Welcome to my “Future Projects Planning Page.” This is a new page that I added to my website in 2025, where I will provide you some insight to any future projects (Balsa RC model, Stained Glass, or 3D Modeling) that I might have in the planning stage. If anyone has some suggestions, recommendations, or questions about a project, please feel free to contact me @: Future Project Input.

 NOTE - You can view all images using a “Spotlight Box” by simply clicking on any image.

Black Hole Lamp

 While looking for some backup info on one of my projects, I came across a 3D model that I thought was really interesting, and would deck out my computer station (where I work each morning on this website coding) just great. I found the “Black Hole Lamp,” created by a modeler named “NAM_3,” which you can download for free from the thingivers website.

 After contacting NAM_3 about a remix of his model by “Geoschatter” that put a USB port in the back of the Pedestal part (shown below), he responded with a link to download the remixed STL files.

 Source of Images: Black Hole Lamp webpages.

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Lord of the Rings Inspired Chess Set

 Bring an epic fantasy atmosphere to your 3D printing projects with these Lord of the Rings Inspired Chess Sets. These two sets were created especially for fans of the universe and for makers who enjoy detailed, character-driven prints. The set in the left image below contains two armies: Gandalfs Army – 6 chess pieces, and Saurons Army – 6 chess pieces. Together, they form a complete Good vs Evil fantasy-themed chess collection. I found this “Lord of the Rings Inspired Chess Set” created by a modeler named “Katona Gábor,” which you can download for free from the makerworld website.

 The set in the right image below contains two teams: Aragorns Team – 6 chess pieces, and Saurons Team – 6 chess pieces. Together, they form another complete Good vs Evil fantasy-themed chess collection. I found this “Lord of the Rings Inspired Chess Set” created by a modeler named “OverdoseCreative,” which you can download for free from the makerworld website.

 Now all I have to do is decide which chess set I want to 3D print!!

 Source of Images: makerworld webpages.

 You can't have a chess set without a chess board, so I found this “Modular Chess Board” created by a modeler named “EdinBearDragon,” which you can download for free from the makerworld website.

 Source of Image: makerworld webpage.

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Solar System Model - Orrery

 An Orrery is a mechanical model of the solar system, or parts of the solar system, that can predict or illustrate the relative motions of the planets and moons. The 3D model designer has always found Orreries fascinating, and when he found that there were no 3D printed versions of Orreries yet, he was a bit shocked. So, he decided to design his own version of the Orrery, completely 3D printed. This Orrery model is within 0.1% accurate relative to the real solar system.

 The Orrery that is shared here is an Orrery for the planets Mercury to Saturn. The sun spins and can be made to light up. The moon is also present, spinning around the earth. The whole Orrery is made from 3D printed PLA. Gold for the gears, Black for the frame, Clear for the sun and Bronzefill for the planets and moon. All in all, the Orrery was printed in around 15 hours with a layer height of 0.2mm. To make the Orrery run smoothly, all rotating parts use ball bearings. The base houses a small 5V motor that is powered by a USB cable. The sun is lit using LED's and a slip ring is used to get the power to the spinning sun.

 Uranus and Neptune have also been designed but have not been incorporated in the main design. Both Uranus and Neptune spin really, really slowly around the sun and make the Orrery incredibly large. On most old Orreries they are also not included. For these reasons the two last planets were left out. They are still available in the downloads for anyone that does want these two planets.

 There also is a Orrery Remix Model available on the makerworld website, and shown in the images below.

 Source of Images: makerworld webpage.

 This is not an easy 3D model to assemble. It is also not very hard, but does require some other tools and skills then just a 3D printer (e.g. soldering, sawing & bending the tubes, inserting the bearings, etc.). For me it will be a lot of fun creating and assembling it.

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Cathedral Board Game (1980s) Bookcase Edition

 “CATHEDRAL” is a two player strategy board game based around a battle for supremacy between two political factions (dark and light) within the walls of a Mediaeval City. Ancient cities were confined by walls for protection against enemies but as the population grew the limited space caused competition of another kind. This game represents that competition for living space within the city wall. CATHEDRAL takes moments to learn, years to master. The rules are few which is one of its main attractions but as you will discover the possibilities are endless.

 CATHEDRAL is based on the concept of a City surrounded by a wall. The board, divided into one hundred squares (10x10) represents the site of the city enclosed by the wall. The two sets of pieces, light (bright) and dark (brown) symbolize the buildings and the two opposing factions struggling to gain power and hence dictate the way the city will develop.

 Then there is the CATHEDRAL the focal point of the city, a spiritual haven a place of sanctuary which mediates in the struggle and helps prevent one side from becoming too powerful and thus allows the city to develop in an orderly manner. But beware! There is still much to learn about cities and the forces which shaped them. Who knows what secrets lie hidden in this simple game waiting to be discovered.

 I found this “Cathedral Board Game (1980s) Bookcase Edition,” created by a modeler named “Ergrak,” which you can download for free from the makerworld website.

 Source of Images: makerworld website.

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Haunted House — A Halloween Scene

 As the days grow shorter and the nights turn colder, this haunted house begins to glow — illuminated from within, surrounded by pumpkins, lanterns, and a gargoyle keeping watch at the gate. This Halloween scene is designed as a detailed, layered display piece. Each part is printed separately for perfect color control and easy assembly. I found the “Haunted House — A Halloween Scene,” created by a modeler named “@Danial4D,” Structales - Roadrunner4d, which you can download for free from the makerworld website.

 Source of Images: Haunted House webpage.

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Mushroom Cottage – Garden Decoration

 This charming mushroom house brings a touch of magic wherever it’s placed. With its iconic red cap dotted in white, a welcoming door, and two tiny windows, it looks like it belongs in a storybook. Surrounded by sculpted grass and stones, it makes a lovely accent in both indoor and outdoor spaces.

 The model is hollow, allowing you to place a small LED or tea light inside for a warm, inviting glow. Whether nestled among flowers in your garden or sitting on a windowsill or bookshelf, the Mushroom Cottage is sure to spark curiosity and delight. Perfect for fairy gardens, plant pots, or simply adding a bit of whimsy to your everyday surroundings. I found the “Mushroom Cottage – Garden Decoration,” created by a modeler named “@Danial4D,” from Structales - Roadrunner4d, which you can download for free from the makerworld website.

 Source of Images: Mushroom Cottage webpage.

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Castle Builder Puzzle

 How about another puzzle to add to the 3D collection for Everly and August. I found the “Castle Builder Puzzle,” created by a modeler named “winzmuc,” which you can purchase from the cgtrader website.

 As described in the “Castle Builders Rules,” the bottom image below, the objective of this puzzle is to rearrange the castle's 35 elements and find a path from the lowest staircase to the highest tower. Using the STL file as provided by the modeler, the overall size of this puzzle would be 164x164x135mm. I think I might scale the STL file parts by 150% (largest puzzle frame element I can fit on my printers build plate), which would then produce a puzzle with an overall size of 246x246x203mm.

 Attention: for building the board you will need a square sheet (152x152mm) of 2-3mm plywood or strong cardboard. Leaving one frame element loose is recommended to be able to rearrange all pieces quickly when stacked completely, as shown in the renderings. I contacted the designer and he provided me a list of the number of parts needed to make up the 35 elements in the puzzle. They are: Slider Base - 35x; Simple Block height 1 - 6x; Simple Block height 2 - 4x; Tower height 3 - 3x; all other pieces - 1x.

 Source of Images: Castle Builder Puzzle webpage.

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