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3D printing woodworking tools


25 Useful 3D Printed Tools You Can Print Today (For Free!)

Tools are the pride of creators of all kinds. From a handyman’s hardware to a painter’s brush, anyone who makes things with their hands knows the value of quality tools. 3D printed tools bring a new, practical element to these creations, and provide a cheaper and more convenient way to keep a workshop stocked with the right parts for any job.

3D printed tools come in many forms, from larger pieces to nuts and bolts, and are quickly becoming a popular go-to for builders and engineers as a way to cut out the middle man in both time and cost. And by 3D printing tools and parts on-demand saves money and space — you can just print your desired tool whenever you need it for a particular job or project.

From must-have 3D printed tools to convenient additions to any workstation, we’re going to look at some of the most useful 3D printable tools and accessories for all types of creators.

3D Printed Wrenches

3D printed toolkits don’t come much simpler and handier than this set of wrenches of various sizes to suit most jobs. While wrenches are included in many store-bought tool kits, adjustable ones can be a pain for inexperienced builders to deal with.

Even many veteran engineers like to use specifically sized non-adjustable wrenches to ensure they don’t clamp too tight, which can apply too much pressure for delicate builds. These 3D printed wrenches are great for smaller jobs and can be stored alongside each other for quick access.

There’s also this design for a 3D printed double ended 10mm wrench, created by the designer after getting sick of the too-familiar issue of constantly losing tools right when we need them.

For storage, there’s also this design for a 3D printed pegboard-mounted wrench holder so you never lose your tools again.

3D Printed Screwdriver Accessories

Ratchet Screwdriver

Screwdrivers are an essential part of any toolkit, but they can often be unwieldy and uncomfortable to use. This designer decided to make it easier with this ratchet screwdriver, a 3D printed tool that requires no post-printing assembly.

The ratchet screwdriver has a large grip handle for comfort and ease of use that makes it a unique 3D printed tool that will prove useful to anyone who finds screwing and unscrewing to be a chore.

As the name suggests, this tool also acts as a ratchet simply by swapping the bit placement.

Pocket-size Bit Handles

Mini screwdrivers are common as keychains for handy people on the go. And these 3D printed tool handles are designed for screwdriver bits of 2 and 4mm.

Since the original upload, the designer has updated them to include inserts for magnets to hold the bits in place. They have also included instructions on how to tweak the infills and sizes to make sure the screwdriver bits fit just right in these pocket-size screwdriver handles.

Screwdriver Bits

While PLA filaments don’t lend themselves well to tougher jobs, these 3D printed screwdriver bits designed for a standard ¼’’ handle can come in handy for tasks that don’t need too much tension.

Smaller, less torque-heavy jobs sometimes require a lighter touch, and these 3D printed tool parts are a good way to ensure that standard metal screwdrivers don’t damage or crack plastic screws in more delicate building projects.

Nuts and Bolts

Many a time, during both constructions and repairs, we need just one final nut, bolt, and/or washer to finish the job and simply can’t find the correct size. Since these little bits and pieces are often bought in bulk, many of them end up shelved and never used again.

3D printing nuts and bolts as needed saves money as well as reducing waste. While getting the measurements just right may take some trial and error, being able to print your own odds and ends can end up being a lifesaver.

There are many free 3D printer files available for making 3D printing tools to different sizes and specifications. Like these standard nuts, bolts, and washers, or these mechanical parts designed for use in electrical engineering.

Here you can find an all-in-one link for standard pieces that can be printed in both PLAs and metal filaments depending on your building needs and available hardware.

Read more: 3D printed gears files you can download and print

3D Printed Vices

Vices are commonly found in workshops and garages and are instrumental in many engineering projects. Due to the pressure they need to work properly, they are prone to breaking and need to be replaced more often than most other tools.

3D printed vices need to be as strong and sturdy as their store-bought counterparts, so finding a reliable build that will do the job is very important.

Below are some of the more tried and tested 3D printed vices of various sizes and materials for use in your workspace.

