Other Props and Tools

A gallery of miscellaneous tools, props and gifts produced using 3D printers or laser cutting machines

A laser-cut coin sorter.
The first model designed for laser cutting in 2006, allowing a user to deposit and automatically sort mixed coins. Also featured a guide showing the correct level to fill a standard coin bag.
An Ender 3D printer displaying a partially printed coin holder on its bed.
The first 3D model designed for additive manufacturing; a slim £1 coin holder, printed on a stock Ender 3 in December 2022.
Two 3D-printed tools for holding utility blades.
Two prototype snap-off blade holders designed and printed to allow setting a blade at a 0-45° angle, enabling easier bevelling of EVA foam edges. Both models clamp down on the snap-off blade using M8 nuts and bolts.
3D render of a rectangular enclosure for a Home Assistant.
A simple mount for a Home Assistant Green, featuring VESA 100 mounting holes on each side. The open face allows access to the passive air cooler on the unit.
3D render of the mechanical structure of the Home Assistant mount.
The Home Assistant model was printed vertically to ensure high strength
Close-up view of a gear puller, pulling an aluminium hub from a steel shaft.
A gear puller designed and printed to remove an aluminium hub suffering galvanic corrosion when left on a steel shaft for too long. The shaft, hub, M8 nut and M8 bolt were measured using calipers before the model was printed in high-strength PLA+. The hub and the shaft made a full recovery.
Red and yellow cylindrical container labeled "Wonder Wipes Multi-Use" with a black base, attached to a wall.
A simple holder designed and printed for a Wonder Wipes tub, printed in high-strength PLA+ and screwed to a wall.
3D printed objects in various shapes and sizes.
A TPU Stevenson screen prototype for an outdoor solar-powered weather station.
3D printed circular object with multiple holes and washers inserted into the holes.
A weighted base for a water fountain. Steel washers were embedded in a TPU puck mid-print, before being sealed.
A 3D printed funnel.
A durable seed funnel used to fill bird feeders printed in clear TPU.
Organized storage unit for screws and washers in various sizes (M2 to M5).
An array of miniature drawers printed in TPU (with PLA+ drawer holder) designed to hold small nuts and bolts
A small solar panel mounted on a green 3D printed stand.
A solar panel adapter angled at 50° to provide the most amount of sunlight to a water fountain throughout the year.
A light gray 3D-printed surround for a digital stylus.
A TPU stylus holder to broaden the width of a stylus, and prevent it from rolling off desks.
An open wooden cabinet shelf with laser-cut shelf holders.
A laser-cut shelving unit designed to hold 5 IKEA trays.
An Elegoo laser cutter with a wooden enclosure.
An extraction system for an Elegoo Phecda.
HAKKO branded soldering iron tips in a 3D-printed holder with packaging and labels visible on a textured surface.
A Hakko solder tip holder, reserved for only the highest quality tips.
Two black 3D-printed battery holders.
AA and AAA battery dispensers, printed in PLA+
Brown leather case with gold thread stitching.
A leather garage door opener holder, laser cut and dyed.
Circular keyring fob with a wooden cut-out Christmas tree design and hole at top for hanging.
A Christmas-themed keyring charm, laser cut from 3.6mm plywood and leather.
A clear box filled with various metal snap fasteners, a hammer and a laser cut leather triangle coin purse.
A coin purse laser cut from leather.
Close-up view of a 3D-printed tyre.
TPU tyres for an upcoming robotics project. Though flexible and durable, TPU has remarkably low friction, making it unsuitable for use on smooth surfaces.
Close-up view of a black 3D-printed device with a red LED light, power button, and adjustable knob on its side panel.
A simple replacement control panel for a battery monitoring system, made from PLA+.
A piece of EVA foam, with test cuts from a lser cutter, showing different settings.
Test patterns etched onto a sheet of EVA foam, used to determine the optimal settings for laser cutting this material.
Three smartphones stacked vertically in a holder made from copper PLA.
A holder for 4 smartphones, exposing their charging ports.
CREALITY 3D printer displaying a partially printed smartphone holder.
Printed using eSUN's Silk Copper PLA.
A smartwatch resting on a white stand.
A Fossil smartwatch holder, designed to hold a charging puck.
A fisheye lens adapter for a Logitech C310 webcam.
A fisheye lens adapter for a Logitech C310 webcam, later used in 3D print monitoring suites.
Colorful 3D-printed dibbers.
A selection of plant dibbers, from 2-6 inches, colour coded for easy identification.

