3D Printing with Wood Filament

At Incept 3D, we’re often asked to take on unique and creative projects, and this year’s award ceremony for the Koi Club of San Diego was no exception. They challenged us to design and 3D print a lifelike koi fish to be incorporated into custom trophies, and we couldn’t resist the opportunity to push the boundaries of what’s possible with wood filament.

We’ve worked with wood filaments on various projects over the years, but they can be tricky. Some brands have caused clogs in our machines or resulted in prints that were overly stringy—even after careful preparation. After some thorough research, we selected Amolen’s Rosewood PLA for the job. With the filament loaded into our Bambu printers and equipped with 0.2mm nozzles, we started printing. The results were remarkable: the fine details of the koi fish design came out crisp and clean, and we didn’t experience a single clog during the process.

Our CAD designer’s attention to detail truly brought the koi fish to life, and the wood filament added an organic touch that enhanced the overall look and feel of the trophies. It’s always exciting to see how the right combination of materials, tools, and craftsmanship can bring a project like this to life.