Tips and tricks - Non traditional Sources for Prints

[Kurt Gluck]

I wanted a  drop in freezer  for a pair of dollhouses (one small for a barbie sized doll, one smaller for a traditional dollhouse).   I couldn't find a model I liked in the useable places; printables, thinkiverse, thangs… etc.

Over in sketchfab I found: https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/chest-freezer-216441a82b3e4a29af1e2641a1ed942b now this leads to https://resources.blogscopia.com/category/models/ which has even more cool stuff.  There is lots of 3d stuff not for printing but for other uses out there. 

Anyway the sketchfab model was: “CC Attribution-ShareAlike” so no problem in useing it.  I go to download it and lucky it has a ‘obj’ version.   So, I download that, you get a folder, and inside that is a source folder, inside that is a zip, you unpack that and you get: 

Just grab the .obj and it loads right into prusaslicer.   Now, I had to do some work on it, I modified it useing tinkercad and prusaslicer, I remove the gasket and reshaped the lid a bit etc.  

Here it is: https://www.printables.com/model/1511100-chest-freezer-for-doll-house-possibly-for-barbie-1

Lets say you find another model: https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/apple-tv-remote-38f2339bfc974f1e81fe7b1d2b96330a and you go do download it but there is no stl or no obj, don't give up, look at the various forms available and do an online search for a converter.  In this case the first one is something called an FBX, and all the other ones say they are converted from that, so I search for FBX → STL and I find this tool: https://fabconvert.com/convert/fbx/to/stl#convert , I pop the FBX in and I get an enormously large sized remote out (must be a units issue).   I load it into prusaslicer and grab my ruler, measure my actual remote - type in the new size, and POOF its scalled down to the same size as an Apple Remote.  Then for barbie I divide that size by 6 :-).  

There are TONS of 3d models and scans out there - DONT limit yourself to the usual stuff!

PS: I like the cool 'frost' effect on the inside. 

[Kurt Gluck]

[Kurt Gluck]

Here is one with food in it :-)

[Bryan Eckert]

That’s a 3D model for 3D rendering, hence the .mtl and texture file. 

STLs are just polygon models. 

Also, the .3MF files that are ubiquitous today are just a zip files. You can change it to .zip, then open the zip and get to the files inside. I don’t think a lot of people know that.

On Thu, Dec 11, 2025 at 8:15 PM Kurt Gluck <kur...@gmail.com> wrote:

Here is one with food in it :-)

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[Kurt Gluck]

Bryan

Yep, it’s a 3d file for 3d rendering.  And my point is that there are lots of those around, and sometimes they are for things you might want to ‘render’ into plastic :-).   Its was not obvious, at least to me that that was something trivial to do hence the tips-and-tricks :-).     Oh as far as 3mf being zips, my fave way to get inside a 3mf is just to add .zip to the end of the file after the .3mf (that way I remember where it came from and the resulting unpacked folder (I am on a mac) is named ending in .3mf :-) ). 

Well I have to get back to printing tiny food for those tiny freezers - cheers

PS:  Wouldn’t it be great if the texture files could be converted to  surface modifiers.

Kurt-A

Sent from my iPad

On Dec 12, 2025, at 6:20 AM, Bryan Eckert <bigyel...@gmail.com> wrote:



[Bryan Eckert]

Oh, you can use the textures if you have a Mimaki :)