3D printers have become all the rage in recent years, with them now more accessible than ever to the general public. A great many folks have used this technology to print out various knick-knacks, though there are numerous who have made the 3D printer a means of creating more practical, useful items. For example, if you’re a DeWalt tool enthusiast and you or someone you know has a unit from one of the major 3D printer brands out there, there’s a lot of potential to bring these two worlds together. Several 3D modelers have created 3D print files for items that could enhance your DeWalt collection.

To put it lightly, there are loads of DeWalt-specific accessory 3D prints floating around online, making deciding where to start a daunting task. Before trying any prints out, it’s a good idea to consider what shouldn’t be trusted to a 3D printer. Battery adapters, while seemingly convenient for connecting other brands’ batteries to DeWalt tools or DeWalt batteries to other tools, are a huge no-go. Their lack of quality and structural integrity could endanger the tool, the battery, or even the user. Generally, it’s a good idea to avoid printing items that will come into contact with heat or electrical elements, as the risk of melting and other damage is ever-present.

Meanwhile, there are several DeWalt accessories that are worth giving a go on a 3D printer that don’t present an imminent danger. Here are some of the most interesting that just about anyone can get use out of.

Seeing as DeWalt is one of the many tool brands that have embraced battery power, building a collection means accumulating numerous batteries. With use on job after job, these can end up all over the place, leading one to explore storage and organization options. If you have a 3D printer at your disposal and plenty of filament, you can go the route of 3D printing some DeWalt battery holders. These provide a convenient and relatively unobtrusive place to keep your batteries when they’re not in use, protecting them from getting lost or damaged.

It’s not hard to find print files for DeWalt battery holders online, with the one posted by IR Blinx on Printables proving to be quite a popular choice. They are designed for DeWalt batteries to slide right on, similar to how they connect to tools, and come with pre-cut holes in case you decide you’d like to mount them on a wall or under a workbench with screws. Just make sure they’re mounted somewhere safe, as things like cold weather can kill your DeWalt batteries in short order. Additionally, this specific design comes in either single or three-battery form, so if you have multiple batteries to keep track of, you can always opt for the larger, multi-unit design.

When expanding one’s DeWalt tool collection, if one isn’t careful, it can become a disorganized mess. Tools could end up scattered around the workshop, or tossed into tool bags to be sifted through and, in turn, banged up over time. A good toolbox, tool chest, or even a sturdy shelf unit can provide solid organization and protection for your DeWalt tools, but 3D printed efforts can take things a step further. There are numerous DeWalt tool mount 3D prints available online, giving you another option for storing your tools when they’re not in use.

Doing some digging into what folks have come up with for DeWalt tool mounts reveals models for several different tools. A favorite on MakerWorld is the universal drill mount and holder from core areawhich has variations compatible with DeWalt drills as well as those from other tool brands. The top of the drill slides in, and the tool’s handle hangs below, as there are designated holes in the mount for screws. Another well-supported idea comes from user Adrian: a DeWalt tool mount with a latching clip. These mounts also connect via screws to a surface, instead of featuring a latch that slides onto where the battery would normally connect to a tool. Given this connection point, it can be used for more than just standard drills.

There are few things more frustrating than using a drill by DeWalt or any other brand and losing your hardware in the middle of a job. Maybe the fasteners you need are buried in your pocket, or perhaps they were accidentally left in another room. With the power of a 3D printer, though, this disappearing act can be avoided with a simple yet effective print. Clever 3D modelers have come up with a printable clip-on hardware drawer that connects to the bottom of your DeWalt drill. This does make the drill longer and therefore a bit less maneuverable, but it keeps screws, washers, nuts, and the like within reach.

A fine example of this DeWalt accessory was posted by vvj21 on MakerWorldoffering three slightly different prints: a loose, tight, and medium fit. This way, you can determine how strong of a grip you want the drawer to have on the bottom of the drill’s battery once it slides on. These models are specifically designed for the 1.3 Ah 18-volt XR battery, but the creator notes they may fit other batteries of similar dimensions. They also note that it’s best printed using PETG, or polyethylene terephthalate glycol, for the most durability possible and to prevent the connection clips from snapping. Looking into the other most durable consumer-grade 3D printer filaments could be a good idea, too.

A large chunk of DeWalt’s power tool offerings requires interchangeable parts to work. Think tools like saws, which can swap out their blades, and drills that can hold and use various bits to accommodate specific tasks. Much like hardware, these can be hard to keep track of if you’re not careful, since they’re rather small and easy to lose in more ways than one. Given the prevalence of this issue, the 3D modeling and printing community has come together to create some blade and bit holders for these often missing pieces.

If you have loose DeWalt jigsaw blades around, one of the fine options to contain and protect them is the jigsaw blade holder by RichiH on Printables. The print comes with a removable lid to keep the blades contained in storage, along with windows to see inside and air holes for breathability in case moisture creeps in. As for bits, something like the DeWalt bit holder by richard.bernards on MakerWorld can keep them in check. The print holds five different bits and connects to a DeWalt drill or impact driver using a screw, replacing the screwed-on belt clip typically present on the side of these tools.

As seen with the aforementioned print projects, they tend to revolve around improved storage and transportation. Such prints are undoubtedly helpful, but other 3D modelers have taken a slightly different approach. There are print files that take DeWalt products and give them a slightly different use case than one would normally associate with them. Case in point, a 3D printable pocket screwdriver has been developed that takes drill bits that would otherwise really only be used in power drills and turns them into hand screwdriver bits.

This print was published on MakerWorld by MarioJCoyF, with it being a pocket-sized, flat screwdriver handle that can take in DeWalt drill bits, forming a mini screwdriver. In fact, the ring on the end — intended for keychain or carabiner attachment — can be pulled out to reveal slots for four individual bits. The file is also designed to fit a 6 millimeter by 2 millimeter magnet for an even more secure connection between the bit and the rest of the screwdriver. It even dons DeWalt’s logo and can be printed in its black and yellow color scheme to match the rest of your collection.

There’s no shortage of handy official DeWalt tool accessories, and even third-party companies have made some useful DeWalt-compatible accessories throughout the years. If you have the means to create with a 3D printer, though, there are some great and helpful printable DeWalt accessories that are worth trying out.