Obama's Boost Only Added to 3-D Stocks' Rally

But one thing the president didn't mention is how individual tinkerers in this technology – the entrepreneurs of tomorrow, presumably – are already benefiting. Jonathan Shaw, a digital operations manager in northern New Jersey, owns a 3D printer as a hobby but says he can foresee the day when he "takes the plunge into mass-producing products or selling online."

New materials "are already available to print with, as opposed to just polymer plastics," Shaw told The Fiscal Times. "Soon, rather than waiting for a part to be in stock when your car breaks down, you can just 'print' one. There are surgical uses and food-related uses. When my wife needed a ring holder for when she did dishes, I just ran downstairs and 'printed' one in just under an hour. Is that life changing? No – but it could easily be applied as a new in-home business model."

Shaw adds, "For small business, this can be a great way to prototype products and compete at a much higher level with minimal investment."