The AutoBenchy (transforming 3D Benchy)

Assembly tutorial is now available! Scroll down to the documentation section to find it.

I would like to hear your feedback, so if you have any suggestions, want to see something changed, or have a problem with the parts fitting together, etc. let me know!

Print profile updates (April 4, 2026):

• Split over five build plates instead of just one.
• Changed orientation of steering wheel pin (thanks to @okacookie for this suggestion!)
• Adjusted tolerances in the small hinges that connect the arms to the shields (they were nearly impossible to break loose by hand)
• Adjusted tolerances in the legs (rear hull)
• Removed a random part from the build plate
• Fixed an issue with the hands that caused print failures

Known issues:

• In “Benchy” mode, the front of the boat is highly unstable and cannot hold its shape well.
• In “Robot” mode, the joints are not stiff enough to keep everything in the right spot. Superglue in the joints may help.
• The head and neck sometimes refuse to connect to each other.
• The “window” at the front of the boat prints poorly because the wall is too thin.
• The shoulder parts are fragile.
• Deck area of the boat is missing.

My thoughts right now:

I have been very busy doing other life-related stuff since the release of the AutoBenchy in May of 2025. I initially wanted to make a video tutorial but realized that after nine months of “trying,” that I had to do something else instead. That is why I made a picture-based tutorial which is still very thorough, and at least now I finally have an assembly tutorial for the AutoBenchy. It was bugging me for so long that I hadn't done it, so it is a big relief to finally have accomplished what I should have down 11 months ago.

I also finally got around to fixing some of the issues with the AutoBenchy, as you can see in the print profile updates section above. It's not perfect, and there are still issues with the AutoBenchy, but I'm at least satisfied with leaving it alone in its current state. I do not have the time to work on any more improvements right now, but my long-term plan is to completely overhaul the AutoBenchy and release an AutoBenchy V2 with all the features and improvements that I missed out on here.

Details:

Note: I have not tested the AutoBenchy with PETG. Your mileage may vary. I recommend sticking to PLA.

The AutoBenchy is composed of 78 objects, some of which are print-in-place. The number of actual objects in my modeling software is 106, plus nearly 40 other objects that are just old versions or backups of existing parts. My modeling software is Blender by the way, mainly because that's the only software I knew how to use at the time, and that's one of the reasons I haven't updated some of the iffy parts until now.

For printing, I recommend washing your build plate with dish soap and warm water according to Bambu Lab’s guidelines. And make sure your filament is dry. Once printed, remove the build plate from the printer and wait 30-60 minutes for the parts to cool down, allowing them to self-release and shrink a bit to the correct tolerances. This also makes it easier to “break in” the print-in-place hinges.

Backstory:

In March 2025, I wanted to create a transforming Benchy. I then discovered in early April that there was a Benchy contest on MakerWorld that my model would be a perfect fit for. I tried to finish as fast as possible, but with the deadline for the contest quickly approaching, I rushed myself, leading to some of the issues I already mentioned, which includes the lack of a deck in Benchy mode. Even then, I only entered it into the contest just seconds before it ended (I think 20-30 seconds before it ended. Not an exaggeration). I didn't win the contest, and frankly, if I would have thought about it more, I may have ignored the contest and focused on designing it to match my vision for it. But hey, it's been a great learning experience! Although I probably should've picked something simpler as my first model…