Cool Things to 3D Print for August 2022
Like us, you’re tremendously excited by the possibilities of 3D printing. Unfortunately, the landscape is cluttered with trinkets, doodads, and ornaments. We’re in danger of drowning in 3D printed objects that nobody wants or needs.
Fight the tide of mediocrity! Let’s make stuff that’s useful! Here’s a list of cool things to 3D print, right now, today. Prove to your nearest and dearest that there’s an everyday and practical application of this wonderful technology.
Updated monthly under the guise of our very own printocracy, each month we remove the five least clicked models and replace them with five new printables. As the year trudges on there will always be something new, while the uninteresting items drift away. Simple!
Chopstick Hanger
There are plenty of ideas for upcycling PET bottles, but what about the billions of chopsticks thrown away after just one meal? With the help of a 3D printer, you can now do something useful with them, and turn them into a coat hanger.
It’s best to 3D print the end stops with a raft, but otherwise, you don’t need support structures. Squeeze some glue into the holes of the parts, and insert both ends of the chopsticks. Voila: One meal, one hanger.
Who made it? Loismson
Where to download: Cults
Wind-up Boat
Rest assured, this print is fun for small kids and their parents alike. The little wind-up boat is fully 3D printed, including the winding mechanism, all you need are some screws that hold things together. You can launch it on small lakes or in a bathtub.
Now in its 5th version, the mechanical 3D printed boat has improved in a lot of ways. The winding mechanism is bigger, so you can wind it up with wet hands. A rudder was added to make it move less lopsided, the transmission was greatly improved, sharp edges were rounded, and buttons offer more grip.
Who made it? Mike
Where to download: Printables
If you want to bring a little light into your life, here’s a low-tech approach for a DIY headlamp. The headlight should work with most glasses.
To get those photons moving, you need a 5 mm LED and a CR 2032 button battery. First, you trim the LED connectors, put the LED into the cap. then place the cap onto the mount so that the LED connects to the battery. One side will be touching its positive side, the other the negative. Congratulations, you now have a headlamp.
Who made it? Chris McElraft
Where to download: Thingiverse
Some years ago, we wouldn’t have thought it possible to 3D print a zipper, but here we are!
This free model comes with rows of little fingers to cinch a bag shut. It does require some assembly. 40 pivot joints and 40 hinge pins later, you fold your bag over to form a straight edge. The creator LoboCNCwrites: “Open the zipper, feed the edge of the bag into the fingers towards the base. Close the zipper so that the fingers grip the edge of the bag. Repeat several times because it is so darned fun.” We agree.
Who made it? LoboCNC
Where to download: Printables
Labyrinth Coaster
A simple yet entertaining idea: Instead of just placing your mug or glass on a boring coaster, this easy-to-print design gives you additional fun. The idea is to get a small metal ball from the side to the center of the labyrinth simply by tilting the coaster. The only problem we see is: Where do you put your beer while you’re playing? So, better print two of them.
Who made it? Thorin Oakenshield
Where to download: Printables
Remote Spring Mount
Where’s the remote? Under the sofa? Did the dog take it and chew it to pieces? Did it vanish into another dimension? Life’s so much easier when your stuff has a fixed space, and this is especially the case with remote controls.
This particular model has a nice trick up its sleeve: It’s not only a holder for a Chromecast TV remote that goes nicely under a coffee table. This print lets you add a spring, and with a satisfying click, your remote will jump out so you can conveniently can grab it. Just don’t forget to put it back after use.
Who made it? Byteslinger
Where to download: Printables
Maker Lamp
Starting with his popular low-poly Pokemon in the late 2010s, Agustin “Flowalistik” Arroyo has become one of the most amazing product designers for 3D printing to date. His designs show taste and style, and he often shares his 3D printing files with the community for free – like this maker lamp. If you want to learn more about it, you can join his (paid) course on domestika.com.
Who made it? Agustin “Flowalistik” Arroyo
Where to download: Printables
Refrigerator Note Toggle
Some ideas are as ingenious as they are simple. With this 3D print, you can attach notes to your fridge without having to remove the magnet – just toggle it!
Designer Zelrick loves fridge magnets, but “I don’t like that most of them put the magnet dangerously close to the finish on that expensive fridge and removing them to put up a new note or change a picture can be a hassle if your hands are full.” He solved the problem by embedding two magnets in the print on both ends. So there’s no need to pull the part from your fridge, instead, you toggle it to free or place your item.
Who made it? Zelrick
Where to download: Printables
Bee Hotel
It’s hard for bees and other insects to find a habitat – especially in the city. Besides honey bees (which prefer hives) many other species live in solitude, they don’t have a beehive and live in their own little hole in a piece of wood, stone, or earth. Depending on their size, they want tunnels between 3 and 10 mm in diameter, with a length up to 150 mm. They use it throughout the seasons: hibernation in winter, shelter in autumn, and a nursery in summer and spring.
One final tip from the designer: Hang it up a few mm away from the wall, so it slants slightly at a downward angle. This way, any rain will flow out rather than in.
Who made it? Lorraine Delgado 3D Bees
Where to download: Printables
PET Bottle Watering Funnel
There are plenty of ways to upcycle PET bottles. One is to 3D print this funnel and turn any old standard plastic bottle into a practical watering tool.
Who made it? M Schiller
Where to download: Cults
Read More: 50 Cool Things to 3D Print for August 2022 | All3DP