The 10 Best 3D Printed Key Chains
3D-printed key chains are a popular and unique way to personalize your keys and add a touch of flair to your daily life. They are small and lightweight, making them easy to carry around, and they can be made in a wide variety of designs, from simple and functional to intricate and artistic. You can use various 3D printing materials like ABS, PLA, TPU, and many more.
3D-printed keychains are also a great way to show off your creativity. You can make personalized keychains for your friends and family or sell them as a small business. Many people also use 3D-printed keychains to showcase their interests, such as creating keychains in the shape of their favorite characters from movies, TV shows, or video games.
In this article, we offer the 10 best 3D-printed keychain designs. However, it’s important to know that if you don't get the best one for your needs, you can create one using software like SelfCAD. SelfCAD is an easy-to-use CAD software designed for users of all levels. In addition to being a powerful 3D modeling software, it is also a 3D slicing software as it comes with a powerful slicer that you can use to slice your designs and generate the G-code to send to your 3D printer. The video below shows how the slicer of SelfCAD works.
3D Printed Key Chains: 10 Best Options
1. Turbine Keychain
This unique keychain is a fidget piece with two-piece turbine. Simply insert the turbine blades into the housing, and you will be ready to start without additional parts. Of course, if you want it to operate more smoothly, you can always add a little grease or oil. Most successful users did not require a raft or 3D printing support; PLA has proven effective for many. This model has so far had 54 makes shared with it and is available for free on Thingiverse.
2. Fidget Gear Keyring
This model is a cute tiny gear chain motif. Its simplicity, as well as the various color combinations you may create, contribute to its appeal. This is just another perfect item for your enjoyment. However, extra work may be needed to remove the superfluous filament from some spots to ensure the 3D printed gears operate smoothly. But despite the inconvenience, we believe it is worthwhile. Manufacturers of this model have uploaded their successful prints in PLA, PLA+, and PETG filament, while the designer chose ABS.
This design has over 15,000 downloads, 29 makes, and 2 remixes. It is available for free on Thingiverse.
3. PacMan Keychain
Oh, the memories! There was just something from the past we had to incorporate. What could be more effective for that than Pac-Man? Due to its form, the designer advises using a raft and support for the best results. This model is a reminder of the good old days, and more than 3,200 people have downloaded this vintage model from Thingiverse.
4. Whistle
This style of a working whistle is particularly well-liked. However, when using this beast of great power, you must take extra care to prevent upsetting the natural order of things (your neighbors might not enjoy your new creation). On a more serious side, having a keychain that may be used as a distress signal is always helpful, especially if you tend to go off the usual road. This design has undergone 29 iterations, which speaks to the work put into developing it. You can find this model on Thingiverse and Cults3D.
5. Mustache Keychain
It's essential to own this keychain with a 3D-printed mustache set. Printing this mustache bread set is quite simple. For good strength, we advise using at least 60% infill (although 100% would be ideal). This model can be printed quickly since there is no risk of having a high layer height. This design has had multiple downloads across different websites, but our favorite is on MyMiniFactory.
6. Smartphone Stand
In addition to being charming, this pair of 3D-printed animal keychains also functions as a phone holder. There are several models to pick from, including dogs, cats, and dragons. You can print just one or print them all! The designer advises utilizing 0.1 mm resolution and 10% infill because of the size and level of detail. These keychains have 485 makes, and the model is available on multiple websites, including MyMiniFactory, Thingiverse, and Cults3D.
7. Baby Groot
Baby Groot has always had a particular place in our hearts among our favorite characters. We were excited in part because we were interested in seeing how the creators would treat such a lovely character design, and we weren't let down by what we discovered. If painting sounds like too much work, you may always choose wood PLA filament for a unique appearance.
There are several Groots keeping keys together, as seen by the 39 Makes and 7 Remixes. You can find several variations of the Baby Groot keychains on multiple websites like Cults3D or Thingiverse.
8. Octopus Keychain
This is a one-of-a-kind design available on MyMiniFactory. There is a slot at the head of this specific remix of a ball-jointed articulated octopus where the keychain fits. The overall layout is incredibly imaginative and enjoyable to put together.
In addition to scaling the octopus to your chosen size, you can decide how many tentacle segments to print to alter the length and overall size of the creature. Since there are so many various color combinations that you may try with this one, we highly encourage doing so. For maximum attractiveness, several creators experimented with mixing colors for the tentacle segments; some even opted to use glow-in-the-dark filament.
9.Customizable Text
These are keychains with personalized text. You can 3D print with the exact words or you can customize the words in an STL editor like SelfCAD. To do this, you can download the file, then go to File>Import and import it to the software. Once you import you can start modifying it based on your needs.
If it’s hard to modify the design, you can easily create your own in SelfCAD using the text feature. These keychains make the perfect presents or promotions for small businesses. The greatest thing, though? They require no 3D printing supports, have a 0.2 layer height, 20% infill, and are simple to print. The model is available for free on Thingiverse.
10. Blades of Chaos
These Blades of Chaos are a fantastic design for gamers, especially those who enjoy the God of War franchise. This design is imaginative and intricate. It is outstanding in both idea and execution. It includes a keychain version of the Blades of Chaos that Ares, the God of War, formerly had. The model was divided along the center by the creator for simple printing. After printing, creators may glue the two sides together and then paint the pieces in any way they like.
Makers had shared prints in PLA when the original design was printed in resin. Nearly 10,000 downloads of this design have been made across several websites. The most famous models are found on Thingiverse and Cults3D.
Conclusion
3D-printed keychains are a fun and unique way to personalize your keys and express your personality. They can be made in many designs, from simple and functional to intricate and artistic, making them an excellent choice for anyone looking to add a touch of flair to their daily life.
Software like SelfCAD can help you create your unique design without spending much time learning the software. It is user-friendly and easy to learn and has a library of 3D shapes that can easily modify and create your designed design.
Enjoy powerful modeling, rendering, and 3D printing tools without the steep learning curve.
Need to learn 3D modeling? Get started with interactive tutorials.