3D Printed Desk and Bench Vice here / Miniature Vice here / Drill Press Vice here / Electronics Device here

3D Printed Tools for Woodworking

Woodworking is as old as time, and is still as popular today as it has been for centuries. Many people who work with their hands choose woodworking for their craft due it its reliability, variety, and satisfaction it brings.

Carpentry requires a slightly different toolset, and many of these woodworking tools can be 3D printed.

3D Printed Taper Pin

Modern day taper pins are used today in both carpentry and mechanical engineering to ensure parts and pieces align correctly to ensure steadfast fits.

This design for a taper pin is designed as a 3D printed woodworking tool to help carpenters ensure that builds such as furniture and shelving fits correctly to ensure safety of use.

The design is customizable, though it requires extra parts to work, example links to which can be found alongside the files found here.

Wood Clamps

Due to how fragile wood is compared to metals, many woodworkers prefer wood clamps over standard mechanical vices when building.

These 3D printed wood clamps are designed to hold planks still while measuring and cutting to increase both accuracy and safety.

This design has been updated by the creator to ensure the product is a light and accurate. While it is still a work in progress, the clamps are an easy print that could prove to be an inexpensive and important 3D printed woodworking tool.

Peg Tool

To any woodworker, few things are more frustrating than mismatched drill holes. To combat this frustration, this designer created a 3D printed woodworking peg tool to ensure accurate drill hole alignments 6, 8, or 10mm in diameter.

Included in the files found here is a ruler that shows the exact measurements of the tool, which is both adjustable and customizable to suit your woodworking needs from tables to sofas.

3D Printed Toolboxes

While many people begin their journeys as builders with store-bought toolkits, though things like this don’t often stay organized for long. Tools need replacing and upgrading at separate times, and we end up with parts that no longer fit in the box, or we simply run out of space for all our new equipment.

3D printed toolkits and boxes are lighter than the average store-bought variants, making them easier to transport as well as add some much-needed storage space that can go practically anywhere.

Complete Wrench Toolbox

This very useful design for a 3D printed toolkit comes as 18 files including a lightweight, slim box and 16 differently sized wrenches.

This complete toolbox can be kept as its own wrench storage and is light enough to attach to a tool belt for easy accessibility while working on a project.

Traditional Toolbox

Most modern toolboxes come in the form of briefcases that clamp shut for easy transportation, but this 3D printed toolbox mimics the rustic design that resembles more of a handled shelf than a carry-case.

The beauty of this design lies in its simplicity, as it contains only two files for the storage containers and handles. It can even be altered to have a personal image or business logo etched onto the side.

While this traditional design isn’t ideal for long-haul travel, it’s a good fit for at-home projects that require using tools across multiple spaces at once. It also acts well as a simple desktop storage piece for odds and ends that don’t have a place elsewhere.

3D Printed Tool Organizers

To help keep workspaces clutter free, there is also a plethora of 3D printed tool organizers available for all kinds of tools and pieces.

Screwdriver and Bit Organizers

Screwdriver bits come in so many shapes and sizes, and you always need just the right one for the job. Many workstations end up as messes of bits, handles, screws, and bolts that become disorganized and more ramshackle over time.

These 3D printed tool holders include a miniature version for a small workspace, or a full-sized version for decluttering messy workspaces.

As well as storing bits, the larger tool tidy also includes slots for Swiss army knives, pliers, rolls of tape, and screwdriver handles.

For a simpler and more spatially conservative way of storing screwdrivers, there are also 3D printed tool organizers available as add-ons for your pegboard. These organizers are godsends for anyone who finds they need to search high and low every time they need to insert a new bit or swap handles.

Socket Organizer

No matter how careful we are, loose sockets always seem to end up rattling around our toolboxes or scattered around our workbenches. Because they come in such a large variety of sizes, each one fit to its own use, a lot of time can be wasted searching for the exact socket you need.

This 3D printed tool organizer is equipped to store each socket by size, making them much easier to find and saving a lot of time and frustration.

Compact Tool Organizer

Not all workbenches are created equal, and sometimes it’s very difficult to ensure everything has its own place without sacrificing some much needed available workspace.

