer lite. (Even better, because it's a maplewood composite, it smells like maplewood!)

Using these advanced composite plastics will ensure prototypes are far more realistic. MakerBot demonstrated the range of uses with a museum-style exhibit: marble busts printed with the limestone plastic, wooden boats and a skull. Interestingly, because the plastic takes on the properties of the added material, it means you'll be able to stain, sand and treat wood-based plastics, while iron-based creations can actually be magnetized. There's a whole lot of potential here.