Frequently Asked Questions

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.

Why is it called Lucky 13?

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.

Are you making money off of this?

It's certainly not a full time job (for now, at least!)

When you download Lucky 13 models from Printables or MakerWorld, I may earn rewards points from their respective systems. 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 a direct donation link.

I previously had a "seller license" system where I charged a fee for commercial use of Lucky 13 designs, but this has been ended now that I have moved the current designs to a CC-BY license.

I don't have a 3D printer, can I buy a printed model?

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.

How can I join the Lucky 13 community?

If you print any Lucky 13 models, feel free to share your photos and comments on their respective Printables or MakerWorld pages.

How can I support future development?

Donations through Paypal 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.

Are you open to a collaboration with me/my company?

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.

What's next?

While I can't make any solid promises, this year I'm hoping to develop a new "premium" product line that will be available for paid downloads, while also releasing some new free expansions. I'm also setting up my print farm to be able to offer first-party sales of printed models.

Printing and Assembly

What 3D printer do I need for Lucky 13 models?

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.

Can I use a resin printer for 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.

What are the recommended slicer settings?

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

What type of filament should I use?

For best results, print Lucky 13 designs in PETG, ABS, or ASA - and be sure that your filament is dry! PLA is not recommended.

Why is PLA not recommended?

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.

Why do my prints keep failing?

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.

The ball joints are all flat on one side. Is that on purpose?

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.

What hardware and tools do I need to assemble Lucky 13 models?

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!

I printed the files (or bought them from an online shop) but they're really hard to assemble, what can I do?

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).

How tall are the finished models?

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.

Can I scale them up?

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.

Can I scale them down?

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.

Customizing

Where can I find remixes and mods for Lucky 13 models?

Check the model download pages on Printables and MakerWorld - both should have a tab for remixes. Lucky 13 models started off only being on Printables, so more remixes are over there.

How can I make my own remixes?

However you want! Check out the other remixes for inspiration.

Can you design an accessory for me?

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.

Can I get the STEP files?

Right now, STEP and design files are a perk for Printables Club supporters. Files are available for Original Lucky 13, Mini 13, and Easy 13.

License and Copyright

What are the copyright terms for Lucky 13 models?

All currently released 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.

Can I sell prints of Lucky 13 models?

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!

Can I sell other people's remixes of Lucky 13 models?

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.

Dummy 13? Isn't it called Titan 13/T13/Nova 13/etc?

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.

I found a shop selling your designs online - are they authorized?

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.

Model-Specific Questions

Lucky 13: What's this pair of leftover rectangular pieces?

These parts are extra foot parts, only needed if you plan to assemble the armature by itself without the skin on top.

Lucky 13: What's this extra stuff on the hands?

Lucky 13's hands have built-in supports that you should remove with your filament cutters before assembling.

Mini 13 and Easy 13: What are these "runner" parts?

Mini 13 and Easy 13 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.

Dummy 13: Why are the hands not slicing properly?

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.

Dummy 13: When will it be out of beta?

When it's ready. :)

In other words, probably not any time soon.

If you're worried about the files being too much of a rough draft to print properly, I will point to the more than 1000 successful makes already posted to Printables - and the online shops who claim to have them flying off the shelves!

Dummy 13: Where's the connector for the display base?

Look in the "extra bits" folder.

Community and Contact

Where can I contact Lucky 13 Toys?

contact@lucky13toys.com, if you can believe it!

Is there a subreddit?

Not yet, but you're welcome to start one yourself if you want!

Any other communities?

There's an active community of printers and remixers on Printables, and one developing on MakerWorld as well.

Did you delete my negative review?

No, I don't have any moderation power on Printables or MakerWorld. The moderators of those communities may remove content based on their own internal policies, but I have no influence on that process.

Wanna see some pictures I took?

Yes, but other people want to see them too! Post a make on Printables or MakerWorld.