[POTW] INPROGRESS -A New Biweekly 3D Printing-focused Community contest.

[Lazagram 48xp 1]

FDM, Resin, Laser crafting, or some other advanced method of fabrication, whichever you are up to, they are all incredible feats of ingenuity and bringers of joy (occasional stress and disappointment also included). The mind is drawn immediately, at least mine and that of my family, on first seeing it in action, was to the replicator in Star Trek, and how this seemed so surely like a big leap, however distant in the direction of something not far off the wild idea. I only recently purchased a 3D printer, second-hand and not the newest (an Ender3 S1Pro), but I have had endless fun printing, clips, clamps, terrain pieces, upgrades for the printer, miniature models, chopsticks, bowls, vape holders and more.

 

The plan for Print of the Week is to breathe a little life into the 3D Printed section of the forums and stir up some regular engagement here. To celebrate the art of the STL creators, model designers, and printsmiths amongst us, to show off your most recent piece of PLA or Resin, to share your tips, hints and advice whilst showcasing your printer’s finest. Highlight the 3D printed element of your Project in the works or a side quest.

The Print of the Week thread will start bi-weekly at first, unless there are a lot of printers here, turning out prints on the regular. There will be a poll at the end of Print week for the members to vote on their favourite prints/ideas/STLs/printed projects and whatever else gets included. No limitations on entries, I don’t think we need to limit the prints to purely hobby or hobby-related for now. There will be three awards and some runner-up awards. Ideally, entries should be newly printed, but I know what it’s like to print them and leave them aside till they’re dusty, so I think major overhauls or beginning projects including previous prints are fine. For now, no categories or a weekly set theme, but I’m open to changing all the terms and would welcome your suggestions/feedback. Unfortunately, there are no prizes except bragging rights until the next time, and a certain prestige attached to being the PrintSmith of the week.

On entries – Decent, varied photographs and good lighting make for much better inspection. There is no pressure; it’s a laissez-faire attitude, no one’s coming after you for not completing your entry or not filling out the entry format correctly, just get involved. Ideas and designs can win just as likely as completed prints. This competition is about the Design, Printing, and, I suspect, rarely a finished product. You can even share your cache of favourite STLs designed by others as an entry; you can definitely print them, of course, there are no limitations on that. I intend to create a Hall of Prints Topic to showcase the winners and best in contests for all to access as a handy archive. For this reason, please try to leave a link or information about the artist who created the originals or the inspiration/your own.

On the Art Works – Abominable Intelligence has been used for the creation of the banner arts here. Cool as they look, they are heresy, and you should avert your gaze.

 

So, it begins.

 

Print Week is officially open, starting Monday, 22 September 2025. – Monday 6/10/2025 (Edit – extended)
Submissions by response to this thread. You’re free to make an entry and update as you progress, but make sure to finalise. Submissions close on the 6th at Midday GMT, Polls open soon after.

 

Submissions Format Suggestion –

Entry Title –
Entry Type – (Short description)
Name of Piece – (If Relevant)
Printer Type – (If Relevant)
STL/3D File – (If Relevant, share a link for people to check out)
Material of Construction – (If Relevant)
Print Specific Details – (Nozzle size, temperatures, etc.)
Description, Advice and More Details – (Tell us about your prints/ideas/STLs/printed projects and whatever else you want to be included)

Pictures – (The more the merrier, and lots of angles. Get the good lights out.)

[Lazagram 48xp 0]

Feels like cheating even entering, but I’m just setting this ball rolling, but promise I will not influence the outcome of the public votes and will make them fully transparent.

Entry Title – Printing for a project – Display and Dissapointment
Entry Type – Terrain, Walls, Floor Tiles.
Name of Piece – Of Displays and Disappointment
Printer Type – FDM Printer Ender3 S1Pro
STL/3D File – Various all by one amazing artist – AlmostPainted – https://cults3d.com/en/users/AlmostPainted/3d-models
Material of Construction – TECBEARS PLA Plus Filament White and Black
Print Specific Details – 0.2mm Nozzle/ Bed Temp – 70 °C Start, 60 °C During / Print Temp – 230 °C start, 220 °C during. The majority of the prints had variable layers active to increase print speed.
Description, Advice and More Details – My progress thus far can be found in my first project here on OTT, and it’s going great. I wanted to make some interior terrain prints to beautify some acrylic display cases I had chosen. I happened across a lovely set of spaceship tiles and wall designs all by the same artist, and immediately started to print like wild. I’m not sure about the hours so far, but it’s definitely taken a good few days of daily repeat printings. I have had relatively few issues, some minor differences in the apparent melt point of the white filament vs the black, but it doesn’t appear to have printed with any great difficulty, just perhaps a little more stringing. I’m assuming one was getting a bit moist. I adjusted the print temp to compensate. So far, I have printed most of the back wall and floor tiles, done some mocking up of the design; just a few are yet to be printed. I need advice on scaling and working with these 3D design tools, so over my head, some of the scale squishing is pretty evident in some of the walls and tiles, something to work on with the next display case. I also think I have some calibrations to make on my printer and some maintenance. I’ve been using it pretty much as I received it, and I’m sure it can give me some better results. I’ve got the point starting the priming, so fingers crossed for some painting soon.

[Author]

Posts