6 satisfying small mechanical 3D prints to make this weekend (July 31 - Aug 2)

Published Jul 31, 2026, 10:00 AM EDT Tim has been covering technology for almost 20 years, in that time spanning a broad range of topics from security to product reviews. He is especially focused on the Apple ecosystem, productivity, and consumer advice. Over the years Tim has written thousands of articles, reviews, and round-ups in addition to producing video content and original photography. A graduate of journalism, he found his footing as a freelancer with a laptop and loves how he is able to work from practically anywhere. Now a Senior Editor for iPhone, Mac, and Smart Home at How-To Geek, Tim still loves to write. He can also be found crafting round-ups and productivity posts for the Zapier blog. Earlier in his career Tim spent nearly a decade as a writer and eventually Apple section editor for MakeUseOf. Tim currently lives in Brisbane, Australia. Outside of work he loves to hike and work out, play video games, and spend quality time with his wonderful partner and two cats Inka and Roger. Mechanical moving parts are among some of the most satisfying objects you can print. Here are six of our favorites, from fidget spinners for idle hands through to toys, decor, and educational projects. Planetary gears fidget spinner Who doesn’t want one of these? Credit: Tim Brookes / How-To Geek Fidget spinners are a bit of a joke at this point in the 3D printing community, but that doesn’t mean people aren’t printing them. They remain some of the most popular downloads on model repositories like MakerWorld and Printables for a reason, and the planetary gears fidget spinner is an S-tier example. This print-in-place model consists of one outer gear, several central gears, and an inner gear into which your finger slides. The more you play with it, the smoother it gets (you can also hit it with an air gun or hair dryer to speed up the process). In addition to the Blade variant above, the model’s author has produced models dubbed Revolver and Pipeline. Reduction gearbox A fun and educational desk toy Credit: The Engineering Teacher / MakerWorld A reduction gearbox is a simple concept to explain that means so much more when you see it in action for yourself. This model consists of nine compound gears, each with a 32-tooth and 8-tooth gear stack, which the author says results in a ratio of 262,144:1. The author has updated the model with an improved handle following feedback from the community. One reviewer replaced the crank entirely with a small electric motor “for fun.” Benchy wave machine Just add Benchy The Benchy toy boat benchmark has become 3D printing’s unofficial mascot, originally designed as something of a torture test with its overhanging elements, awkward inclines, and vertical text. Most printers can now produce a near-flawless Benchy without breaking a sweat, but printer owners continue to make more of them. If you’re all out of ideas on what to do with your leftover boats, here’s a fresh one. The Benchy wave machine is a mechanical desk toy that simulates stormy seas with a hand-cranked mechanism. It also serves as a means of displaying your favorite boat when you’re not turning it into a keychain or board game piece. Over-engineered mechanical light switch cover Is your home lacking that Warhammer 40K aesthetic? Do you ever look at your light switches and think “what would the Emperor think of this lifeless veneer?” Me neither, but the popularity of this model suggests that plenty of people do. If you want to spruce up a tried-and-tested design with some needless gears and satisfying hand-feel, give the over-engineered mechanical light switch cover a shot. It looks great even if it doesn’t offer anything in the way of functionality, and it even comes in a double switch variation. If you have rocker-style light switches, check out the author’s mechanical rocker light switch cover instead. Meowballs marble run cat treat dispenser It should work for dogs, too There are a lot of 3D-printed cat toys out there, but Meowballs is the most elaborate one I’ve seen yet. This is a fully modular cat treat dispenser in the style of a marble run mechanism. Simply train your cat to hit the various levers, create a “course” from connecting pieces, and finish up with a dispenser at the end to deliver a treat. The full collection is available on Gumroad for a $10 fee, if you want to expand beyond the starter kit. You’ll need a few extra bits and pieces to make this work, including stainless steel balls and some nuts and bolts. If you’re not sure whether or not your cat will go for it, there’s a training lever that you can download first for free, which only requires 24g of filament in addition to some string, a rubber band, and a cat. The author says: “Simply teach them to learn to shake your hand, slowly replace that with the practice lever.” Mechanical card shuffler Never shuffle by hand again I’ve never been able to do the fast shuffling card trick, and I’m not about to learn. Now I never need to, thanks to the mechanical 3D printed card shuffler. Simply split the deck, put each half on either side, and turn the handle. The cards are stacked one by one, after which you can repeat until you’re happy with the result. The model requires no hardware or glue, and can mix up to 100 cards at a time. There are a few caveats with this one. The cards shouldn’t be bent or worn for this to work consistently, and sometimes the cards will skip or stack two at a time. One reviewer says that this only adds to the random nature of the stacking, while another “solved” the issue with a few dabs of hot glue on the platform that grabs the cards. You can also just put a bit of pressure on the cards while you crank. In addition to being actually useful, it’s a fun conversation piece and a novel little mechanism to stick in your card game drawer. Bambu Lab P2S Build Volume 256x256x256mm Printing Speed 600mm/s The Bambu Labs P2S 3D printer is ready to go out of the box and can have you printing within 15 minutes. It features up to 20-color printing with the AMS unit, has an upgraded built-in camera for remote monitoring and time lapses, and has an enclosed body for printing even high-temperature filament. Bambu Lab X2D Combo The Bambu Lab X2D Combo is a mid-range 3D printer with dual-nozzle 3D printing for faster print speeds and better support printing. The nozzle reaches 300°C while the actively-heated chamber hits 65°C which is perfect for engineering-grade filaments. The printer comes with Bambu Lab's signature ease of use, AI fail detection, and has a maximum print volume of 256 × 256 × 260 mm. The combo package comes with the AMS2 multi-material system and filament dryer. Looking for more models to print? Check out last week’s collection of 3D printed bedroom items.