Introduction
According to Matt Davies Stockton, 3D printing is an amazing topic that sparks everyone’s interest and drives innovation. However, regular people and even a lot of hobbyists don’t know how to make 3D models for the products they want to make. Let’s check out where you can get the best 3D print models.
The Websites
1. Thingiverse– Thingiverse has been here since the early days of 3D printing and even before this topic became mainstream. That’s why it has the biggest collection of free 3D models that are available to download from its easy-to-use interface. Thingiverse enjoys the support of a vibrant community of artists, hobbyists, and enthusiasts and that’s why it has an ever-increasing library of all kinds of models. Just search for the model you want and download it with a click. If you’re talented in 3D design, you can even get recognition on this platform by uploading your designs.
2. CGTrader – While Thingiverse is more geared towards hobbyists and regular people, CGTrader is a more serious platform that’s intended for professionals. It has advanced 3D models that aren’t intended for direct 3D printing. They are there to improve upon and to be used in your own commercial products. However, you can still find a lot of models that can be directly printed. The only downside is that most of these models aren’t free, and you need to pay anywhere from $2 to $500. That makes a lot of sense for professionals, not hobbyists. The site probably has a repository of the highest-quality 3D models on the internet.
3. Cults – Cults is the fastest-growing 3D model community that also hosts a 3D printer file marketplace. In this marketplace, you can share or sell your STL files for a side income. You should really consider this if you are talented at 3D model design. The overall quality of models on this website is usually high and the models provide highly predictable results. Cults also have curated collections like Lego parts, IKEA hacks, drone and GoPro accessories, and more. Unlike most other websites on the list, this one supports three languages, French, English, and Spanish.
4. Printables – Printables is a 3D model database created by the gifted people at Prusa Research, the same people who make the Prusa printers. Since the website is very new, it doesn’t have as many models as the other websites on this list. However, they are rapidly growing, and the site has an interface similar toThingiverse. Since this site is essentially sponsored by PrusaResearch, it also hosts competitions where you need to showcase your own models or projects and can win their printers and Prusament, some of the best filaments on the market.
Conclusion
Matt Davies Stockton suggests that you use the above-mentioned websites to browse and download any 3D model you want. They have hundreds of thousands of free models and a sick collection of paid models that you can use for your own projects.