Custom#27Studio

Thermoform Mold

Printable mesh plus male and female molds to heat-form puffy ornaments

Turns a silhouette into a flat mesh you heat and press between two molds to build a hollow two-half ornament.

Designing and previewing in 3D is free for every tool. A plan is only needed to download the ones marked Pro or Studio. See plans

Step by step

How it works

Step by step, to the finished piece

Upload a silhouette or a logo; inner details come out in relief.
Choose the mesh pattern, the depth in mm and the press shape (dome, cone or plateau).
Print the mesh twice, the molds and, depending on the join you choose, the pins or the magnets.
Heat the mesh, lay it on the female mold, press with the male until it cools, and join the two halves with the pins.

What to watch out for

Heat only the net, not the frame: the frame keeps the outline and holds the holes.
If your shape isn't symmetrical, enable the back-half molds; otherwise the two halves won't line up.

What you need

Materials and tools

FDM 3D printer
PLA filament for the mesh and PETG for the molds
Hair dryer, heat gun or hot water
Gloves or tweezers for the hot mesh, and a lighter or soldering iron to melt the pin ends

Print settings

Mesh	Flat, 2 copies	One per half. The frame faces up and the net lies flush on the bed.
Layer height	0.2 mm	The 0.6 mm net is 3 layers: no need for finer.
Molds	Opening up, no supports	The male dome and the female bowl have no overhangs.
Mold infill	20 to 30 %	They only take hand pressure.

When you use it

Heat the net slowly and evenly until it softens (PLA: 60 to 80 °C); when it starts to shine or sag on its own, it's ready.
Lay the hot mesh on the female mold with the frame inside the recess and press with the flipped male until it stops giving.
Let it cool before separating: taken out warm, the half springs back a little.
To join the halves, push a piece of filament through each pair of holes, trim flush and melt the ends so they can't slip out.

Common problems

The net tears when pressed: It's stretched too far: lower the depth (the panel warns past the shape's half-width), pick a smaller opening or a thicker strand.
The mesh doesn't take the shape: Not enough heat or too much strand. Heat longer and evenly, or reduce the strand width; with the plateau, a wider angle helps.
The two halves don't line up: A non-symmetrical shape needs the mirrored back-half molds. With pins, flip the second mesh over the shape's vertical axis.
The pin won't go in or is loose: The hole is 2 mm for 1.75 filament. If it won't go in, run a 2 mm drill through; if loose, melt one end before inserting.

Custom: other tools

All tools

Thermoform Mold

Turns a silhouette into a flat mesh you heat and press between two molds to build a hollow two-half ornament.

Open in the designer

Thermoform Mold

Printable mesh plus male and female molds to heat-form puffy ornaments

Turns a silhouette into a flat mesh you heat and press between two molds to build a hollow two-half ornament.

Designing and previewing in 3D is free for every tool. A plan is only needed to download the ones marked Pro or Studio. See plans

How it works

Step by step, to the finished piece

Upload a silhouette or a logo; inner details come out in relief.

Choose the mesh pattern, the depth in mm and the press shape (dome, cone or plateau).

Print the mesh twice, the molds and, depending on the join you choose, the pins or the magnets.

Heat the mesh, lay it on the female mold, press with the male until it cools, and join the two halves with the pins.

Mesh

Flat, 2 copies

One per half. The frame faces up and the net lies flush on the bed.

Layer height

0.2 mm

The 0.6 mm net is 3 layers: no need for finer.

Molds

Opening up, no supports

The male dome and the female bowl have no overhangs.

Mold infill

20 to 30 %

They only take hand pressure.

When you use it

Heat the net slowly and evenly until it softens (PLA: 60 to 80 °C); when it starts to shine or sag on its own, it's ready.

Lay the hot mesh on the female mold with the frame inside the recess and press with the flipped male until it stops giving.

Let it cool before separating: taken out warm, the half springs back a little.

To join the halves, push a piece of filament through each pair of holes, trim flush and melt the ends so they can't slip out.

Common problems

The net tears when pressed

It's stretched too far: lower the depth (the panel warns past the shape's half-width), pick a smaller opening or a thicker strand.

The mesh doesn't take the shape

Not enough heat or too much strand. Heat longer and evenly, or reduce the strand width; with the plateau, a wider angle helps.

The two halves don't line up

A non-symmetrical shape needs the mirrored back-half molds. With pins, flip the second mesh over the shape's vertical axis.

The pin won't go in or is loose

The hole is 2 mm for 1.75 filament. If it won't go in, run a 2 mm drill through; if loose, melt one end before inserting.