Other Props, Gifts and Commissions

A green 3D-printed Christmas tree model next to a black TV remote control.
A spiral Christmas tree, printed in Pine Green PLA+
A detailed 3D render of a sword hilt featuring intricate gold and silver designs against a black background.
An in-progress model of the Kiku-Ichimonji Katana from Final Fantasy XIV, with a leather texture handle designed for FDM printing.
Two green cone-shaped objects resembling towers are displayed in a circular wooden holder labeled "PUGH'S" on a dark textured surface.
A pen pot designed and printed for Pugh's Garden Village. The model was printed in 3 separate parts that slot together, as printing 3 materials at once on a standard single-nozzle FDM printer wastes a considerable amount of filament.
Three geometric 3D printed objects in brown and white sit on a Bambu Lab A1 3D printer.
Two low-poly pots based on objects from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. This showcases the multi-material ability of the Bambu Lab A1 + AMS combo, swapping between 3 separate filaments.
Two transparent green 3D-printed Christmas trees, with glowing star toppers rest on brown 3D printed bases, showcasing intricate design and vibrant finish.
Two illuminated Christmas Trees, printed using green and yellow PETG. The yellow star houses small LEDs, and the brown trunk holds two 200mAh CR2032 cell batteries.
Hand holding a detailed 3D printed ornament with intricate designs and sharp edges against a backdrop of greenery and flowers.
An earlier Final Fantasy prop, designed for FDM printing
Four grey 3D-printed objects resembling Moai statue heads.
A novelty SD card holder, based on the Easter Island heads.
An orange and white 3D-printed robot model lies on a dark surface, showcasing intricate mechanical details and a keychain loop attached to its head.
A poseable action figure for fans of the Synthetik video game.
A miniature 3D-printed red carnation in a clear 3D printed vase sits next to an SD card on a dark surface.
A miniature carnation, along with transparent plant pot.
A small Arwing model with orange fins and a glowing exhaust, alongside a cylindrical battery.
A miniature Arwing with integrated flashing LED

Android-based task timer

3D printed holder for a smartphone, with physical switches and showing various icons, time measurements and timers. A smartphone LiPo battery inflated after a failure. Damaged smartphone lying on a wooden surface with visible cracks and scratches on its screen.

An Android app was developed to track multiple timers using a Pixel 2XL, a top-mounted custom keyboard that used tactile toggle switches to simulate holding down key presses, a USB hub, and a custom well-fitting enclosure.

Android Adaptive Charging was unavailable for devices older than the Google Pixel 5, leading to the Pixel 2 sitting at 100% charge for years. Eventually the Lithium-Polymer battery had a catastrophic failure, cracking the screen and splitting apart the PLA enclosure. A more modern device is now used which features adaptive charging, limiting the charge to 80%.

Kangoo RAM dashboard adapter

Close-up view of a car dashboard with a small paper clipped to a holder and various control buttons visible below it.
Close-up view of a car dashboard panel removed to reveal internal components and wiring.
Close-up view of a car's dashboard panel featuring a large hump with a small digital clock.
3D rendering of an adapter designed to connect RAM mounts to a car dashboard.
Close-up view of a vehicle's dashboard with two black RAM ball mounts, secured by screws.
A vehicle dashboard with attached cup holder and X grip phone mount.
A slightly bent adapter plate, with RAM adapters still attached.
A slightly bent adapter plate, with RAM adapters still attached.

The base-model centre dashboard panel of a 2005 Renault Kangoo was replaced for a higher-tier “hump” panel. This panel came with an digital clock module, which could be removed. The module was measured with digital calipers and a custom RAM adapter plate was created, allowing the attachment of a range of industry standard RAM parts to hold phones, tablets, coffee cups, etc.

The plate was printed in high-strength PLA+. This filament contains additives to increase its strength, but it does not address one of PLA’s biggest weaknesses—a low glass transition temperature. Over the summer, the plate began to warp when left in the hot environment of the cabin, leading to visible droop on an otherwise sturdy setup.

To print this part again, a filament with a much higher glass transition temperature such as PETG or ABS should be used.