Awesome 3d Printed

Rémy Vicarini likes to make tiny helmets for his cat Cathode. His collection of 3D-printed headgear includes a bicycle helmet, an astronaut helmet, and a LEGO knight helmet. We also have no idea how Cathode sat still for the working Iron Man helmet. Good kitty.

Artist Dutch exp shows us how he uses a 3D printing pen to create amazing full color replicas of characters from pop culture, including Spongebob Squarepants and Patrick Star, Q*Bert, Pac-Man, Sonic, Olaf, and Rick Sanchez.

Inspired by those mechanical boxing gloves which turn up in comics and cartoons, JBV Creative wanted to replicate the idea using 3D printing. He initially built a couple of small ones which deploy with the push of a trigger, then upgraded it with a ridiculously long scissor mechanism. 3D print files available here.

For us mere mortals, a 3x3x3 Rubik’s Cube poses a challenge. But Corenpuzzle is a bit more ambitious with his puzzles. His Atlasminx is a 19-layer dodecahedron with 4,863 moving pieces. It’s made from 3D-printed pieces that rotate around a circular core. He used colored plastic to avoid having to apply thousands of stickers.

Artist Ray Whitby shows how he created a unique cylindrical jigsaw puzzle. He first designed and 3D printed the pieces using wood PLA filament, sealed them with superglue, and filled them with blue resin. He then attached the pieces and turned them on a lathe. Using latex to protect the pieces from excess resin was key.

Robinson Foundry shows how he made a double-threaded bolt using the lost PLA method he used to make that awesome bronze skull. The process involves dipping 3D-printed models in ceramic, firing then, then melting away the plastic with metal. The design was inspired by a bi-directional bolt machined by Oleg Pevtsov.

RC aircraft enthusiast Troy McMillan spent countless hours planning, designing, 3D printing, and assembling a scale model of a jumbo jet. Here, he shares the time-consuming build process, its maiden flight, and tragic demise after a battery failure rendered his flight controller useless.

Created by Tentacle Media Ltd., the Mini-Mutoscope is a 3D-printed replica of a 19th-century mechanical flipbook. The display works like an animation flipbook, only its movements are smoothly controlled by a crank. It holds up to 42 squares that you can load with your own animations, or one of the samples provided by Tentacle.

Etsy seller Casiopea3D makes these 3D-printed trays for keeping your cards and tokens neat and tidy when playing tabletop games. Each one has three card slots and four token trays. Measures appx. 7.9″ w x 2.4″ d. Sold in sets of two or more in a variety of colors.

3D printers use a technique called “infill” to provide structure and reduce material use and print times. Breaks’n’Makes was intrigued by the geometric patterns and decided to create coasters out of some infill. He then wrapped them in wood and coated in resin for durability. You can buy sets of six on his Etsy shop.

There’s something so satisfying about a well-organized workshop. Maker Zack Freedman shows how he brought order to chaos by creating a wall of parts bins that create a smooth gradient when all the drawers are in their proper places. He 3D printed the faceplates using rainbow filament and laser cut the drawer labels.

JBV Creative designed this interactive marble coaster that can be wall-mounted. To build the maze, he created 3D models in Solidworks, then rendered the components on a 3D printer. Once it’s loaded up with marbles, it continuously recirculates with the turn of its crank. You can buy the STL files to make your own on JBL’s website.

Furniture designer Stelios Mousarris created this unique ping pong table with a mountainous metal base. The 3D-printed steel wire mesh started as data from Google Earth, then translated into a 3D model. A removable wire net at its center means its walnut tabletop doubles as a dining table.

Matt Denton of Mantis Hacks has been working on a LEGO-inspired go-kart made with larger than life 3D-printed plastic bricks. After countless hours on the project, he’s ready to take his creation for a test drive. You can check out the full series of build videos here.

While it doesn’t have nearly as many pieces as the Ultimate Collector Series version of the Millennium Falcon, intronDave’s LEGO model is about 50% larger. He used the now rare mid-scale version as a guide for 3D printing 356 jumbo (500% scale) LEGO bricks to snap together his 70-pound model.

Inspired by the tiny plastic helmet on a LEGO minifig knight, maker agepbiz wanted to see if he could make himself a version that he could actually wear. He took close up photos to guide the creation of a 3D model, then gradually upsized the design it to a whopping 2020% to render its components on a 3D printer.

We’re not sure if the switches that are used to launch real missiles look like this, but the ones in movies have flip-up red covers to keep people from accidentally starting a war. This mod from Rapid3DProductions transforms any regular light switch into a missile launcher switch, so you’ll think twice before you flip that switch.

Do you or someone you know love pinball? The guys at gcpinball make these nifty keychains that look just like a real flipper from a pinball machine. Since they’re individually 3D printed they can be personalized with up to three initials, and come in a dozen color combinations.

In the 1800s, an engineering reference book showed off a pulley design that could expand its size. Angus of Maker’s Muse wanted to see if he could replicate the part using 3D printing, and along the way found a different use for it, and incorporated the mechanism into a nifty looking puzzle box.

Maker Ivan Miranda’s electric off-road vehicle is built more like a tank than a skateboard, riding on motorized, 3D-printed tracks instead of wheels. The drivetrain engineering is impressive, but is it powerful enough to climb a hill while he’s riding on it?

The guys at ThunderDomes are in the business of building geodesic domes. But they also make some nifty LED lamps, which use 3D printing and cast resin structures to throw dramatic shadows onto walls, ceilings, and floors. They come in a variety of designs, with our favorite being the golden ratio spiral pattern.

Designer agepbiz has been creating a series of fun 3D-printable models which can be stored inside of a matching toy egg. Each one is designed to be printed in place, without the need for support structures. You can download the models to print your own over on Cults.

The goose in Untitled Goose Game causes all kinds of trouble. Thanks to Nihilist Grandma, you can put this annoying avian to good use. Their 3D-printed statue has a strong magnet installed under its beak for holding small tools, keys, or other metal objects. Comes in 9″ and 14″ sizes. Expect lengthy ship times due to popularity.