The boom of 3D printing has brought all sorts of people out of the woodwork between hobbyists who have found the next best thing since car models and the business savvy who see a new opportunity to manufacture and promote products.
Actually, 3D printing is even better than the old-school car models as you can now put one together from scratch. If it’s not car models you’re into, there is a long list of crafting opportunities made possible thanks to 3D printing technology.
Are you into puzzles? 3D puzzles have been a thing for some time now, as have gear cubes and Rubik’s Cube knockoffs.
Check out some other 3D printing projects.
What’s a Gear Cube?
A gear cube is a 3D puzzle, usually shaped much like the Rubik’s Cube but instead of colored squares a puzzle solver needs to line up, these are now no longer just square.
While the centra core of the cube still serves as the base of the cube, the rest of the gear cube design is connected by gears that allow several permutations as the puzzler works with it.
The original gear cube looks like a chiseled version of the Rubik’s Cube as it relies on screws to work the gears but there are also screwless gear cubes made possible, thanks to the technology behind 3D printing. This variant allows for a number of possibilities to create your own gear cube.
There are some really cool gear cubes with genius designs that may be of interest to you. The whole point behind the gear cube is to take its original design and contort it about to come up with a new way to display the item. While it’s technically a 3D combination-style puzzle, it’s also a rather neat opportunity to let out the artistic side of yourself and see what you come up with.
In some cases, the gear cube is not even a cube at all but shaped differently but still shares the same concept of a 3D puzzle creation that allows the pieces to move about to sculpt out different possibilities.
1. Adidas Ultraboost Gear Shoe
Who Made It? David Kristjansson (trevodave)
Where to Download: Thingiverse https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4165012
2. Blinky Cube (RGB addressable lights in the gear cube)
Who Made It? Bob Eells (plasmation)
Where to Download: Thingiverse: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1179381
3. Celtic Gear Cube
Who Made It? Pavel Gorlachuk (Gorlachuk)
Where to Download: Thingiverse https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:5264711
4. F-Cube (Fidget Cube)
Who Made It? UNIT3D
Where to Download? Prusa Printers https://www.prusaprinters.org/prints/72680-f-cube-fidget-cube
5. Gear Bunny (Rotating Geared Easter Bunny)
Who Made It? Bryan Avery (bravery79)
Where to Download: Thingiverse https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3574954
6. Gear Pumpkin
Who Made It? John Cassella (redpawfx)
Where to Download: Thingiverse https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1104867
7. Geared Cube, Hand Crank Edition
Who Made It? Designs 274 (gzumwalt)
Where to Download: Cults 3D https://cults3d.com/en/3d-model/game/geared-cube-hand-crank-edition
8. Geared Polyhedron
Who Made It: Cutting Edge Data/Steve Michel (CuttingEdgeData)
Where to Download: Thingiverse https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1286445
9. Hellraiser Cube Gears
Who Made It? Mike Hsu (broodrooster)
Where to Download: Thingiverse https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2203492
10. Infernal Machine Fidget Cube
Who Made It? JP B-A (NOP21)
Where to Download: Thingiverse https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2436138
11. Infinity Cube with Gear Hinges
Who Made It? Designs 8 (Caaarrrllllll)
Where to Download: Cults 3D https://cults3d.com/en/3d-model/gadget/infinity-cube-with-gear-hinges
12. Lament Configuration
Who Made It? Troy Mackay (tmackay)
Where to Download: Thingiverse https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4109303
13. Lizard Cube
Who Made It? Mike Hsu (broodrooster)
Where to Download: Thingiverse https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2396927
14. Printable Fidget Cube
Who Made It? Markus H. (drjames)
Where to Download: Thingiverse https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2040875
15. Puzzle Cube
Who Made It? Designs 273 (NOP21)
Where to Download: Cults 3D https://cults3d.com/en/3d-model/game/cube-puzzle-nop21-2
16. Textured Cube Gears
Who Made It? Mike Hsu (broodrooster)
Where to Download: Thingiverse https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2390336
17. The Amazing Gyroscopic Cube Gears
Who Made It? Joe Ethington (joefe)
Where to Download: Thingiverse https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:338808
18. Unicorn Gears
Who Made It? Bryan Avery (bravery79)
Where to Download: Thingiverse https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3735312
19. Yet Another Cube Gear
Who Made It? Designs 85 (guso)
Where to Download: Cults 3D https://cults3d.com/en/3d-model/art/yet-another-cube-gear
Gear cubes are fun because they are not just a one-time solve. If you get really into the gear cube, like many people have with Rubik’s Cube, you can spend hours upon hours trying to come up with new ways to solve the puzzle.
Thanks to 3D printing technology, there is now a whole market for 3D printed gear cubes. You can buy premade gear cubes or you can find the files to print your own- even if you’re a beginner.
If you want to get into 3D printing, there are a number of different starters kits that you can purchase. And if you’re not sure where to start when it comes to 3D printing, we have a few helpful guides to get you going.
In addition to the premade gear cubes that are available, there are also a number of designs that you can find online should you want to make your own gear cube.
There are a few things to keep in mind when looking for a design to 3D print. The most important thing is to make sure that the design is printable. This means that all of the parts for the gear cube need to be included in the file and that they will fit together once they are printed.
Another thing to consider is the type of 3D printer you are using. Not all 3D printers are created equal and some printers will have a harder time printing small, intricate pieces.
Finally, you will also want to consider the type of filament you are using. Some filaments are better for detail than others.
Once you have found a design that you like, it’s time to print it!
The great thing about 3D printing is that you can print as many gear cubes as you want. This means that you can print one for each day of the week, or one for every color of the rainbow.
Now that you know all about gear cubes and 3D printing, it’s time to get out there and start creating your own!
Hello, my name’s Rush Chapman. I’m a 3D printing enthusiast. I started this site to help people choose 3D printing projects and select the best 3D printer for your needs, whether you’re a hobbyist or a pro!
