Weekly Roundup: Ten 3D Printable Things – Shark Week

It has come at last, the holiest of holy holidays, the sacred Shark Week. Since 1988, shark lovers all over the world have devoted their lives to witnessing a solid week of shark-based cable programming. The original Shark Week programming was focused on educational programming, meant to help conservation efforts and to dispel common misconceptions about sharks. For the most part the programming offered up these days shares those original goals, although the Discovery Channel has tried to broaden the appeal of the subject a bit with celebrity guests and an occasional show that leans to the sensationalized (Nuclear Sharks!) and silly.

This year Shark Week started this week and will run into early next week. The Discovery Channel has produced a ton of new shows, including a great documentary on the battles between sharks and dolphins that I highly recommend checking out. Because I’m a sucker for a themed Ten 3D Printable Things list, I figured this was a great time to see what kind of 3D printable shark things the internet had to offer.

Here are Ten 3D Printable Things – Shark Week Edition:

GREAT WHITE JAW AND SKULL

Great White Skull by MakerBot

Found on: Thingiverse
Cost: Free

I think few things are more viscerally terrifying than the massive jaws of a great white shark. Seeing this 3D printable model of a great white skull, including those massive jaws and their serrated edges, makes it obvious why the image is so terrifying. Jaws may have made great white sharks famous, but somehow even without that movie it’s hard to imagine sharks being somehow less terrifying.

This replica skull is printable in several different parts, and you can even print just the jaws on their own. They would make a great piece of art to mount on a wall, or a perfect demonstration model for a classroom or aquarium.

SHARK CABLE HOLDER

Shark! Desktop Cable Holder by notcolinforreal

Found on: Thingiverse
Cost: Free

This is a great solution for the person who is constantly looking track of their charging cables (me) when they either fall behind a desk or behind the nightstand. Yes, I could try to remember to wrap my charging cables around something on my desk to help them stay put, but who remembers to do things like that (not me) without prompting? But I would totally remember to tuck my cables into the jaws of a badass shark.

It has also occurred to me that this could be repurposed in several ways because it’s such a simple model. It could be hung on the wall as a decoration, or converted into a hook on the wall to hang coats or purses. I could see it looking great either printed in a metal filament and polished, or painted to look like polished metal. Naturally it would be right at home in a child’s room with an ocean theme.

Image courtesy Thingiverse user TimsSeries1.

SHARK BOTTLE OPENER & KEYCHAIN

Shark Bottle Opener by jonas much

Found on: MyMiniFactory
Cost: Free

If you are anything like me then you’re always looking for cool 3D printable gifts to give to people that they will actually use. Yes, it’s great to be able to print out that adorable cat figure, but most people who get something like that are I’m sure thankful that I thought of them, but also wondering exactly what the heck they’re going to do with a plastic cat figure. But if I present them with something that is cool and useful, like this shark-shaped bottle opener, then they really seem impressed with 3D printing.

SHARK COOKIE CUTTER

shark cookie cutter by alavanimation

Found on: Thingiverse
Cost: Free

I feel like it’s been a while since I’ve included a cookie cutter in one of my Ten 3D Printable Things lists, which is a shame because there are literally cookie cutters for everything that you can imagine. But given it being Shark Week and all, and loving an excuse to throw a party, it would be obvious that one would want to serve shark-shaped cookies.

WINE STOPPER

Shark wine stopper by Jared Ramkissoon

Found on: MyMiniFactory
Cost: Free

So apparently there are people who don’t finish the whole bottle of wine when they open it and require a stopper of some sort to keep it fresh. I’ll be honest, I don’t really understand these people, I mean how do you not finish the whole bottle? And if you must save some of it, why not just screw the cap back on? Or just wrap the paper bag that it is discretely hidden in around the top to keep it fresh? Common sense people.

Wait, do I have an alcohol problem? Or am I just a stereotypical hobo from an ’80s cop show?

SHARK-BOT ACTION FIGURE

Thresher – shark bot by gpvillamil

Found on: Thingiverse
Cost: Free

I really shouldn’t need to explain why everyone needs a bipedal, fully-articulated robotic shark action figure. I mean, the name “Shark-Bot” alone should sell this guy.

The Shark-Bot model was made by remixing a few different 3D models and making something unique all on its own. The ability to play around with 3D models as you see fit is one of the cooler aspects of 3D printing technology, and remixed models like these are really fun. If you’d like to learn how to remix your own models, the creator of Shark-Bot posted an Instructable explaining how he did it, and it is well worth a read.

JUMPING GREAT WHITE SHARK STATUE

Flying Great White Shark by XYZWorkshop

Found on: Thingiverse
Cost: Free

This model is obviously more decorative than useful although one could certainly use the jaws on this model the same way that they are used on the cable holder. Mostly though, this is just a cool looking statue that is modelled after the great white sharks that breach the water trying to catch seals off the coast of South Africa. It could be painted up, or printed in gray for the shark and blue for the water as pictured here. However you do it, this is a great 3D printing project for any shark fan.

SHARK BALLPOINT PEN

Shark Pen – Ballpoint Combat by ercin gunduz

Found on: MyMiniFactory
Cost: Free

After stumbling on this 3D printed shark-shaped ballpoint pen, I’m actually surprised that more people don’t design pens. It is such an easy way to really make a cool and usable model, and it doesn’t take anything especially complicated to make, just pull out the removable pen cartridge from any store purchased ballpoint pen. There are a few cool designs out there, don’t get me wrong, but not as many as I would have expected to see given how easy it would be to model them. I really hope someone is listening, because I want more pens!

FINGER SHARK

Finger Shark by zheng3

Found on: Thingiverse
Cost: Free

What is the fiercest shark of them all? Why the dreaded finger shark of course! Finger sharks are not limited to patrolling the dark oceans, they can swim anywhere and strike at any time. They can pop out of any stray pocket and attack, rending the flesh from their victims with ease. Be afraid of finger sharks, for they are relentless and merciless.

Image courtesy Thingiverse user garthvh.

GREAT WHITE SHARK MODEL

Great White Shark by IanPaul

Found on: Thingiverse
Cost: Free

And of course I couldn’t make a Shark Week list without an actual shark. There are plenty of 3D printable shark models available, but this is easily the best that I found. It can be sized up or down pretty easily, and looks like it would be pretty simple to print.

Image courtesy Thingiverse user IanPaul.

That’s it for this week, enjoy the rest of Shark Week everyone, and happy 3D printing. As always, I love to hear about what 3D printing projects you all are working on, so feel free to drop me an email or tweet me @SJGrunewald and show me what you’ve got.