Printed parts, powered projects.
3D Printing Projects is a hands-on project series built around 3D printed parts, CAD workflows, and small electronics. Its episodes move from retro mini computers and LED displays to IoT clocks, props, snap-fit cases, and sensor-driven plant monitors.
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3D Printing Projects is a practical build series for the overlap between 3D printing, CAD, and Adafruit electronics. It is direct and procedural. Episodes tend to start with a finished object, then work backward through the printed parts, boards, firmware, sensors, and design choices that make it function. Recent projects range from nostalgic desk gadgets to useful IoT devices. A Mac Classic-inspired mini computer pairs Adafruit Fruit Jam with PicoMac so a tiny printed enclosure can run classic Mac software on a modern display. The enclosure details are treated as part of the experience, from the front-mounted SD card adapter to the print-in-place hinged door and twist-lock latch. In the CAD tutorials, the show slows down for exact modeling moves. A Fusion 360 episode on seamless emboss patterns explains how offset planes, rectangular patterns, construction lines, tangent-handle dimensions, and equal constraints can help wrap a design around an irregular form. Another Layer by Layer tutorial uses a snap-fit washi tape case to demonstrate live hinges, thin extrudes, support-aware nubs, and a possible TPU filament swap for flexibility. The electronics projects are just as specific. A WLED matrix display covers Sparkle Motion, 256 NeoPixel LEDs, black LED acrylic, a printed isolation grid, firmware installation, Wi-Fi setup, and 2D configuration. An asteroid tracker uses CircuitPython, NASA Sentry and Close Approach Objects APIs, a CutiePi ESP32S3, an iSpy BFF board, and a round TFT display. The moon phase clock turns API data, NeoPixels, and a textured printed moon into a lamp-like display. The lightsaber episode brings in the RP2040 Prop Maker Feather, motion-triggered light and sound, CircuitPython customization, and support-free printed hilt parts. The indoor grow monitor shifts toward practical sensing, using Whippersnapper, Adafruit I.O., Blockly Actions, CO2, temperature, humidity, and ambient light data. Across the series, the appeal is the combination of CAD problem-solving and electronics integration. It does not simply admire finished objects. It shows how tolerances, access ports, mounting holes, printed channels, firmware choices, and component placement shape the build.
Made for: Best for makers, CAD learners, electronics hobbyists, and Adafruit users who want buildable project ideas with concrete implementation detail. It also suits 3D printing fans who care about enclosures, fit, hinges, and support-aware design.
What sets it apart: The series connects mechanical design decisions to working electronics instead of treating printed shells and circuit boards as separate topics. Its strongest moments come from showing how CAD constraints, firmware setup, hardware access, and assembly details affect the finished build.
Every Thursday is #3DThursday at Adafruit! Tune in for a new project using 3D printing and DIY electronics. Get inspired to use 3D printing in your projects and find out how to design things using CAD software. Learn to print enclosures, cosplay elements, camera mods, and much much more from Noe Ruiz and Pedro Ruiz.
Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
A hands-on Adabot build where servo code, light control, magnets, and printed parts all need to work together.
Adafruit's 3D Hangouts tracks Noe Ruiz and Pedro Ruiz through an Adabot build that feels nicely grounded in the bench work: printed parts, electronics, servo animation settings, and reusable code all have to line up.
Optimism, engineered into practical futures.
Desktop 3D printing, one nozzle crash at a time.
Apple decisions, examined down to the window corner.
Weekly film, music, and arts criticism from Monocle 24's Midori House studio in London.
This episode demonstrates how to build an IoT LED moon lamp that displays moon phases using a 3D printed model, NeoPixel strip, and ESP32 microcontroller.
This episode shows how to build a Bluetooth speaker with a 3D printed enclosure inspired by the Apple TV show Severance.
Noe Ruiz and Pedro Ruiz use 3D Hangouts episode 404 to walk through Adabot, a fully 3D-printed mascot powered by the Feather RP2040 PropMaker Featherwing.
A tutorial on using the emboss tool in CAD software to create a seamless pattern wrapping around an enclosure.
This episode shows how to build a 16x16 square pixel LED display using Adafruit Sparkle Motion, WLED software, and a 3D printed frame.
Building an asteroid tracker using CircuitPython, ESP32S3, and a round TFT display with NASA data.
Building an indoor grow monitor with 3D-printed case and IoT sensors to track plant health metrics.
A tutorial on using the emboss tool in CAD software to create a seamless pattern wrapping around a 3D printed enclosure.
This episode guides listeners through building a 16x16 square pixel LED display using Adafruit Sparkle Motion and WLED software, including 3D printed frame and acrylic diffuser.