The Power of the 3DBenchy

There is probably no other model that has been printed more times than the 3DBenchy...and for good reason. I'll admit I did not print one until I had been printing for roughly three years. I knew about them but never really saw the appeal of printing a miniature boat that according to everyone else--doesn't even float...

As soon as I printed my first one I immediately knew that I had wasted so much time trying to calibrating my printer in the past. Since that day I have literally printed thousands of these little guys.

What's The Hype About?

Properly calibrating your printer is the key to a great print. The problem is there are so many parameters to tune that it can be tedious. Pair that with the fact that printing is such a slow process and you could find yourself tweaking your machine for weeks. Even after that, you might get one model running well only to find out the next one doesn't seem to be performing like you had hoped.

There are many feature types that need to be tuned including: overhangs, thin walls, small features, retraction, and bridges. Calibrating your machine with a random model can cause issues because it likely doesn't include every feature type. That's where the 3DBenchy comes in.

This miniature boat manages to pack virtually every feature you will come across in a quick one hour print. This means you can easily print, evaluate, tweak settings, and repeat. Instead of taking days to dial in settings, you can do it within a few hours. Since it contains so many feature types you can feel confident that once you print a great benchy, your printer will be able to handle anything you throw at it!

How To Use The 3DBenchy

There are several resources out there to help walk you through the tuning process using the 3DBenchy. Instead of trying to reinvent the wheel, I recommend you check out www.3dbenchy.com

This site has a lot of great information regarding the topic. Many users have posted pictures of their own 3DBenchy and it's nice to see the results others have been able to achieve. It is a great benchmark to see how your printer stacks up to others. There are also printable PDF guides on their website which can further help you calibrate your machine if you are still having issues. I recommend checking out YouTube videos on 3DBenchy troubleshooting. There are several videos posted including a great one by Thomas Sanladerer.

Hopefully, after spending a day printing the 3DBenchy, you will be able to get your printer dialed in so that you can print hassle-free with more complex prints. It really makes the hobby that much more enjoyable when your equipment is performing to the best of its ability.