5 Useful Parts to 3D Print for Your ESP32 and Microcontroller Projects

If you have an ESP32, Arduino, or Raspberry Pi Pico lying around, you already know the pain: jumper wires everywhere, bent pins on dev boards, and a breadboard that only half works. The good news is that most of the small parts you need to fix this can be printed at home. Here are five useful accessories worth spending an hour on the printer for.

1. 3D-printed breadboard

A standard breadboard is just plastic and metal contacts. That means you can print your own. MakerWorld user NodX sells a modular design that clips to adjacent boards when you need more space. The only extra step is laying aluminum foil in the contact rows to carry current. It works well enough for prototyping and costs almost nothing to produce.

2. Jumper wire organizer

Jumper wires are cheap. Untangling them is not. A simple wall-mounted or drawer organizer keeps lengths sorted by color and size. BoredCAD on MakerWorld offers a set of three sizes, and there is also a Gridfinity-compatible box design if your workshop already uses that system. Pick whichever fits your storage setup.

3. Soldering helping hands

Before you move from breadboard to permanent builds, you need something to hold the parts steady while you solder. Helping hands with alligator clips do the job, but you do not need to buy them. CafeAsh on MakerWorld has a printable design that bolts to your work surface for stability. Print it in PETG so the clips flex without cracking.

4. Cable connectors

If you splice wires together often, 3D-printed connectors beat electrical tape in both neatness and reusability. Darky Projects on MakerWorld sells a DIY connector system in two, four, and six pin versions. You will need a few M2 self-tapping screws, but those are easy to keep in a spare parts drawer.

5. Development board organizer

As your microcontroller collection grows, boards start to pile up in random bins. A dedicated organizer protects pins from bending and makes it easy to grab the right board for a project. Karo.kalori on MakerWorld has a large design that fits ESP32s, ESP8266s, Arduino UNOs and Nanos, Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W, Pico 2, and small displays or power banks. There is also a smaller Gridfinity bin set if you prefer a modular drawer layout.

Bottom line

You do not need a fancy printer to make these parts. Any entry-level FDM machine handles them, and most designs are sized for 200x200mm build plates. The filament cost for a full set is well under a dollar. The time you save not hunting for jumper wires or straightening bent pins pays for itself after the first build.