German Maker Shares Interlocking 3D Printed Creature, ‘Spring Things,’ on Thingiverse

A self-professed addict of 3D printing, David Hagemann of Germany certainly has the next season in mind with his play on words, ‘Spring Things.’ It’s obvious he’s kept himself busy over the winter though with his hobby, building intricate, fun models, and he’s spreading his good cheer on Thingiverse with a 3D printed … spider? This arachnid might be having a bit of an identity crisis, but we do know that he’ll bring a smile to your face once you see him roll out of the 3D printer and spring into life.

‘Spring Fling’ interlocking parts, fresh off the 3D printer.

Hagemann, a freelance game artist, founded Toco Games in 2010. His team at Toco collaborates with other gaming designers worldwide to create unique gaming experiences.

With Spring Things, Hagemann shares the files for a 3D printed creature who is also less formally known as ‘The Dude.’ He consists of many interlocking pieces (as seems to be a growing theme in Hagemann’s designs) that you can snap together in assembling the many-legged creature.

The 3D model began as a quick one-off character but Hagemann ended up adding extra parts for versatility in shape, allowing the user more latitude in creativity and playfulness with the creature.

No supports are needed for the many, but simple, pieces required for Spring Things. 3D printed using ABS, 0.2 layer height and with rafts, Hagemann mentions that he’s not quite sure how PLS would work with this particular model as it does require flexibility. And flexibility is key, as you can morph the bendy creature into different shapes, remove or add more eyeballs, and enjoy watching him wobble about in good-natured form. The piece has great movement due to Hagemann’s choice of material and the interlocking pieces which can be played with to morph the creature from a spider to other forms.

Check out Hagemann’s demonstration of what he is able to do with Spring Things from building the 3D printed model and assembling the pieces, to displaying different shapes for Spring Things, as well as showing off how well he locomotes, including some cool dance moves.

Spring Flings is certainly a good novice challenge for 3D printing and the reward is a model that will be fun to keep on the desk or give as a gift to show off your growing 3D printing skills.

Spring Things will be joining Hagemann’s collection, consisting of other very entertaining 3D printed items like my personal favorites, Monster Mouth Stand, Mutant Bunny, and Melt Face. With a penchant for characters — and a lot of humor — it’s obvious Hagemann doesn’t take himself too seriously, but he is turning out some fun and interesting designs. You might want to check out Demon Baby and the interlocking Skeleton as well. And don’t forget Linklings, a fun design which we took a look at just last week! Hagemann hints that there may be more coming soon regarding this basic design, so keep on eye out for his next works on Thingiverse and Reddit, too.

Are you interested in 3D printing this design? Have you made any interlocking 3D models similar to this? Share your thoughts and 3D printing experiences in the 3D Printed Spring Things forum over on 3DPB.com.