Best 3D Printable Tools for Your Workshop

While we still have a long way to go before heavy-duty tools can be printed at home using consumer printers, the average desktop printer can still produce useful tools for the home workshop or 3D printing area.

3D printers have come a long way since their initial development, and an increasing number of consumers are curating home setups for their printing stations. From makers who enjoy working on complex parts that use circuit boards to model printers who want to keep things in place while sanding and gluing, many 3D print hobbyists could benefit from having some extra tools in their workshop. If you’re one of them, why not print them yourself?

Vises

Small vises can be a huge help when working with tiny parts and circuitry. These two vises have a slightly different mounting mechanism and style.

Diodepress designed this 3D printed vise that is specifically intended for use with small electronic components.

 (Source: diodepress on www.Thingiverse.com)

TheGoofy designed a similar machine vise that is a bit more roust and complicated. Similar to diodepress’s design, this vise should not be used to provide high mechanical force, but it works great for holding parts in place while performing detailed work.

(Source: TheGoofy on www.Thingiverse.com)

Drill and wrench parts

Working on 3D printers often means working at uncomfortable angles and in tight crevices. To Overcome this problem, several designers have developed parts to make working with delicate tools and tight spaces much easier on the hands and wrists.

JohnSL designed an adjustable and customizable handle for Allen wrenches and hex keys. Anyone who’s had to repair or adjust their printer with the manufacturer-provided tools knows it can be a pain to get a good grip, particularly for longer processes. These handles make it easy to organize and use the tiny hand tools that accumulate over a maker’s lifetime.

(Source: JohnSL on www.Thingiverse.com)

Speedy777 designed this pump hand drill that is great for drilling small holes into light materials, which is very helpful for makers who routinely work on multi-part prints and need to drill holes for securing the pieces together.

(Source: speedy777 on www.Thingiverse.com)

Francfalco has put out several designs for a finger wrench, which is perfect for working in very tight spaces with small nuts and bolts. The designs allow for different finger sizes and can be further customized for comfort.

(Source: francfalco on www.Thingiverse.com)

Yucelll’s mini wrench kit make a great addition to the tiny tools that many home hobbyists find themselves needing. While printed wrenches cannot hold up to heavy forces, these little tools are great for assembly and working on smaller machines.

(Source: yucelll on www.Thingiverse.com)

Utility holders and tool stands

STIG_’s 3D printer tool stand is specifically designed to hold all the small tools, glues, and clamps required for working on 3D printers. Tool holder designs can always be tweaked to add more slots or increase/decrease spacing to make them more suitable for your specific needs.

(Source: STIG_ on www.Thingiverse.com)

Is it really a workshop if you don’t find a stray battery behind a desk or hidden in a shelf? Fafabienman’s dual battery dispenser is not only aesthetically pleasing, it also effectively organizes batteries for any workshop with a small footprint.

(Source: fafabienman on www.Thingiverse.com)

Brycelowe’s tape dispenser is a great option for keeping your most-used tapes organized. This was designed for help with wrapping Christmas presents, but with a little tweaking, it could be perfect for small rolls of blue tape for improving bed adhesion or holding parts together while gluing.

(Source: brycelowe on www.Thingiverse.com)

Miscellaneous tools

Jakejake’s hand-screw clamp designs are among the most popular utility prints on Thingiverse owing to their excellent appearance and lack of required post-processing. These clamps cannot provide the same kind of holding power as metal clamps for woodworking, but they are excellent for holding parts in place while gently sanding, painting, and gluing.

(Source: jakejake on www.Thingiverse.com)

3D print hobbyists often cannot rely on stock crafting materials for their prints. Mightynozzle’s customizable sanding stick gives makers an opportunity to print sanding blocks that are perfect for processing prints. While conventional sanding blocks and planning materials are too large and unwieldy for working with models and printed parts, this customizable design has huge scope for variability.

(Source: mightynozzle on www.Thingiverse.com)