This compact 3D printed tool organizer is similar to a pencil holder, and has slots for screwdrivers, bits, chisels, different sized pliers, wrenches, and even contains smaller drawers for nuts and bolts.

The design is a simple print, and can be a lifesaver for those of us with smaller workbenches than we’d like.

Dewalt Drawer Inserts

You can never be too organized with your tools, and these easy drawer inserts are designed to fit into standard Dewalt tool drawers.

Adding extra labels and inserts for various tools, sockets, and extra pieces, this 3D printed tool drawer insert is a must for anyone who spends too much time rifling through their workspaces looking for that one specific tool.

Small Items Organizer

The little bits and pieces are always the ones that get lost. Whether behind a workbench, pocketed and forgotten, or seemingly just vanishing into thin air.

This 3D printed small tool organizer is a set of miniature drawers designed to store nuts, bolts, washers, and other small pieces that otherwise may not have a convenient place.

With the use of a label maker, this organizer can make losing small parts a thing of the past.

The Ultimate Tool Organizer

This designer was tired of having so many different places for the multitude of tools in their workstation, and so made several designs for the ultimate 3D printed tool organizer.

In the files found here, you’ll see a detailed description of this organizer, complete with a shelf for miscellaneous tools and parts. On this one design, you can fit screwdrivers, wrenches, tweezers, pliers, deburr tools, metal brushes, and many, many more.

Most of these tools have their own designated place on this 3D printed tool organizer, making them easy to find in this attractive and very convenient storage space that would be at home in any workspace.

Related articles:

  • Most useful things you can 3D print
  • 3D printable maps
  • 3D printed gears

3D Printing and Woodworking – A Perfect Combination

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Before 3D printing, there was woodworking.

Woodworking has been one of the favorite hobbies of those who like to work with their hands. There was a certain fulfilling – perhaps even meditative – value to creating beautiful and useful things from planks of wood.

Some would describe 3D printing as the more modern version of woodworking. Although 3D printing demands different technical skills, the end goal is still to come up with something valuable out of raw materials.

If you’re interested in both, then there’s no need to pick just one. Woodworking and 3D printing are crafts that work incredibly well together.

3D printing vs. woodworking – key differences

Woodworking and 3D printing can be described as the two sides of the same coin. They are both manufacturing methods but go about using vastly different approaches.

Additive vs. subtractive

Woodworking is a classic example of subtractive manufacturing. This means that the final product is derived from a slab of raw material by chipping or cutting away the material that is not needed. This method inevitably generates more waste but produces finished parts that are mechanically stronger.

3D printing is the very defining example of additive manufacturing. Instead of cutting away from a large block of material, a 3D printer product is built layer by layer. This method generates less waste but is also usually slower. An unfortunate consequence of 3D printing is that it is almost impossible to achieve the same mechanical integrity as a piece made via subtractive manufacturing.

Cost

In terms of the equipment, woodworking would likely require much greater capital. Between the various types of power tools and hand tools you will need, you will probably have to spend between $500 to $1000. It will be even more expensive if you’re getting a CNC machine like a lathe or mill.

In contrast, 3D printing can be done with just a single 3D printer and a few basic hand tools. If you stick to entry-level 3D printers, you should not need to spend more than $500. 3D printers have gotten a lot less expensive in the last years, paving the way to the widespread use by hobbyists.

Skill level

Woodworking is an old-fashioned craft. This means that it requires substantial training or experience, especially if you’re working with lots of power tools. Someone who has never worked with these tools before isn’t likely to be able to create a good wooden desk over a single weekend.

3D printers are much more beginner-friendly. Although there are complex algorithms involves in running a 3D printer, most of these happen behind the scenes and do not need to be bothered with by average users. Most desktop-scale 3D printers are designed specifically so that even pure beginners can start printing in just a few minutes.

Those who do CNC woodworking can adjust much easier to 3D printing. CNC technology, after all, is also based on digital 3D models. As we shall see later on, 3D printing can have a unique case for those who use CNC machines for manufacturing.

