April 25, 2026
Description
These are simple punches for tapping in inlays in 3D printed and wood objects, and for tapping together tight fitting pieces. There is a wider square-tip option and a thinner round-tip one. They are 75mm long. I made them just big enough so that you can have a good grip on them with a few fingers, without striking your hand with the mallet, but not too big for delicate tasks (and to conserve filament/print time). If someone wanted a larger or smaller version, it would be easy to scale the models. I use these punches with a standard plastic mallet.
Background: I made a game with dice with inlayed images on the different faces:
I printed in PLA because it is one of the softer filaments that is still rigid, so that there is less of a chance for the punch to mar the inlay or receiving material. Both models print laying flat on their sides horizontally (stronger prints), and no supports are necessary. I printed with 5 wall loops, 5 top and bottom layers, and with 25% infill. I did this so that the punches are fairly durable.
Post printing: I lightly sanded the surfaces and especially the edges and tips, so that there are no sharp corners to mar objects, and to make the punches more comfortable in my hands.
FYI, I printed with Giantarm Matte Navy Blue PLA because I liked the color for the body of the dice, but the filament itself is just average (IMO).
License:
Creative Commons — Attribution — Noncommercial — Share Alike
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