We love our easy LEGO creations, but we also love experimenting with new technology. So of course, we had to try 3D printing LEGO bricks!
These printable LEGO bricks turned out better than we could have imagined, and they are a great project for 3D printing begenniners. We are super new to 3D printing and our bricks turned out great!
Keep reading to find out how to make your own printable LEGO bricks using a 3D printer.
Make Your Own Printable LEGO Bricks
If you’ve always wanted to try 3D printing but are intimidated by how complicated it looks, never fear! It’s super easy to make these 3d printed LEGO blocks.
What You Need to 3D Print LEGO Bricks
Shop these Amazon affiliate links before getting started with your printable LEGO bricks.
How to 3D Print LEGO Bricks
Follow along with these directions so you can print your own custom LEGO bricks! We love using a 3D printer in our technology activities for kids.
You will absolutely need these supplies if you have never 3D printed before!
Step By Step Directions for 3D Printing LEGO Bricks
Download the file set for the building blocks and upload a selected brick to the slicer software.
Set the minimum settings for the print bed to correspond with your filament’s required settings.
Save the gcode.
Load your filament into your 3D printer and transfer the gcode to your 3D printer driver.
Preheat the printer bed and select PLA for the material.
When the printer bed is preheated, tell the printer to “go” and allow the printer to do it’s work.
When the brick has printed and the printer has stopped, gently remove the printed brick from the bed.
Troubleshooting Your 3D Printed LEGO Bricks
Here are some common problems you may run into when 3D printing LEGO bricks!
My 3d Printed Bricks are Warped!
If you print more than 6 bricks at a time, they may warp and fit weird. Printing more than 6 at a time left the bricks around the outer edge of my printer bed slightly warped and ill-fitting with the other bricks.
My LEGO Bricks Won’t Fit Together!
If you try to print too many bricks at once, the bricks will heat unevenly. Even though the bricks look right during printing, uneven printer heat will make them fit together poorly.
So, keep that in mind when you print – you need an even printer bed heat to get bricks that fit together nicely.
My 3D Printer Won’t Print!
First, check that you aren’t out of filament and that the filament is loaded properly. A lot of times the filament can get jammed and cause problems.
Next, check that your printing nozzle isn’t too close to the printing bed. If it’s too close, your printer can’t move enough to print. Raise the height of the nozzle slightly and try again.
My Printing Nozzle is Blocked!
If the nozzle is blocked, there are a few ways to try to get it working again. Try:
- Heating the nozzle and clean with a needle
- Dismantling the hot end and extracting the filament blockage by hand
- Pushing the block through with another piece of filament
- Try an Atomic Pull
More LEGO Activities to Try
20+ STEM Activities with LEGOs that Every Kid Should Try!
Easy Things to Build with LEGOs (using a Creative Brick Box)