Dr. Lex' 3D Printable Models

I now use GitHub as the main place to publish new models, and on this page I provide a more practical overview than what is possible on GitHub.
If you want to know why I'm doing it this way, a rant can be found at the bottom of this page.

• Motivation
• The Models
• Why GitHub?

Motivation

My philosophy regarding these 3D models is simple: I solve my own problems and unless it is really something way too specific, I then share this solution such that others in the same situation do not need to go through the same problem-solving process all over again. If you browse through my designs, you'll find many remixes, most of which are improvements upon an existing model I wasn't entirely happy with. If I notice a flaw or weakness in a model, I try to fix it and I share the improved model, again following the same philosophy.

I try to document everything from the viewpoint of someone unfamiliar with how I ended up with the solution. This is not always easy, hence some of the instructions will be incomplete or unclear. If you don't understand something, just ask, but keep in mind that I already selflessly spent quite a bit of time on all of this, so a bit of friendliness will go a long way.

If you want to contact me to ask if you may sell prints of my models (most likely the Flexi Rex), please first read the README in the GitHub repository itself. The answer to your question is almost certainly in there.

If you like my models and download them for later, be sure to re-check if there is not an update before you start printing. I regularly improve upon the models and update the files with a new version. If there is something you think can be improved about a model, just ask, or remix it yourself!
And if you really like a model, donations are always appreciated! 🙂

The Models

In the list of designs, an R symbol means the model is a remix of someone else's original(s). A C symbol means the model is designed in OpenSCAD and can be adapted to your needs in OpenSCAD's Customizer. If this icon is present:, it links to a Printables page for the model.

Why GitHub?

If you are a 3D printer company representative planning to contact me to ask me to make an account on your umpteenth Thingiverse clone site: don't bother. I will redirect your message directly to the trash. My 3D printing activities have taken a back seat, and I do not have the time to play your stupid marketing game.

Long ago, Thingiverse was the de facto place to publish and find printable models. Since 2017 however, the site entered a downward spiral of poor performance, bugs, and lack of indications that the company that owns it, gives a damn about it. Then other companies started making their own Thingiverse clone websites.

First came Printables, which was pretty OK, because it tried to revive the original spirit of Thingiverse. But, then it got worse.
Every major manufacturer of 3D printers now wants to have their own site, hoping/pretending that it will become the new Thingiverse and will displace all other sites. Of course the only real result of this naïve marketing nonsense is that the 3D model landscape is now entirely scattered. It has become a chore for end-users to find printable models because they have to scour all the sites, especially now that search engines like Google have become entirely enshittified. For makers of models, it is a chore to keep track of all these stupid different websites and make and maintain accounts on them.

I did create a profile on Printables where I publish some of my more popular models. Then I created a profile on some other sites, but with only 1 or 2 models, mostly to prevent some parasite from impersonating me. Then I simply gave up.

If any group of people within the 3D printer industry would have half a brain, they would cooperate with other companies to make a single shared 3D printing community website that by design becomes what Thingiverse originally was merely by accident: the place to be to find and share 3D models. This will provide a much bigger boost in popularity and sales of 3D printers than all the current scattered websites. But, of course this will never happen, because all those managers are way too afraid to break out of their greedy local optimisation strategies.

I am experimenting with the discussions feature in GitHub to see if it can be used as an alternative to Thingiverse's Makes, because one of the most rewarding aspects of sharing models is seeing photos of other people printing them. I have enabled this on some of the repositories, check for presence of a ‘discussions’ tab (you will need a GitHub account to post something).