First prints... and beyond
You just unpacked your Ultimaker 3D printer. Now what? Start by reading Ultimaker Schooling–3D Printing, then go print something. If you need inspiration, look at the list below and select a few, or all of these models, download them, slice in Cura, and print. Working with these and other models will give you a good sense for what your 3D printer can do and what you can design:
Fish Fossilz are an amazing one piece print that wriggles, twists and bends in all directions. It's an easy print that only uses about 13g of filament (with recommended settings). Fish Fossilz have proven to be hugely popular so, as some people have been using them as a Key Fob (with the key ring through the eye) an additional "Fob" type has been added.
Design: Flexibility
Ultimaker 2+ recommendation: Fast Print, skirt
Download from thingiverse.com >
Original design as a challenge to develop a unique opening box. When done, resembled one of Bender's eyes. A co-worker said it looked like a Venus Fly trap, so named it "Venus Box". A cam actuates 4 doors by rotating the spherical cover (or base). Remains securely open or closed.
Design: Engineering
Ultimaker 2+ recommendation: 0.2mm layer height, 0.4mm line width, 0.8mm wall thickness, 10% infill, skirt
Download from thingiverse.com >
Spinning Tops Orbital Series, product puts the weight of each top on its border so the centrifugal force is used to spin it easier and also lasting longer.
A simple print
Ultimaker 2+ recommendation: Fast Print, skirt
Download from youmagine.com >
The Citroen 2CV was a wonderful example of a radical but honest approach to car design - as it's rarely seen anymore, if ever. This 3d-printable design is not an attempt to recreate that car; it's simply my interpretation of design elements shown in various versions of it, notably, the 1939 prototype shown in one of the images above.
Print in place: moving wheels
Ultimaker 2+ recommendation: 50% scale, 0.15mm layer height, .35 line width, 0.7mm wall thickness, 10% infill,skirt
Download from youmagine.com >
This object prints in one piece without raft or support, fully assembled, hinges and all! The resulting model will hinge from a square to a triangle and back again. The model is based on Dudeney's famous hinged dissection known as the "Haberdasher's Puzzle". For more information, see MakerHome, Day 188.
Print in place: hinges | Math: Dudeney's hinged dissection or "Haberdasher's Puzzle"
Ultimaker 2+ recommendation: 0.2mm layer height, 0.4mm line width, 0.8mm wall thickness, 10% infill,skirt
Download from thingiverse.com >
n-Sphere Tiles Designed as an educational toy for my son, the n-Sphere toy is a little puzzle box with no wrong answers. The sphere can be assembled any combination of 6 tiles, oriented in any rotation, and will always yield a continuous topology of ridges and grooves along the outer surface.
Design: connecting parts
Ultimaker 2+ recommendation: 0.15mm layer height, 0.35mm line width, 0.7mm wall thickness, 10% infill, skirt
Download from thingiverse.com >
I came across mathgrrl and was intrigued by the rolling knot makerhome.blogspot.co.uk. I wondered if I could define it with Openscad. The challenge is to create a tube which is smooth enough and will fully render in an acceptable time. I tried a tube of simple cylinders oriented along the path but this proved desparately slow and rough.
Supports | Math:knots
Ultimaker 2+ recommendation: 0.15mm layer height, 0.35mm line width, 0.7mm wall thickness, 10% infill,skirt, support
Download from thingiverse.com >
I love the Nautilus Gears(thing:27233) but I had trouble printing the bar. To fix this I redrew the connecting bar so it should be easier to print the taller parts. As well, I made the 2 connecting bars needed the same. I also uploaded the original nautilus gear file for completeness.
Design: connecting parts | gears
Ultimaker 2+ recommendation: 0.15mm layer height, 0.35mm line width, 0.7mm wall thickness, 10% infill, skirt
Download from thingiverse.com >
A spring motor demonstrator printed entirely in PLA, spring and all, requiring no batteries, power supply, electric or drill motors to operate. And what is it good for? For starters, it can be an interesting study for burgeoning mechanical engineering students of torque versus velocity, as well as spring forces that can be obtained by printing a PLA spring using various infill settings, height and thicknesses.
Design: connecting parts | gears
Ultimaker 2+ recommendation: 0.15mm layer height, 0.35mm line width, 0.7mm wall thickness, 15% infill, skirt
Download from thingiverse.com >
Update By popular demand I have added a de-badged version of the V29. It is labeled V29D in the thing files section. I originally put the version number on the whistle to tell them all apart as I was developing them.
Design
Ultimaker 2+ recommendation: 0.2mm layer height,0.4mm line width, 0.8mm wall thickness, 25% infill, skirt
Download from thingiverse.com >
Just load and print. Works perfectly on 0.4mm printers. 0.5mm (such as Makerbot TOM) is too rough and it won't work even though it prints well.
Design
Ultimaker 2+ recommendation: Fast Print, skirt
Download from youmagine.com >
Design: sound
Ultimaker 2+ recommendation: 0.15mm layer height, 0.35mm line width, 0.7mm wall thickness, 10% infill, skirt
This simple bird whistle was designed for the #MakeItLoud challenge. It produces a consistent high pitched sound when dry, but with some assistance (water) you can make unique chirping melodies. When you get tired of whistling it also doubles as a nice desktop ornament and conversation starter. I included a "how it works" section so you can impress your friends.
Download the educational edition from thingiverse.com >
History and Today: The phenakistoscope (also spelled phenakistiscope or phenakitiscope) was an early animation device that used the Persistence of vision principle to create an illusion of motion. The Phenakistoscope is regarded as one of the first forms of moving media entertainment that paved the way for the future motion picture and film industry.