3D printed woodworking accessories

3D printing truly shines as a complementary craft to another hobby. This characteristic also applies to woodworking. You might have all the power tools set up, but there are so many ideas out there of “ad hoc” tools that are similarly useful. Here are some of the most popular:

Sanding sticks

Sanding tight spots in a wooden project can be challenging. You typically just wrap sandpaper around some arbitrary tool or just get your finger in there. This works eventually but is not very efficient.

These sanding sticks are designed to hold a strip of sandpaper in place with its clamps and thumbscrews. The sticks are available in various shapes and sizes, so you should not have a problem finding the one that you need. Although very simple, these sanding sticks can reduce the time and effort it takes to sand very small spaces.

Corner radius rounded corner template

Drawing the outline of a rounded corner on a wooden slab is easy. However, cutting away that rounded corner using a router takes considerably more skill.

This rounder corner template is designed to fit into any sharp corner and serve as the template for the router. The STL file contains nine different templates with varying corner radius values. The corner template will very briefly come in contact with the router, so it’s best printed with a thermally stable plastic like ABS or Nylon.

Universal clamping blocks

Putting together corners whether they are mitered or have wider or narrower angles is hard because they cannot simply be clamped together. The common solution to this problem is to glue temporary clamping blocks to the pieces that form the corner. This takes so much time and adds unnecessary work.

With these 3D-printed universal clamping blocks, you can say goodbye to all those creative solutions. These clamping blocks have circular levers that can be clamped tight, regardless of angle. It’s a very simple contraption that you might be left wondering why you did not have such a tool in the first place.

Vice jaws

This is another simple but useful idea – plastic jaws that you can affix to your vice so that it does not damage more fragile materials. This is best 3D printed with a plastic that is moderately flexible such as PLA. The vice jaws also work wonderfully with hard materials like wood as they can more effectively clamp the piece.

The vice jaws have small indentations on the bottom side. These are meant to house small magnets so that they can be attached and detached from your vice easily. They can also be glued onto the vice. There is really no disadvantage to just affixing these jaws to your vice permanently.

Universal center finder

Woodworking experts are also experts in finding the centerline of everything. A rectangular plank of wood is no problem, but those that have rounded corners require a bit more imagination. In any case, finding the centerline using old-fashioned methods takes a lot of time.

This universal center finder is a handy tool that you can 3D print quickly. The fence of the tool is specifically designed to fit both round and rectangular corners. There is also a small relief on the fence so that it can fit any piece that has burrs. A thin channel runs right down the middle so that you can mark the centerline with a pencil.

Dust collection adapters

Dust collection is a crucial part of woodworking. Not only does wood dust get into your respiratory system, but it can also very easily cause a fire or dust explosion. Unfortunately, getting your dust collection hoses to fit with your vacuum units is an impossible task without adapters.

There is a whole slew of 3D printable dust collection adapters out there with different shapes and sizes. The model we are linking to here allows a Makita RT0070CX2J dust shroud to connect with smaller 36-mm hoses. If there’s a mismatch between any of your dust collection equipment, just do a quick search and you might just find the exact adapter you are looking for.

Parametric knobs

By far, this set of parametric knobs will likely be the most useful to any woodworking enthusiast. You can choose to integrate nut knobs for your finished product or use them as adjusters for jigs or create makeshift screwdrivers.

This STL file contains an array of nut knobs, wing nuts, and mini bits for hex and star screwdrivers. Yes, just about all of these parts can be purchased in your local hardware. However, that can get expensive after a while because these plastic nuts can break apart fairly easily. It’s much more prudent to 3D print a bunch of them so you can have one ready when you need it.

These plastic knobs can be made to fit snugly to any fixture by just heating them momentarily. You can also apply some glue for extra bond strength.

Cordless tool wall mount

When you start accumulating lots of power tools, getting them organized becomes more challenging. You will want to put them away but in a manner that still makes them accessible. How about wall mounting them?

This 3D printable bracket fits most of the Dewalt and Makita cordless tools. They can be screwed onto a wall or tacked into a secure pegboard. With a simple and elegant design, this wall mount can help you reclaim horizontal space in your workshop.

