One thing I discovered early-on with 3D printing was a tendency to think all printed items had to be designed and printed as one piece. That is not true or necessary.
Many good projects simply can’t be made as a single print. As a designer, one of my skills is determining the best way to print parts and assemble the project.
Fast acting Cyanoacrylate (CA) glues are wonderful for most plastic assembly. Concerns for durability and environmental conditions are factors for adhesive use. I sometimes use 2-part epoxy. I assume the old-school “plastic model glues” still exist. Haven’t looked for them.
Of course mechanical (bolts and screws) can also be utilized when appropriate. Never tried nailing. Somehow that doesn’t seem appropriate with plastic. <G>
I don’t have an urge to explain in exquisite detail, to someone admiring one of my projects, how it was assembled. Most projects the glue joints can’t be seen. If asked, I’ll explain.
Back in my boyhood plastic model building days, (battle ships, cars, airplanes) everything was an assembly. No different with 3D printed projects.
I break up a design into easy to print components if I can. Trying to avoid the time and waste of needing support material. A box with legs; the legs can be printed separately and glued onto the box.
Building separate pieces is also a good way to combine several colors or types of material into a project. One doesn’t need a multifilament printer.
But I do have several of multi-filament printers, which are very nice for AVOIDING assembly of parts in certain designs.
If I want a red knob on a white lid, I can print two separate parts and glue together, or print them as one part on a multi-color printer. I have a choice!
My point here is that thinking of printing components rather than one piece prints is a good general rule. Not saying one print projects are wrong. I do a lot of those. But I don’t want to think all projects are one piece, or for some “sacred” reason need to be…
In actuality, all prints ARE one piece, (except multiples on one base plate). I like thinking “out of the box” and letting “the pieces fall where they may.”
“Parts is parts” and a project can be made from many parts, with 3D printing.