Benchy On Ice - Frozen Voyage

Benchy On Ice: Frozen Voyage

Deep beneath a silent, frozen sea lies a single Benchy—perfectly preserved in crystalline stillness.

“Benchy on Ice: Frozen Voyage” is a visual showcase created from the transparent PETG bottle used in my Benchy in a Bottle model. With the right lighting and a touch of imagination, it transforms into something magical: a tugboat suspended in a crystal-clear block, like an arctic artifact frozen in time.

This isn’t a render—it’s a real 3D print, built using Jamaican Lumberjack’s tuned PETG clarity profile. The Benchy was inserted after the print finished and the bottle was sealed manually. The flat walls of the bottle act as natural magnifiers, diffusing light and creating a dreamy lensing effect that feels like real glass.

The Story Behind the Ice

The effect was discovered through experimentation. After countless clear PETG prints, this particular combination of clarity tuning, spiral vase mode, and flat wall geometry (pioneered by @jmaicn_lmberjck) produced something truly striking.

Instead of sealing the Benchy mid-print, I printed the bottle fully, inserted the Benchy afterward, and manually sealed the top. Then I rotated the bottle sideways so the sealed top became the side—leaving the real top surface smooth and pristine.

The result is what you see here: a perfectly frozen moment, captured without distortion.

Assembly Instructions

• Bottle is printed upright in Spiral Vase Mode, top open
• Do not use a pause or insert the Benchy mid-print
• After printing, carefully drop the Benchy inside
• Print the top cap separately and glue it on using clear superglue or UV resin
• Rotate the bottle sideways so the glued top becomes the side—the original top is now a smooth, clean viewing surface

Benchy Positioning Tip

When inserting the Benchy, position it in a “floating” pose—centered and angled as if drifting in icy water.
If it drops too low during handling, just tap gently on the top, bottom, or sides of the bottle to nudge it back into place.
The fit is slightly snug by design, so once it settles, friction will hold it perfectly in position.

Print Settings (Jamaican Lumberjack’s PETG Clarity Profile)

Mode: Spiral Vase (Spiralize Outer Contour)
Nozzle: 0.4 mm @ 260°C
Bed Temp: 85–90°C
Layer Height: 0.28 mm
Line Widths: 0.8 mm (outer, top, bottom)
Walls: 1 wall loop
Bottom Layers: 3 (Concentric)
Top Layers: 0
Flow Rate: 96%
Cooling:
• Off for the first 3–4 mm
• Then fixed at 30–50%
Speed:
• Outer wall: 25 mm/s
• Travel: 500 mm/s
Z Hop, Seam, and Combing: All OFF
Smoothing: Max XY smoothing 200%
Smart Scarf Seam: Enabled
Drying:
• Dry filament at 65°C for at least 6–8 hours
• Moisture will ruin transparency and make the print brittle

Pro Tips

• Use back or side lighting to enhance the ice-like lensing effect
• Rotate sideways to hide the glue seam and feature the clean “top” face
• Apply glue sparingly for a clean seal—avoid fogging the inside
• Handle the finished bottle gently to prevent scratches or scuffs
• Use gloves or tweezers during assembly for crystal-clear results

Credits

• @jmaicn_lmberjck – PETG clarity tuning and flat-wall design
• @TheIceBurge – Foundational PETG transparency guidance
• CreativeTools – Original creator of the Classic Benchy