3D printed prototypes

A subset of woodworking involves the use of CNC machines. These are typically mills or lathes that can run automatically based on an established algorithm. CNC woodworking is ideal for creating high-precision parts that require detailed etching.

A key characteristic of the CNC process is that it starts with a 3D model. This 3D model is processed in a CNC software platform to generate the code that the CNC machine will follow. This code or algorithm determines the exact movement of the machine’s cutting tools and other moving parts. Some in the industry call this “digital woodworking” and this technology has given way to some of the most impressive woodworking projects.

The beauty of combining CNC machining and 3D printing is that they can both be done using the same 3D model. For those who plan their builds in CAD platforms, 3D printing provides a way to quickly come up with prototypes. Do you want to test how a 4-foot sculpture will look before fully committing to it with wooden parts? Then print a small-scale replica of it over one afternoon.

Those who offer professional woodworking services can greatly benefit from 3D printed prototypes. A 3D printed copy is a great way to review a model with a client for approval or possible revision. Looking at a 3D model is a computer screen simply cannot compare to holding a physical copy in your hands.

More innovative woodworking enthusiasts have been trying to integrate 3D printing and woodworking in different ways. As 3D printers become more sophisticated, it’s not hard to imagine 3D printed projects going hand-in-hand with wood not just as prototypes but as finished parts. This seems to be the direction that the manufacturing industry is headed. Until then, 3D printing could remain the perfect complement to woodworking.

Final thoughts

Woodworking is a respectable craft. It has been around for centuries and has only been made better by modern equipment. Nowadays, wood craftsmen are capable of designs and products that would not have existed ten years ago.

With 3D printing on the rise, there is again an opportunity to advance the possibilities of woodworking. 3D printing is not a competitor or alternative to woodworking. In many cases, 3D printed parts can be very useful in creating new possibilities for woodworking. Combining both may just give way to a brand new craft.

Warning; 3D printers should never be left unattended. They can pose a firesafety hazard.

3D printed press brake punching tools

Last week, we made 50 parts for customers using printed press brake tooling, which allowed us to produce ordered parts quickly without having to order tooling and wait. All parts produced were to specification and the client was happy to receive their parts so quickly. The customer's part was thin aluminum, so I wanted to see what thicknesses could be formed with these tools, so I decided to develop more tools and test them by bending different thicknesses of steel.

Note: This article is a translation.

Step 1: Print Options

The most durable tools in this video were printed on a Prusa i3 MK3s 3D printer using standard PLA. I printed 12 perimeters with 20% gyroid infill at 0.2mm layer height.

The tools in my video bend steel up to 3.4 mm thick without significant wear after more than 150 consecutive bends. The force required to bend 10 gauge mild steel (0.134"/3.4mm) at a 1" bend length through a 1" diameter V-die is approximately 0.79tons or 1580 pounds.

Metal forming experts Cincinnati Inc. have tested their 3D printed tools up to 14ga steel and achieved 1000 bends success. Cincinnati also uses PLA for its molding tools, as it is much more rigid than many of the other common materials used in standard FDM printers.

Step 2: Select tool

Download any of these 3D models to get started. I have added each of the tools tested in the video.

Gooseneck+125R.stp 28 Download

Thin+125R.stp 25 Download

Wide+125R.stp 24 Download

Step 3: Experiment!

Here are some ideas for other people who don't have access to a press brake to use these forming tools:

  • Vise - You can easily adapt my designs or create your own to attach to regular sheet metal bending vises at home.
  • Mandrel Press - You can create a forming tool that attaches to a mandrel press.
  • Attachments - I develop various radius fixtures that can be attached to existing rigs. This will greatly speed up the printing time.

Step 4: Learn from the Experts

If you're interested in learning more about what experts in the field have to say about this, check out these two articles: Do you need non-standard plate bending equipment? Print it on a 3D printer! [Part 1] and Benefits of 3D Printed Press Brake Tooling

These articles really sparked my interest in these tools and I'm glad I did them. This process will save my shop a lot of money in the future and, more importantly, reduce lead times for our customers.

If you liked the article, please like, share it with your friends and leave comments!

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