Bought Your First 3D Printer? Check Out These Awesome Ideas for Useful, Functional and Really Cool 3D Printed Gadgets (2019)

Bought Your First 3D Printer? Check Out These Awesome Ideas for Useful, Functional and Really Cool 3D Printed Gadgets (2019)

3D Printing is one of the coolest inventions ever! With technology advancing, it's getting more feasible to get your own 3D printer and print out some really cool objects. This article covers some of the most useful and basic 3D printable gadgets which you can make on your own as well as use in your day-to-day lives.

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Things to Know About 3D Printing

Faster Production than Regular Manufacturing

There is no doubt that 3D printing is one of the coolest and the most amazing technology that we have right now. All thanks to this technique, now we have the option to do faster production than conventional manufacturing process. It has the ability to make the entire process more customised and efficient. It is also possible to create cool 3D printed gadgets in day-to-day life

Better Quality

The gadgets and other stuff prepared by the medium of conventional and traditional methods might display the signs of defects and issues. However, this is not the case with 3D printing technology.

3D printing is performed in a very organized and step by step process which leaves no scope for mistakes and defected items. It largely depends upon the STL file that each detail is covered perfectly while designing a product.

Lesser Cost

You would be shocked to know but 3D printed models are way cheaper compared to the traditionally manufactured models. A typical manufacturing process requires human input and a lot of labour costs.

Thanks to the automation of 3D printing, all these expenses are removed right away and this is why the cost of the product decreases automatically. The main expense here is of the 3D printer, other things do not cost any higher.

Great Customisation Freedom

3D printing leaves great scope for customisation but to the ones who know how the process goes. Traditional manufacturing totally lacks this freedom of customisation because of the strict rules and regulations. When it comes to improvement and personalisation, you cannot beat the potential of 3D printing in this case.

No Limits on Shapes & Designs

Old and traditional methods are definitely limited to particular designs and details. However, this is not the case with 3D printing. You just need the right STL file of the product you want to 3D print and that is it. Leave everything on the printer then.

No matter how many layers are there in the model or how complex the designing is, once the STL file is uploaded, the printer can literally print anything you want.

Super Cool 3D Printed Gadgets That You Can Create Using 3D Printer

Source all3dp.com

Headphone Retractor Dog

Source cults3d.com

To be true, we could not find a better option to put on the first position for this list of cool 3D printed gadgets. This headphone retractor dog is truly one of a kind of thing and it is hard to believe that it has been manufactured through the process of 3D printing.

You can easily roll the wires of your earphone around this dog and keep them safe from being tangled.

Not only this gadget is super useful for the current generation but also looks quite cool too. It is so compact that you can easily carry it around in your pocket. You will find the necessary files from cults3d.com.

Piano Phone Dock

Source cults3d.com

A docking station for your phone is an amazing idea especially when you are in a habit of keeping your phone at odd places. This docking station is made in the design of a piano and can dock a phone as big as Samsung Galaxy Note 2.

In the current time, all the cool inventions related to your smartphone are appreciated the most and this docking piano is no different.

It can be used for iPhone too. Thanks to the design, you can easily charge your phone while keeping it docked on this piano through the cut made on it. Check out the necessary files at cults3d.com.

Smartphone Hugger/Stand

Source pinshape.com

Our next recommendation is one of the most useful 3D printed objects. This is called smartphone hugger and do not worry it is entirely different from the above-mentioned docking station. This smartphone hugger works as a stand.

So, if you are tired of holding your phone while watching a movie or a video then you can use this smartphone hugger as a stand for it.

It grabs your phone and keeps it in an inclined position which is comfortable enough for you to access it. This can be used for holding your earphones too. Get more details at pinshape.com.

Fully Assembled Wrench

Source pinshape.com

There is literally no other tool which would be more important than a wrench in our day to day lives. To be able to design a fully assembled wrench with the help of 3D printer is just as revolutionary as this tool is super useful for fixing almost everything in our household.

The material is good enough to withstand harsh conditions and the wrench is adjustable enough to grip and move anything you want.

Isn’t it like the coolest gadget ever made with the help of a 3D printer? You can also design the same with the help of the STL file available at pinshape.com.

3D Printable Grass

Technology has definitely reached a new height and such cool 3D printed gadgets are the greatest example of it. We could never think of the fact that even grass can be printed with the help of a 3D printer that too at home.

A nicely grown, super-trimmed and solid green grass can be printed easily. This grass is printed in the form of various sized tiles and you can decide the dimensions on your own.

The design might look simple and approachable but you need a bit of technique to print it on your own. Know more at thingiverse.com.

Recycler for Glue Gun

Source pinshape.com

A glue gun is definitely a very important tool used for art and craft and for making various things too. However, running out of the glue stick can be really annoying but now you can make it out of a 3D printer.

Hard to believe but yes, it is absolutely possible. In fact, it has the simplest design to print and you could not thank technology more for it.

The stick is printed hollow and it is filled up with waste material. This stick in hot glue gun is a great alternative for a 3D pen too. You just need to be more cautious while using it. Learn how to make it at pinshape.com.

