Once you have a 3D Printer, what can you do with it?
Here is a wide range of examples. Most of these you can print yourself.
3D Printing Examples & Ideas
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3D Printed Geneva Drive
The Geneva Drive is an elegant mechanism used to convert rotary motion into intermittent motion. The link includes a YouTube video as well as the STL 3D printer files and complete directions. A great introduction into how an item that would be complex and time consuming to create traditionally can be printed in just a… learn more
3D printed gyro cube sphere
This video shows not only the sphere being printed, but also the steps needed after the print to get everything to work. As you can see, 3D printing is still a work in progress. learn more
3D Printed Kitten Wheelchair
Awwww. Meet Peggy. When this little kitty was rescued, they found the lower portion of her rear legs were gone. The author was asked to design a wheelchair for Peggy to keep her mobile and keep her rear legs off the floor (as they can easily get infections) until she reaches the ripe age of… learn more
3D Printed Wing Ribs
Tom Stanton shows how he used a 3D printer to print wing ribs for his model aircraft. Combined with foam sheets, packing tape and a lightweight wooden spar, they hold a true aerofoil shape and perform amazingly well. learn more
Air Spinner
Not only is this a fun print that shows how you can print moving mechanisms in place, but it's practical too. Someone discovered you can spin the Air Spinner up by blowing on it, and it can be used by speech therapists to help special needs kids get better at breath support and control. learn more
Amazing Bubble Wands
This collection of bubble wands can be printed and used for students of all ages. Younger students can have fun while learning about bubbles. Older students with access to a 3D printer can learn to create their own bubble wands. Some of the questions covered in the included tutorial include... What are bubbles? Why are… learn more
Flexi Rex
This model is an exemplar of many different 3D prining concepts. When the model is well designed, you can print a multi-part articulated item all-at-once with even an inexpensive 3D printer. The concepts of open source and iterative design allow one person to come up with a good idea and others to build on it… learn more
Fraction Blocks
This math "toy" was originally created by a dad for his son. Math concepts like fractions can be easier to grasp when they can be seen ... and grasped. For older students, what sort of "toys" can they come up with to demonstrate math concepts? How about "toys" or demonstrations for other subjects? learn more
Functional 3D Printing - Reddit
Many people have the false notion that 3D Printers are only useful to make key chain ornaments and dust collectors. This sub-Reddit was created to show that 3D Printers are very useful around the home, classroom and workplace. Check out some of the amazing, functional prints that people have created. learn more
Germz
'Germz' are a super small print that can be used as handy little clips for all sorts of applications. It's also a great wat to confirm that your printer is set up and tuned or "dialed in" correctly. We've featured this print in our convention booths. It shows how a simple item with moving parts… learn more
Mendocino Motor
This is an example of using a 3D printer to create the connectors and other parts needed to assemble an item, in this case a simple solar powered motor. You can find details on the motor at Thingiverse/thing:17860 learn more
Mount Saint Helens 3D Topo Map
Here's an example of a 3D printed topo map of Mt. St. Helens from Mappery.com. Here's an example map of Mt. St. Helens. While the print files for this item are not available for download, it gives you an idea of what you can do with a 3D printer. learn more
PLA Spring Motor Demonstrator 2
The PLA Spring Motor Demonstrator was originally designed as a "proof of concept" tool to test whether a 3D printed PLA spring could power a gear train and possibly move a vehicle. The test was successful and a number of 3D printed PLA spring powered vehicles followed. This version has a 1 (drive) to 125… learn more
Printing Magnets
We know about 3D printing with plastic, but what about printing magnetic fields? This video by Destin Sandlin looks at how Polymagnet has come up with a way of printing magnetic fields to order. How about printing a child proof spring latch, with no springs? Or your logo as a magnetic field? The Polymagnets segment… learn more
Red Eyed Treefrog
Red Eyed Treefrog is an example of the varied ways a 3D printer can be used in subjects as diverse as Biology and Art. It was created "so you can decorate a garden pound without the noise, or check the calibration of your printer in the most cute way!" learn more
Stackable Sheep
You can do a lot of things with Stackable Sheep. Yes, you can stack them. You can also: Use the large and small versions to talk about families and genetic inheritance. Print a bunch and use them in place of jelly beans in your next statistics lecture. Print one for each student or pair of… learn more
The MultiFab Next Generation 3D-printer
MIT gives us a glimpse into the future of 3D printing technology with an inexpensive printer that can print 10 materials at once, no assembly required. Combining multiple materials, an integrated 3D scanner, and self-calibrating, self-correcting software, the MultiFab gets us closer to the goal of finished products right out of the machine. Includes a… learn more
Volume Blocks
Here's a two-part project, which can be taken on together or as separate parts. The main part is a series of 3D objects for use in learning and practicing volume equations. The second is a short course detailing how the objects were made so that students can make their own for use in class. Combined,… learn more