Brickbenchy: the masterpiece missing from the $9.99 box

Let's admit it: every kid (and every self-respecting adult) has spent at least one night of their life looking for that one missing brick scattered somewhere around the house. Well, this model is the direct result of that search gone wrong: a Benchy entirely rebuilt out of interlocking bricks, studs included.

The hull is a classic red-and-white two-tone, built layer by layer just like you'd do with real bricks, while the yellow cabin shows off perfectly squared arches and windows, because here geometry leaves no room for soft curves: everything is built from 90-degree angles, exactly the way brick-building purists like it. The black chimney, made of stacked cylinders, completes the look with that modular precision typical of the most beloved sets of all time.

A small extra detail on the bow, a black ring, basically a miniature tire, is a reminder that even toy ships need a touch of realism, or at the very least, something to step on barefoot at three in the morning.

🧩 Print Specifications

• Model height: 150mm (taller than the tower you built as a kid before the cat knocked it down)

• Layer height: 0.16 mm (more precise than the perfect snap-fit between two original bricks)

• Infill: 10% Lightning (hollow inside like the brick boxes scattered around the house after Christmas)

• Supports: yes (even the sturdiest builds need a prop now and then)

• Brim: optional (just to keep the base from disappearing like that one piece you can never find)

• Material: PLA matte white (later painted in the bright tones typical of classic sets)

• Print time: about 10 hours (way less time than it takes you to sort the pieces by color)

• PLA used: about 190 g (light in weight, but it really hurts if you step on it at night)

🖌 Recommended painting technique

after applying the spray primer, lay down a bright red base coat with acrylic marker on the upper hull and pure white on the lower hull, keeping clean, sharp lines between the two colors (use masking tape if needed for crisp edges). The cabin should be painted bright yellow, while the chimney and smaller details stay matte dark grey/black. To get that glossy "toy plastic" look typical of building bricks, apply a final coat of clear gloss over the entire painted surface: this is the only model in the series where going glossy instead of matte actually makes sense, to stay true to the original aesthetic.

Print it, paint it, and hide it well: the kids in the house might just claim ownership.