Universal Auto Rewind Spool Holder

A universal spool auto rewind holder might seem like a weird idea for 3D printing but it is one of the easy things to 3D print and you are going to enjoy the process too. This can be used to load and unload the filament and mostly used in factories and large scale production houses.

This is a universal design which means it can fit all size of spool up to the weight of 1 kg. However, the width of the spool can be a limit.

If you can customise the design on your own then you can personalise the dimensions of this holder easily. Get the basic details at thingiverse.com.

Business Card Holder

Source cults3d.com

A business card holder might come expensive on online shopping sites but you need not worry as you can create it on your own.

The design is simple, clean and very sleek to carry all your business cards into one space. When it comes to the designing part, it is printed in two different parts and then hinged together using a piece of filament to put them together.

You can customise the design of this card holder to increase or decrease the space provided inside in order to keep the cards safely. Download the file for this cool creation from cults3d.com.

Six Pack Carrier

Can you even imagine something cooler than a six pack that too printed by 3D printing technique? This six pack is designed to carry six 0.33 L long neck bottles in it.

It can be designed in various colours too. However, you would have to design the handle and carrier space separately. You can, later on, hinge them together to put the entire design together. Make sure to keep the infill 100% to make this six-pack strong enough to carry.

Once you have created the design, test it with something else so that you do not end up spilling the entire bottles of beer. Get more details at thingiverse.com.

Bladeless Fan

Source pinshape.com

The idea behind a Bladeless Fan definitely sounds revolutionary but the fact that it can be 3D printed makes it even more special. Dyson is popular for creating bladeless fans which provide constant cool breeze of air through them.

Through this prototype, you can design a bladeless fan on your own. It is definitely a tricky design to carry out and you will need a professional assistant to make it work.

The fan can be printed but you need something more to increase the static pressure of the fan which is definitely more complex than it sounds. You can consult an expert in this field to make this design work in real life.

Pen & Pencil Holder

Source cults3d.com

There is literally no limit on the cool 3D printed gadgets designs for you to try on your 3D printer. The next one here is a pen and pencil holder. Although it might not sound like a really cool gadget, the design of this model is definitely worth taking a look.

Designed in the form of an uneven honeycomb, this pen and pencil holder looks quite artistic and have the capacity to contain various pens together.

It is printed in white colour but you can also customise the STL File in order to increase the number of holding space as well as to change the colour of the holder too.

Lockable Container

Source pinshape.com

A container which can be locked through a key is definitely something you would want to keep your snacks far away from your siblings. Here, the design is divided into various parts which are printed separately through different STL files.

The container, its lid, lever for creating the lock, key are the parts of the wholesome design. The mechanism of making the key work is the actual struggle here. The bolt and lever are fitted into the lid which can be clearly seen from the space on the lid. It is definitely a design worthy enough to be 3D printed. Download the STL file from pinshape.com.

Things to Keep in Mind while 3D Printing

Source 3dengr.com

3D print designs might seem like so ordinary but you need to take care of a lot of things while operating a 3D printer. It is definitely not the cup of tea for beginners. So, before you try to print anything out of a 3D printer, you need to know about certain things which are going to help you immensely. Here are some of them mentioned right below.

You Must Have a Detailed STL File of the Design

Source all3dp.com

STL stands for Stereolithography which is a type of file format used in CAD software. This software is used for the 3D printers which contain the detailed design of the product to be printed.

This can be called a blueprint for the product and you have to have an STL file in order to 3D print any kind of product. A 3D printer cannot be operated without a proper STL file as it is used for describing the geometry of a three-dimensional object.

No Internal Geometry Must be Left Out

Source all3dp.com

The 3D printing design is not like any other designing process. It works in a step by step manner and hence in order to make the design work in the practical world, you need to make sure that no internal geometry should be left out.

Every geometrical layer must be printed over some material and hence each layer should be mentioned in the STL file.

Go Through the Guidelines Before Operating Printer on Your Own

In order to achieve cool 3d printed gadgets, you need to first learn that how to operate a 3D printer. It is definitely more complex than a normal printer and requires you to follow complete guide before you try it out.

So, if you are operating it for the first time then it is recommended that you go through the entire guidelines which might be mentioned in the guide book which comes along with the printer.

Use Right App for Slicing the Design

You need to use an application to upload the STL file on. Some of the most popular apps used for 3D printing are AutoCAD, Blokify, TIkerplay, GCodePrintr etc. Some of them are free while some are paid and you cannot go through the process of 3D printing without the use of an app like these.

These apps slice the design into various layers and steps which further accelerate the process of 3D printing in an organized manner. These apps process the STL file and hence you finally achieve the desired output.

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From our editorial team

Create Your First 3D gadget

If just you're starting out 3D printing, read guidelines and learn as much as you can before getting to print your first object. The process might not seem too complicated but if you don't about things, the result could come out to be completely different from what you thought out to be. So, be careful, follow guidelines and instructions and print your first 3D gadget!