Studio 3e8’s Mesa 1, a desktop metal 3D printer that sinters parts in a furnace inside the same machine, opens on Kickstarter on Dec. 1, 2026 starting at $3,500. That early-bird price is about a quarter of the current $14,200 kit price of the Scrap 1 benchtop metal printer.
There’s no ship date and no spec sheet yet. Build volume, print times and cartridge prices are all unpublished, and a co-founder said on Reddit that full material and device specs will come “in the coming weeks.”
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How the Studio 3e8 Mesa 1 Prints Metal Without Lasers or Binders
The Mesa 1 lays down two powders from sealed cartridges, one metal for the part and one scaffold that holds its shape. The part prints straight into a crucible inside the built-in furnace. When the print ends, the furnace sinters it into dense metal, so you never carry a part to a separate oven.
The whole system, furnace included, runs on a standard 120V wall outlet. There are no lasers or binders, and Studio 3e8 says the system was designed from the start to handle oxidation without a vacuum system or gas purge.
That one-box design is the real news. Desktop Metal pitched sintered metal parts for offices back in 2017, but its Studio System split the job across a printer, a debinder and a furnace, and the package cost $120,000, according to 3D Printing Industry.
Studio 3e8 was founded in 2023 by CEO Casey Johnson, joined by co-founder and CPO Cassie Lowell. It started in an attic, moved to a garage and now works out of Greentown Labs in Somerville, Massachusetts.
Studio 3e8 Mesa 1 Price: $3,500 Kickstarter Early-Bird, Dec. 1
| Studio 3e8 Mesa 1 (as of Oct. 31, 2026) | Details |
|---|---|
| Starting price | $3,500 (Kickstarter early-bird) |
| Price after early-bird tiers | Not announced |
| Kickstarter launch | Dec. 1, 2026 |
| Shipping date | Not announced |
| Process | Metal and ceramic scaffold powders, sintered in the machine |
| Metals listed | Carbon steel, copper |
| Power | Standard 120V outlet, furnace included |
| Build volume and resolution | Not announced |
That figure is labeled an early-bird price, which leaves room for a higher price once those tiers fill. If you saw $10,000 in a page preview, that’s the first frame of an animated counter on the homepage that settles on the early-bird price.
What the Studio 3e8 Mesa 1 Doesn’t Do Yet
Two metals, for now. Carbon steel and copper are the only listed materials. Studio 3e8 hasn’t said whether stainless steel, titanium or user-supplied powders are coming, and Reddit commenters asked about all three.
“No support removal” still means cleanup. The launch pitch promises no support removal and no loose metal powder after a print. The scaffold is a silica-free ceramic powder, though, and the co-founder said parts get brushed off inside a small glove box or blasting cabinet, which costs under $100. Budget for that box and the step.
Strength numbers live in a Reddit reply. In the same thread, the co-founder put copper and steel density above 98% and copper tensile strength at 162 MPa, the same in XY and Z. Studio 3e8 hasn’t published them on a data sheet yet, and we haven’t seen third-party test results. Scrap Labs targets above 99% density for its laser-melted Scrap 1 parts.
What the Studio 3e8 Mesa 1 Means for FDM Makers
If you print PLA and PETG today and want real metal brackets or copper parts: the Mesa 1’s starting pledge undercuts even the Scrap 1’s expired $9,600 early-bird kit price, though it’s a pledge price, not a retail one. Plugging into a normal outlet matters for a garage. Wait for the spec sheet before backing it, because build volume decides what you can actually make.
If you need stainless steel or a published spec list: the Scrap 1 lists a 100 mm build cube and starts with 316L stainless, but it costs four times as much, needs a gas supply and is only targeting first shipments in early 2027, so it isn’t a buy-now option either.
If you’re tracking the whole category: the SnowPod desktop metal printer is reportedly headed to Kickstarter too and had no announced price when we covered it in September.
My read: a Kickstarter pledge isn’t a store order, and with no ship date, the early-bird price is paying you to carry the schedule risk. If you need a printer that ships this season, our Black Friday 3D printer deals guide covers the FDM machines worth watching.
Studio 3e8 Mesa 1 FAQ
How much does a desktop metal 3D printer cost?
The Studio 3e8 Mesa 1 starts at $3,500 as a Kickstarter early-bird. The Scrap 1, a laser powder bed machine, starts at $14,200 as a kit and $17,990 assembled.
When does the Studio 3e8 Mesa 1 launch?
The Kickstarter campaign opens Dec. 1, 2026. Studio 3e8 hasn’t announced a shipping date.
What metals can the Mesa 1 print?
The two listed metals are carbon steel and copper. Stainless steel, titanium and third-party powders haven’t been announced.
What We Still Don’t Know About the Studio 3e8 Mesa 1
- Size and detail: build volume, layer height and minimum feature size.
- Cycle time: how long a print plus a sinter takes.
- Running costs: Studio 3e8 calls its metal formulations proprietary, which suggests cartridges may come only from Studio 3e8. The company hasn’t said whether third-party powders will work, and there are no prices.
- Final price and delivery: what the Mesa 1 costs after the early-bird tiers, and when the first units ship.
The promised spec sheets are the next thing to watch, and ideally they land before anyone has to pledge on Dec. 1.
