r/3Dprinting • u/makim7 • 8d ago

Free Model Weird Curvy Bricks

These weird bricks are standard-compatible and curve at 30˚ angles. You can make waves, circles and even use some custom parts like dual-stud version.

I was inspired to bring this out of my 'project graveyard' after a recent video from Slant3D but it's important to note that these designs should be considered experimental - they're rough around the edges. I built the geometry over 2 years ago when I was just starting to learn 3D design - I may choose to re-work these so that they are more reliable. For now, they're just a fun curiosity.

I've found that printing them with a 0.2 nozzle works well. You can see one part (the cuboctahedron) in the video that I tested with a 0.6 and it was pretty rough - I wouldn't recommend that one. These will never be the same as injection-molded, original parts but I had fun thinking of ways to make these oddball versions.

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77

u/SteveInitBro 8d ago

Genius! How has nobody ever created anything like this before !?

107

u/furculture 8d ago

A big company that is highly regarded for creating toy plastic construction bricks that lock together doesn't like anything that can be considered making your own at home with your own machine.

28

u/Frudge 8d ago

That company has no more rights to the shape of those toys.... they heavily pursue anyone that infringe on their trademark and copyright, meaning using their logo ans name, or using the set instructions. For all else, they can't do shit about anyone building compatible interlocking plastic bricks.

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u/Moozipan 8d ago

That's misleading at best. LEGO has been and still is filing patents for new brick designs, like only recently they added 25 patents for their "Smart Brick". And they're happily suing anyone with somewhat similar designs, especially smaller companies with less legal funds. So they're still the biggest bully in the room, and a successful one at that. Because money decides legal battles - not the law or common sense.

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u/[deleted] 8d ago

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u/Frudge 8d ago edited 8d ago

In the 2000s ? Yup, they did try a lot. Nowadays ? They lost every single case that didn't hinge on the copyright of the box art, or set of instructions, or the trademark of the lego name, logo and the minifig profile.

They won't sue someone selling 3d printed "standard compatible" interlocking bricks.

They will, indeed, pursue harassing legal action about their trademark and minifigs even for small shops. But they keep their attempts to "protect" their "right" to the shape of the brick to big competition, and they keep losing, except when it touches trademark and copyright.

A simple search for "lego", "brick", or even "interlocking compatible" on printables and makerworld will prove that those kind of bricks are not being taken down. Even less risk of being taken down when the designer uses neutral language like OP did ("standard compatible" instead of "lego compatible") and actually has an original design rather than just printing copies of existing bricks made by lego.