Printing washers with the 3D Print Washer Generator

Difficulty: easy. Time: 2 minutes to design, minutes to print. Method: 3D printing only.

Washers are the part you never have in the right size: an oversized fender washer to spread load on soft material, a thick spacer washer to take up slack on an axle, a plastic washer to stop two metal parts from scratching each other. Instead of buying a 200-piece assortment that still lacks the one you need, generate exactly that one.

Printed washers shine where metal ones do not: they are non-marring, non-conductive, corrosion-proof, and can be made in absurd custom sizes like a 60 mm OD washer with an 8 mm bore.

Open the 3D Print Washer Generator

What You'll Need

Any FDM 3D printer
PLA for general use, PETG for outdoor or load-bearing spots, TPU for sealing and anti-rattle washers
Calipers to measure the bolt and the surface you are protecting

Step 1 - Measure

Open the tool and set your Units. Measure the bolt shank and add about 0.5 mm of clearance for the Inner Diameter; an M8 bolt wants roughly an 8.5 mm bore.

Step 2 - Size the body

Outer Diameter: standard washers run about twice the bolt diameter; go much larger for fender-style load spreading on wood, drywall, or plastic.
Thickness: 1.5-2 mm matches typical metal washers; print thicker when the washer is really a spacer.

Step 3 - Export

Download STL or 3MF, duplicate it across the bed in your slicer, and print a lifetime supply of that exact size.

Choose Your Build Method

Print in batches

Print flat with 100 percent infill or at least 4 perimeters; a washer under a tightened bolt should be solid.
0.2 mm layers are fine; washers have no cosmetic surface to protect.
Print 10-20 at a time; per-washer print time is a couple of minutes.
TPU versions act as gasket washers that quiet vibration and seal against drips.
Remember plastic creeps under sustained load: retorque after a day on anything structural, or use PETG instead of PLA.

Make It Yours

Giant fender washers for mounting things to drywall anchors without pull-through.
Thick spacer washers to fix the slop in a wobbly chair bolt or stroller axle.
TPU anti-rattle washers for license plates and machine panels.
Color-coded washer sets: one color per bolt size so the hardware drawer self-organizes.
Curtain ring spacers and plant-hanger standoffs in weatherproof PETG.
A stack of precise 2 mm washers doubles as shims for leveling furniture and 3D printer beds.
Pair with the Machine Screws + Nuts Generator for a fully printed fastener set.

Open the 3D Print Washer Generator

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