Design
Ultimaker 2+ recommendation: 0.15mm layer height, 0.35mm line width, 0.7mm wall thickness, 10% infill, skirt
Download from thingiverse.com >
Three 1:24 Windsor Chairs by PrettySmallThings
Three variations on the Windsor chair in 1:24 scale: low back, fan back and sack back. There are designed to be built without support. Delicate but surprisingly sturdy. Shown with a dime for scale.
Design: overhangs
Ultimaker 2+ recommendation: 0.2mm layer height, 0.4mm line width, 0.8mm line width, 10% infill , brim
Download from thingiverse.com >
Simple cross tweezers. Useful for soldering delicate parts, holding wires etc. tough-version can be used when more force is required, normal version (less spring force) when handling delicate objects. print (no support/raft needed) assemble as seen in the photo profit for good alignment it could be useful to drop a bit of glue on the clamp-part.
Design: useful tool
Ultimaker 2+ recommendation: Fast Print, skirt
Download from thingiverse.com >
I originally designed this thing as a test for using Proto Pasta's high-temperature carbon fiber filament, but the test print I did in plain old PLA actually works pretty well. PLA is not really food safe because you can't clean it in really hot water, but if you are just pressing garlic with it (and not, say, meat) and the rinse it well afterwords, you probably won't die.
Design: useful tool | Materials: XT or CPE
Ultimaker 2+ recommendation:0.2mm layer height, 0.4mm line width, 0.8mm wall thickness, 4 shells, 35% infill, skirt
Download from thingiverse.com >
Improved Banana Slicer by custom3dstuff
I was so frustrated this morning when preparing my cereal. I could not slice my left handed banana with my right handed Hutzler 571 Banana Slicer.
With the magic of 3d printing, now we won't have to suffer from having mismatched slicers and bananas anymore.
For more information see Hacking the Hutzler.
Design: useful tool | Materials: XT or CPE
Ultimaker 2+ recommendation:0.2mm layer height, 0.4mm line width, 0.8mm wall thickness, 2 shells, 35% infill, skirt
Download from thingiverse.com >
Each year, Make magazine puts the latest crop of 3D printers through a rigorous set of tests to help determine how they stack up against each other. 2015 marks our fourth year of testing and we have continued to refine the models we use to judge the machines.
Demonstrates what your printer can produce
Ultimaker 2+ recommendation: See instructions
Download from youmagine.com >
This functional platform jack prints fully assembled without supports. UPDATE [7/21/2015]: We have uploaded an updated platform jack with stronger scissor arms, improved axles to stop the arms from separating, and a larger gap between the screw and crossbeam to fix the fusing issue.
Print in place |Design: linkages | No support
Ultimaker 2+ recommendation: 0.2mm layer height, 0.4mm line width, .8mm wall thickness, 15% infill, skirt
Download from thingiverse.com >
Many of us have been frustrated to discover that the pins for emmett's Screwless Heart Gears are not PLA compatible. They are too stiff, and in my experience, attempting to force them in can crack the pins and damage the piece itself. So I set about trying to design some alternative pins for PLA.
Design: connecting parts
Ultimaker 2+ recommendation:0.2mm layer height, 0.4mm line width, 0.8mm wall thickness, 3 shells, 15% infill, skirt
Download from thingiverse.com >
Just another flexible bracelet to print in a few minutes. We love Emmet's, but we wanted our own ![]()
Design: flexibility
Ultimaker 2+ recommendation: 0.15mm layer height, 0.35mm line width, 0.7mm wall thickness, 1 wall line count, 0% infill, skirt
Download from thingiverse.com >
A free downloadable 3D STL model of the element Lithium
Print in Place | Science: elements | Accessibility
Ultimaker 2+ recommendation: 0.15mm layer height, 0.35mm line width, 0.7mm wall thickness, 10% infill, skirt
Download from librarylyna.com >
This is a fun little toy that folds around and around itself. It's inspired by those paper marketing cubes that you might have seen around. This one snaps together, though the assembly is a bit of a puzzle of its own.
Design: hinges
Ultimaker 2+ recommendation: 0.2mm layer height, 0.4mm line width, 0.8mm wall thickness, 10% infill, skirt
Download from thingiverse.com >
The spring design requires the filament to be somewhat flexible and elastic. Design files are linked below for anyone who wants to adjust the spring thickness / tolerances. PolyMax isn't quite elastic enough for this spring, but Colorfabb PLA/PHA (which is more flexible than normal PLA) seems to work well.
Design: flexibility | Materials: Colorfabb PLA/PHA
Ultimaker 2+ recommendation: 0.15mm layer height, 0.35 line width, 0.7mm wall thickness, 10% infill, skirt
Download from thingiverse.com >
Weekly Cup 35...! This year (2013) I upload a new cup every week.
Printing fast
Printing fast
Ultimaker 2+ recommendation: 0.15mm line height, 0.35 line width, 0.35mm wall thickness, 1 Wall Line Count, 0% infill, 0 Top Layers, Spiralize, skirt
Download from thingiverse.com >
Use the STL for the nozzle size you have installed or use the openSCAD file to make your own custom file. I always have these G-code files on my SD cards, anytime I want to check the level of my bed I just print the corresponding file and adjust the screws as needed to get the perfect plastic.
Print help
Ultimaker 2+ recommendation: See instructions
Download from youmagine.com >