3DBenchy 10th Anniversary

Hey makers, it’s Daniel Norée and Paulo Kiefe here! Our 3D printing journey began in the wild early days when affordable printers were just clunky kits of wooden boards, endless fasteners, and bare electronics. Assembling them felt like a trek into uncharted territory—weeks of tinkering, no heated beds, just ABS filament, and the thrill of watching molten plastic ooze from the nozzle for the first time. When we finally printed models that matched our CAD designs, the feeling was unreal. We had a 3D printer at home, turning our ideas into reality for pennies—it was pure liberation! Our shared passion for 3D printing deepened our friendship while working at Creative Tools, where we sold 3D software and printers. We’d help customers troubleshoot by printing Lorena P’s small treefrog—its tricky sloping belly revealed every material or setting flaw. But Daniel had a vision: we needed our own benchmark. So, he designed a little boat, tweaking it in CAD until 3DBenchy was born in 2015. We never imagined it would sail into the hearts of the 3D printing community as a beloved mascot, helping makers worldwide calibrate their machines with precision and pride. Now, as we celebrate 3DBenchy’s 10th anniversary, we’re amazed at how far 3D printing has come—from those clunky kits to today’s seamless, user-friendly tech. To mark this milestone and fuel your creativity, we’re releasing the original 3DBenchy CAD file in STEP format under the Public Domain (CC0 1.0 Universal) on MakerWorld! Download it , import it into your favorite CAD software, or use the classic STL, and remix it to bring your wildest ideas to life—maybe make an RC 3DBenchy or give it new powers by integrating Maker’s Supply hardware! We want to make the prizes as special as possible. For the top three winners, we will be giving out a signed 3DBenchy by us, and a Bambu Lab A1 Combo 3D printer—perfect for any maker’s toolkit! Let’s celebrate a decade of 3D printing evolution, from humble beginnings to a vibrant, innovative community, together! — Daniel Norée & Paulo Kiefe Small hint for this contest: Please upload your model as an “original model” and link the original file in your model descriptions. Do not upload it as an remix as it will fail to join the contest. (EXCEPTION FOR THIS CONTEST ONLY) *The announcement of the contest results will be postponed by two days, as our judges need a bit more time to carefully review all submissions and ensure the most outstanding designs are recognized. Thank you for your patience and understanding!