# 3D printing suggestions

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3d-printing-suggestions/780440>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [February 22, 2017, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3d-printing-suggestions/780440 "2017-02-22T01:31:32Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\
**Post date:** [February 22, 2017, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3d-printing-suggestions/780440/1 "2017-02-22T01:31:32Z")

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My local library just got a 3D printer! Any suggestions?

I’m thinking of starting with a Sierpinski octahedron. I see a lot of cool shapes on thingiverse but I’m not sure what to pick from there or elsewhere.

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**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\
**Post date:** [February 22, 2017, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3d-printing-suggestions/780440/2 "2017-02-22T03:23:31Z")

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My first suggestion is that you don’t just find a cool shape and download it; make a cool shape yourself. That’s most of the fun, anyway. I mostly use [TinkerCad](http://www.tinkercad.com), a free webpage, for designs.

The second thing to watch out for is that anything with a steep overhang will need to have supports printed as well, and those always cause some distortion of the shape you want. A Sierpinski octahedron does have overhangs, but they’re probably shallow enough that you can get away without the supports, so that should be OK.

If you go for something a little less geometric, I find that the top surfaces usually end up better quality than the bottom surfaces (in contact with the bed or supports), so keep that in mind when orienting your piece.

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**Author:** ![TYphoonSignal8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e99b99/32.png) [@TYphoonSignal8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TYphoonSignal8)\
**Post date:** [February 22, 2017, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3d-printing-suggestions/780440/3 "2017-02-22T06:50:25Z")

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I assume the library won’t let you make The Liberator?

[quote=“Chronos, post:2, topic:780440”]

I mostly use [TinkerCad](http://www.tinkercad.com), a free webpage, for designs.

[QUOTE]

I will now waste hours playing with this thing.