Ten 3D Printable Things: #3DBenchy Benchmark Prints

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This week in 10 3D Printable Things I decided to make a list of 3D models with a slightly more utilitarian purpose than what I usually find for you. The #3DBenchy is not only a cute little tug boat, but it’s also a torture test for your 3D printer. Printing a Benchy will test the limits of your 3D printer’s ability to print overhangs, circles, bridges and other fine details. Basically, Benchy is the ultimate benchmark print, and if your printer fails to finish the print, then it’s time to do some tweaking.

There are dozens of benchmark prints available, but the #3DBenchy is easily the most well-known, and in fact is the most 3D printed object out there. The model has become so popular that it’s spawned dozens of accessories and variants, and even inspired some other great 3D printing benchmarks.

So here are Ten 3D Printable Things: #3DBenchy Benchmark Prints:

#3DBENCHY BENCHMARK PRINT

#3DBenchy – The jolly 3D printing torture-test by Creative Tools

Found on: 3DBenchy.com
Cost: Free

The original #3DBenchy model is a charming little tugboat with an open cabin and even a little steering wheel. The Benchy has probably been 3D printed in every material and filament that exists, making it the perfect test model. Print it at any size, in any color and while you’re at it print some of the great accessories that users have made to go along with it!

BENCHY SMOKE

Smoke for #3DBenchy boat by akira737

Found on: MyMiniFactory
Cost: Free

This cute little tuft of smoke was designed to fit neatly into Benchy’s smoke stack and while it shouldn’t require any glue to stay put, the two halves will need to be glued together. Print the smoke in any color, and size the smoke up to match whatever size you printed your benchy.

WAVE STAND FOR BENCHY

Wave stand for the #3DBenchy by Furnibird

Found on: Thingiverse
Cost: Free

If you 3D print a particularly nice Benchy, or print it in a fun material that you just want to show off, then try printing this cool wave stand for it. The stand mimics the rough waves of the open sea and is a great way to show some of the harder to see details of the model. You can print the stand in blue filament (a translucent blue would look great) or paint it to look like real water to get the right showcase look.

BENCHY FLOAT ACCESSORIES

Make Benchy Float Accessories by dsb007

Found on: Thingiverse
Cost: Free

Benchy may be the perfect benchmark print, but what it can’t do is actually float if you put it in water. But don’t worry, a clever 3D designer created some snap-on accessories that will convert your Benchy into a lean, mean floating machine. Just snap on the floating tires, blug up the holes on the hull and the back and you’re all set. You can print these parts in standard PLA, or print the tires with a flexible material, but they’ll all work just fine.

SUNKEN BENCHY

Shipwrecked Coral Benchy by DecoTOAST

Found on: Thingiverse
Cost: Free

This fun Benchy variant probably lost some of its benchmarkiness with this remix, but it’s still a pretty great model. Even if you’ve never printed a Benchy, this sunken version is just a really fun model. There have been a few users who said that they had problems printing the Shipwrecked Benchy, so one of them uploaded a fixed version here.

LOW POLY BENCHY

LOW-POLY BENCHY by Danish Bajwa

Found on: MyMiniFactory
Cost: Free

This wouldn’t be a Ten3DPThings without a low-poly model on it, and so here is a low poly Benchy. I don’t know why low poly models are so popular, but I must say Benchy looks really cool like this.

BENCHY TABLE CARD CLIP

Benchy Label Holder by Mike Valstar

Found on: MyMiniFactory
Cost: Free

I don’t know how much use this model would actually get, but I thought the idea was super clever. This tiny clip simply slots into the rear of the Benchy model and turns it into a table card holder. You could use these at any event that has assigned seating, and if this isn’t used at future 3D printing conferences then those conferences fail at everything.

LEGO COMPATIBLE BENCHY

#3DBenchy (community-inspired variations) by CreativeTools

Found on: Thingiverse
Cost: Free

This also wouldn’t be a Ten3DPThings without a LEGO variant, so here you go. This clever designer added some LEGO studs (yes, the bumps on a LEGO brick are called studs) to a Benchy model and it changed everything.

FLOATING REMOTE CONTROL BENCHY

RC Boat 3DBenchy by thenomadsoul_

Found on: Thingiverse
Cost: Free

This is probably not an actual benchmark print by any means, but it’s still a great 3D printing project for more advanced users. It is also an excellent first project for folks looking to build their own RC vehicles. The parts were all printed in ABS and then glued together with ABS slurry, so make sure that your printer can use these materials before you get started.

OTHER “BENCHMARK” BOATS

Old paddle-wheel steamboat, Little bathtub tug boat, bathtub boat & Bathtub Tugboat Benchy
by vandragon_de & shfqrkhn

Found on: MyMiniFactory & Thingiverse
Cost: Free

If you’ve already printed yourself a fleet of Benchies then why not print a few different styles of boats to go along with them? There are a ton of 3D printable boats, but here are some of my favorites. Print them in any color and in any material.

Thanks for joining me this week, as always you can email me your feedback and theme suggestions, and I always love to see what 3D printing projects you’ve been working on. You can also find me on Twitter @SJGrunewald, so say hi and feel free show off what you printed. Tag it #103dpthings and you’ll get a RT.

Will you be 3D printing a new benchmarking boat? Discuss #3DBenchy and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com or share your thoughts below. 

 

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