Our STL Instrument Kits

STL instrument kits – overview

The STL instrument kits on this site grew out of the Dreaming Pipes Kickstarter project. Each design has been taken well beyond what was originally offered to backers: in practice, every instrument became its own project, researched and developed so that each kit offers something genuinely distinctive rather than just a printable copy of an existing design.

Printer size and file limits

All parts in these sets are limited to a maximum Z height of 100 mm to maximise accessibility – they can be printed even on many of the smallest commercial printers and printer kits. (One Qwistle file exceeds this by a few millimetres; an alternative version is available on request.) Some home-built printers may offer less than 100 mm Z height, but in most cases this limit keeps the kits widely usable.

An additional benefit of the 100 mm limit is that, with some settings and on some machines, it can speed up print times even on larger printers, because parts are broken up into shorter sections.

Infill and print time

All instrument parts should be printed at 100% infill. For many printer users this is unfamiliar and will require some adjustment of techniques and settings. It also means long print times. If you decide to use these file sets, it’s important to be aware that they take time and care to print correctly.

Strength, calibration and materials

As musical instruments, these prints will experience more stress and handling than most 3D-printed objects. Please bear this in mind when choosing materials and setting up your printer:

• Make a habit of careful, regular calibration between prints, particularly for layer adhesion. Discovering a weak layer halfway through a performance is not ideal.

• PLA is suitable for most parts in these sets and is generally recommended.

• ABS can also be used, but requires special care: ensure the bed is very level, use test prints and callipers, and confirm that layers are being laid down cleanly before committing to long runs.

The pipes, in particular, are composed of long, relatively thin sections, and are especially vulnerable to calibration and adhesion issues.

What to expect

If you are prepared to invest time in careful printing and hand finishing, these kits can produce instruments that play to a good musical standard. Once you get into the process, making and voicing them is also a great deal of fun.