3D Printer Makes Customizable Wall Shelf

A New Tool Enters the Workshop and Things Will Never be Quite the Same

It all began when I discovered a shelf bracket design on Thingiverse, a repository for tens of thousands of digital designs for 3D printed objects, freely shared by their creators such as this one, a young designer named Tosh.

I downloaded the design file, imported it into my MakerBot 3D printer software, and then sent a print command to the printer.  Almost as if by magic, the 3D printer began creating the actual bracket which, until this point, had only been an image on my computer screen.

I call this kind of project a hybrid because part of it is created with digital tools, in this case, the 3D printer, and the remainder is made using conventional tools and materials.  Once complete, the brackets were slipped over the ends of standard wooden dowels and tapped in place.  The length of the shelf is totally customizable depending on the length of the dowels.

By using different paints and stains, this shelf can look right at home in a kitchen, child’s room or dining room.  It’s also perfectly suited for displaying collections.

To download Tosh's printable file, go to Thingiverse.

To learn more about MakerBot 3D printers, click here.