Tall Round Stool

I 3D printed a tall round stool that can be used as both a stool and a shelf. The key is that it's Print in Place with no supports

Let me start with the conclusion: I printed this twice. The first one failed, but the second one was perfect. It's now next to my dressing table, holding perfumes. Occasionally, when I'm in a hurry, I sit on it to apply sunscreen, and it's extremely stable.

I. Why did I make this?

Usually, I print small decorative items, but I've always wanted to try functional furniture. Most 3D printed stools on the market are either assembled from multiple parts or require supports that are painful to remove.
I set strict requirements for myself: Print in Place, zero supports, and ready to use immediately after printing.

Thus, this three-legged tall round stool was created.

II. Overall Design: Three-legged support, stable and aesthetically pleasing

The stool top is perfectly round, with three legs evenly distributed at the bottom.
Why three legs instead of four? Two reasons:

• Three legs won't wobble on any uneven surface (four legs are more prone to having one corner lift)
• Visually lighter and less bulky, suitable for use as a display stand or photo prop

I designed the height of the stool legs to be a tall version, perfect for a vanity stool, or even as a small side table in the living room. The outward curve of the three legs was adjusted repeatedly – it needed to ensure a stable center of gravity without being exaggerated like spider legs.

III. Core Highlight: Print in Place, no supports needed

This was the most challenging part of the entire design.

Typically, printing a stool like this would likely require supports for the suspended parts, and after removal, you'd be left with burrs. My approach was:

• The stool legs feature a gradually curving transition, narrowing from the base of the stool top and then naturally flaring outwards
• The overhang angle of each layer is controlled within self-supporting limits (approximately within 45°)
• The underside of the stool top has localized thickened annular ribs, which both strengthen the structure and aid in the transition

The result is: not a single support pillar in the slicer preview.
The printing process is very satisfying – watching each leg grow one by one, finally converging at the bottom, that feeling is much better than removing supports.

IV. Practical Uses: More than just a stool

I've currently tried it in a few scenarios:

1. Cosmetic Display
   The diameter of the stool top is large enough for five or six standard bottles and jars. There's ample space between the three legs, perfect for a large toner or body lotion to fit snugly in the middle.
2. Photography Prop
   This is a truly delightful discovery. When photographing still life or scented candles with solid color PLA, the gradient light and shadow effect created by the lighting produces excellent shots. A friend borrowed it to photograph jewelry and said it had a better texture than white acrylic.

This stool made me re-evaluate the limits of 'support-free printing' – it's not just a technical gimmick, but truly allows you to use it directly after printing, without needing to sand away a bunch of support marks.

Currently, it sits next to my dressing table, holding several bottles of serum. Occasionally, when I'm doing my makeup and have nowhere to put my brushes, I'll temporarily place them on it.
When friends visit, they don't even realize it's 3D printed. They touch it and say, 'Isn't this just a frosted plastic stool?' It was only when I pointed out the layer lines that they had an 'aha!' moment.