Here you can find the ever-expanding list of frequently asked questions about Lucky 13 Toys.
Can I sell it?
Yes; please follow the license terms.
Why is it called Lucky 13?
My first printable figure took 13 design iterations to reach a finished product, so I decided to call it Lucky 13.
But nowadays, it takes me a lot more than 13 revisions to reach a final product!
Why can't I use PLA?
PLA exhibits something called "creep." Without getting into details, this means that the joints of the figure will go floppy in a few days.Â
You can still use PLA for the non-frame parts.
Why did you leave MakerWorld?
Lots of reasons. It's partially a protest of a business model I dislike, and partially because I just didn't like the vibe there.
That said, I have reuploaded my Creative Commons designs to MakerWorld, since they would end up there anyway.
What's next?
I am going to be focusing on designing paid content. Some designs will be paid downloads and some will only be sold physically (at least to start).Â
Don't worry, everything that is currently free is going to stay free.
Lucky 13 Toys is an ongoing project by Gabe Rosiak, a mechanical engineer living in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (That's me!)
In short, Lucky 13 is a family of 3D printable action figures. My three goals are quality, accessibility, and community.
Quality: Lucky 13 figures are meticulously engineered for sturdy construction and expressive articulation.
Accessibility: All Lucky 13 figures are designed to be printed with virtually any FDM 3D printer, and they don't need any extra hardware or tools to assemble. All you need is plastic and patience.
Community: Lucky 13 figures are ready to be remixed. Hundreds of designers have already put their unique twist on the original models.
The original Lucky 13 figure took 13 design iterations to get to the released version! Many consider 13 to be an unlucky number, but I wanted to challenge that superstition.
It's certainly not a full time job (for now, at least!)
When you download Lucky 13 models from Printables, I may earn points in their "Prusameter" rewards program. This in turn helps pay for new filament and other supplies (and even a new printer or two).
I also offer a "tip jar" subscription through Printables Clubs and accept direct donations through Paypal, Stripe, and Buy Me a Coffee.
I have started producing some paid content as well. And you can get a Seller License for commercial use.
There's no official Lucky 13 Store (yet!), but the CC-BY license allows anyone to sell prints as long as they give credit. Feel free to buy from any store you find selling Lucky 13 models, but please understand that Lucky 13 Toys can't exercise any quality control over third party sellers.
If you print any Lucky 13 models, feel free to share your photos and comments on their respective Printables pages. I'm also on Bluesky and X/Twitter as @lucky13toys.
Donations through Paypal, Stripe, or Buy Me a Coffee are always appreciated, but you can also support Lucky 13 Toys for free just by sharing your photos and linking back to the official download pages! Giving proper credit goes a long way.
You're welcome to send your pitch to contact@lucky13toys.com. That said, my bandwidth is limited, so I can't take on too many extra projects.
I am going to be focusing on designing paid content. Some designs will be paid downloads and some will only be sold physically (at least to start). My hope is that I can start to earn a living from this work - letting me do a lot more of it!
Don't worry, everything that is currently free is going to stay free.
You don't need to have a top-of-the-line printer to print Lucky 13 models! In fact, they're designed to work with virtually any consumer FDM printer.
That said, you do need to be familiar with how to use the 3D printer you have, and how to use your slicer of choice. If you're brand new to 3D printing, consider running some test prints with simpler models (like the classic Benchy) before jumping into the world of Lucky 13.
Lucky 13 designs are optimized for FDM printing, but some users have printed them with SLA printers as well. Since the parts are under mechanical stress, you'll definitely need to use a mechanically tough resin and cure your parts thoroughly.
Glad you asked! These are the basic settings I recommend for all Lucky 13 designs.
Layer height: 0.15mm
Infill: 20%, rectilinear
First layer speed: Slow! 25% of default
Elephant foot compensation: 0.15mm
Supports: None
Brim: Off by default; consider turning on if needed for better bed adhesion
Print external perimeters first
For best results, print Lucky 13 designs in PETG, ABS, or ASA - and be sure that your filament is dry! PLA is not recommended for frame parts, but can be used for the outer armor.
PLA has three properties that make it a poor fit for jointed figures:
Stiffness: PLA is a very mechanically stiff material, which means it takes a lot of force to snap the parts together, leading to a lot of sore fingers.
Brittleness: Though stiff, PLA is also very brittle. This means that parts can only bend so far before breaking. So you may end up with broken parts while trying to assemble the model.
Creep: Lastly, PLA likes to creep. That means that when parts are under constant stress - like in the joints of Lucky 13 models - the material will relax over time and make the joints less stiff. After a few weeks, your Lucky 13 will be a Floppy 13.
I know PLA is a very common material and many are reluctant to try something else, but you will definitely benefit from branching out to another material. If you're used to PLA, give PETG a try - it's not much more difficult to print and your sore fingers will thank you.
Probably bed adhesion! Lucky 13 models have a lot of small parts, and many of those small parts have a small contact area to the print bed. Bed adhesion is absolutely key for getting good prints. You can try any of the following things to improve bed adhesion:
Clean your print bed with soap and warm water.
