Awesome 3d Printed

When you look at an old-timey barber pole, its stripes appear to spiral upward. Science educator Steve Mould shares a similar illusion designed by Ada Cohen that uses intertwined helixes to create the illusion that they’re disappearing endlessly into the top of the rig. Bottom line, spirals and helices have a way of messing with our brains.

Using CGI, it’s possible to create fractal images that can be zoomed into infinitely. Inspired by the work of Feliks Konczakowski, mathematical artist Henry Segerman created an infinite zoom illusion using a real-world 3D-printed model. He pulled off the effect using a computer-controlled slider, a turntable, and precision editing.

Isn’t this so adorable? This 9-key macro keypad looks like a tiny retro telephone. Steboards ships this USB macropad fully assembled with Gateron Red, Blue, or Brown mechanical switches. The keys come mapped to functions 13 to 21 but can be reprogrammed on request or using the included code and the Arduino IDE.

The classic Volkswagen Type 2, aka Microbus, offered a cheerful way to carry passengers and their gear. Now this iconic van can hold your pens and pencils too. This 3D-printed desk accessory from SculpNude has dozens of hex-shaped holes in its roof and interior, making it perfect for organizing a set of colored pencils.

JBV Creative has engineered all kinds of neat mechanical devices, including an overcomplicated candy dispenser and a robot that types. This time, he built a pair of machines that endlessly toss tiny basketballs into each other’s hoops. You can purchase a 3D printable model of the Roboballer on JBV’s website.

While it’s been surpassed by machines running Apple silicon, the Mac Pro is still a powerful computer. It’s still quite large. The Wrench put the computer’s cheese grater case through the shrink-ray (3D printer) and created a Mac Pro Mini. His version has less robust LattePanda 3 Delta brains and runs Windows, but it’s still a neat build.

Engineer James Bruton loves to build robots with unusual drivetrains. For his latest creation, he designed and fabricated a remote-controlled robot that ambles along on 20 legs, like a giant mechanical centipede. Despite its complexity, it’s quite nimble. Now can we get a version with 100 legs, James?

Most rubber band guns require manual reloading between shots. But Nagy Big designed a 3D-printed toy gun that can fire multiple rubber bands in sequence thanks to its spring-loaded mechanism and multi-band clip. If you want one for yourself, you can download the STL files on Printables.

Artist Luke Towan specializes in building models and dioramas. He recently finished making a 1:87th scale escalator that actually works. It took him almost a year to finish, but the completed piece is a marvel of miniature engineering. The 3D printing and laser cutting templates are available for download on Tinkercad.

This custom-made chess set from 3DCubedPrinting comes with pieces that look like ammunition. Its 3D-printed plastic pieces are based on different calibers of ammo, from .45 ACP pawns to a .50 BMG king. The set includes a storage box and all 32 chess pieces. An optional camouflage vinyl chess board is also available.

Inspired by the torpedoes on a submarine, electrosync wanted to see if he could make a tiny version to launch in a swimming pool. He designed 3D-printed shells for the mini torpedoes and powered them with CO2 cartridges. A spring mechanism gives them an initial push. Grab the STL files for free on Thangs.com. (Thanks, Bruce!)

Artist and designer Dom Riccobene painstakingly replicated the full single-player map of Los Santos from Grand Theft Auto V as a 3D model. Because of the size of his 3D printer, he broke the map down into 24 quadrants, then assembled each piece onto a 20″ x 30″ base. We enjoyed watching the map legend being carved too.

Adafruit Industries shows off a fun DIY project using oversize Kailh key switches to build three ginormous macro keys. The keys work just like the keys on a regular keyboard, only 64 times larger in volume. We want to see someone build an entire QWERTY keyboard with these things.

Sugar Lab’s mad scientists went batty for Halloween, using 3D printers to make edible sweets in seasonal shapes like Pumpkin Spice Lattes. Apple Covered Caramels turn the classic inside out with a caramel and apple butter filling, while Day of the Dead Glitter Skulls dissolve into edible glitter when plopped into cocktails.

Tokyo_Bird shared this 3D-printable design which makes use of plastic soda bottle caps for sealing small containers. They’re ideal for storing items like screws, washers, or pills. The design is available for download from Thingiverse. We’re not sure they fit U.S.-size bottle caps, but they include STL files for printing your own caps.

Our brains can be easily tricked by optical illusions. StruckDuck shows off five different 3D-printed objects which seem to defy logic but are just messing with our minds thanks to the camera’s perspective. You can download STL files for all of these objects on StruckDuck’s Etsy shop.

With the help of his gigantic 3D printer, maker Ivan Miranda built a ridiculously overpowered toy weapon. It uses a pair of powerful motors and belts to quickly load balls into its hopper, then blows them out the front using a ducted fan like the ones used in leaf blowers.

Ready to propose to your sweetie? You could head to the jewelry store and spend thousands on an engagement ring, or you could do what agepbiz did, and 3D print one. He designed 3D models for the ring and gift box, printed them with Timberfill wood filament, sanded them smooth and added a Swarovski crystal to the ring.

Inspired by the antique fractal jaw vise that Hand Tool Rescue restored, Teaching Tech created a 3D-printed version of the fascinating workbench tool. Like the original, it can hold irregularly-shaped objects with its rotating grippers. Grab the STL files to print your own at Thingiverse, or play with the CAD file at OnShape.

At first glance, it looks like the ball in this video from StruckDuck is defying gravity and rolling up a slide. The trick involves a specially-distorted 3D print and a camera placed in exactly the right spot to pull off the illusion. You can buy the STL template file for the slide on Etsy.

Toy maker Hasbro teamed up with the 3D printing experts at Formlabs to create action figures that can be customized with your own head. The high-tech toys start with a 3D scan on your phone that’s used to make a full-color resin model. The $60 figures will be available starting Fall 2022 in the U.S. via the Hasbro Pulse app.

Fab365 shows off a 3D-printable model they designed of Pixar’s adorable robot WALL-E. What makes the model special is how its main body and gear structure can be printed all at once then folded together. The grey parts and some moving pieces are printed separately. An STL of the model can be downloaded for free here.

Colberd makes these tabletop lamps based on 3D models of our solar system’s planets. Each 5″ sphere is 3D printed from PLA plastic with a detailed map of the planet’s surface created from NASA images. They have a 16-color LED light source and include a wooden stand and remote control. USB power cable not included.