Print in two-and-a-bit dimensions for build-your-own kits
Our Maker in Chief has a new feature in Raspberry Pi Official Magazine, and it’s all about the nifty things he 3D-prints in the lab here at Pi Towers. In this first article, he shares three designs that would make excellent nostalgic gifts.
If you grew up with Airfix kits, you’ll remember the joy (and frustration) of glue-covered fingers and tiny paint pots. Those retro models are still around today, but Kit Cards bring the same sense of excitement without the mess. Pop out the parts, snap them together, and you’ve got instant fun! If your 3D printer can handle multiple colours, the results look like they’ve leapt straight out of the box.
They capture what 3D printing is all about, turning imagination into reality. They’re small enough to slip in a wallet, yet big enough to deliver the joy of building something with your own hands. Whether it’s a toy, a puzzle, or even a functional mechanism, Kit Cards remind us that sometimes the best projects don’t need to be big, just really clever.
All three of these were printed with PLA on a Bambu Lab A1. An elastic band can be used to make the Triplane fly – mine crashed. The classic game of Connect Four is a lot of fun and the flying ‘thingy’ works surprisingly well!
Christmas is just around the corner, so these would make great stocking fillers. Now, what to design that includes a Raspberry Pi?
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Tim Cliffe
This is great.
Being a child of the 60s: Airfix, Meccano, Lego et.al. this is the 21st century’s equivalent.
In my local town, the council have provided various courses and, for example, industrial scale 3D Printers and Lazer Cutters to ‘play with’. Can’t wait.
I want to try to design and print the ultimate modular Raspberry Pi 5 Case: HATs on top or UPS below the board, with sufficient access to avoid dismantling the case everytime an adjustment is needed. And, my pet hate, somewhere to stick the RTC battery without risking the cable everytime the case lid is removed.
I may be gone some time :-)
Raspberry Pi Staff Toby Roberts — post author
Sounds great! Make sure to post the .stl file on Printables and i’ll add it to our favourites.