Slow down your first layer - a lot!
Consider using a glue stick, liquid glue, or hairspray.
Check that you're not using grid, cubic, triangle, or star infill. These infill patterns are prone to filament buildup which can result in the nozzle knocking the part off the build plate.
Use a brim around your parts to increase the contact area with the build plate. You'll just need to remove the brim manually before assembling the parts.
Yes it is! It allows the parts to print without supports. Don't worry, the missing chunk doesn't interfere with the stiffness or range of motion of the joint.
No extra hardware is needed to assemble the parts - they should all snap-fit together. You shouldn't need any tools either. If anything, use a file or sandpaper if joints are too stiff. Leave the hammer in the toolbox, please!
You can gently sand or file the joints to make them go together more smoothly. Or if you're starting from scratch, you can set a small "XY size compensation" in your slicer for the parts. (Different slicers have various names for this parameter, but most slicers do have it).
At the default scale, the original Lucky 13, Easy 13, and Dummy 13 are all about 135mm (5.3") tall. Mini 13 is 90mm (3.5") tall.
Sure, many people do! You can scale up to around 250% without having to make changes to the parts. At higher scales, you may need to start modifying parts to be able to assemble them properly.
This is more difficult, since many of the parts have thin walls and small details even at 100% scale. However, if you use a smaller nozzle and pay extra attention to bed adhesion, you could get down to smaller scales.
Check the model download page on Printables and head to the remixes tab. Some remixes may also be hosted on other sites.
However you want! Check out the other remixes for inspiration.
Generally, no. My plate is pretty full, sorry! But try searching to see if someone has already gotten to it as a remix, or suggest it in the model comments.
Right now, STEP and design files are a perk for Printables Club supporters. You can also buy them with a one-time purchase on my Printables store. Files are available for all of the 13 Series figures.
All free Lucky 13 models are made available under a Creative Commons - Attribution (CC-BY) license. See the License page for more details. They were previously released under a more restrictive CC-BY-NC-SA license, and some materials may still reference that license, but the new CC-BY license does supersede that where applicable.
Paid models are released under a standard digital file license for personal use only.
Yes, under the CC-BY license, you can share and adapt the files how you want, including selling prints, provided that you give proper attribution. Please don't try to pass off this work as your own!
To sell models from the paid section, you will need to get a Seller License through my Printables Club.
As the creator of Lucky 13, I do not have the authority to give away the rights to other people's remixes. You'll have to get permission from the remix creator individually.
Unfortunately, Dummy 13 became very popular with unauthorized sellers on various ecommerce sites, with those sellers neglecting to give proper attribution. From there, it got picked up by a number of dropshippers who did not even realize there was an original author to respect, with each one putting their own name on it. It has proven quite difficult to enforce the attribution requirements. But Dummy 13 is the original design - available to download for free - and the original name.
Under the CC-BY license, the only requirement for a shop to be "authorized" is to provide proper attribution. If they are calling the designs by their correct names and linking to this site, then they are effectively authorized.
Note that Lucky 13 Toys does not control the advertising or marketing practices of sellers, aside from requesting proper attribution. Use of the CC-BY license should not be taken as an endorsement of any individual seller or their business practices.
If you believe that a shop is not providing proper attribution, you may notify me at contact@lucky13toys.com so that I may take appropriate action. Please do not harass any seller on behalf of Lucky 13 Toys.
I do not give personalized authorizations. The fact that these designs are released under a CC-BY license should serve as sufficient authorization.
These parts are extra foot parts, only needed if you plan to assemble the armature by itself without the skin on top.
Lucky 13's hands have built-in supports that you should remove with your filament cutters before assembling.
These models include a variant with parts joined by "runners" so that a set of parts prints as one connected body. This is intended to improve bed adhesion by getting rid of tiny "islands" in the first layer.
This mainly happens when using Cura and is related to the hands being made up of separate overlapping bodies. Try setting slicing tolerance to "inclusive" in the experimental settings section.
contact@lucky13toys.com, if you can believe it!
There is an unofficial subreddit for Dummy 13, although I'm not involved in running it.
There's an active community of printers and remixers on Printables. I'm also on Bluesky and X/Twitter as @lucky13toys.
No, I don't have any moderation power on Printables or any other site. The moderators of those communities may remove content based on their own internal policies, but I have no influence on that process.
Yes, but other people want to see them too! Post a make on Printables or tag me on social media.
While I do try to read every message I get, I don't have the bandwidth to respond to everyone. And I generally don't respond to questions in private chat that can be answered just by reading the model's description :)
The original Lucky 13 figure was designed in Blender. Blender is not a good program for designing a precisely engineered physical product, so everything after that is designed in Fusion 360.
Remember, it's not software that makes a good design - it's persistence from the designer!
I mainly use a pair of Prusa MK4S printers as well as a 5-tool Prusa XL for special projects.
Yeah
Lucky 13 Toys © 2022-2025 Gabe Rosiak