Best free and paid for STL and 3D model sites - CNC relief carvings

A list of my favourite and most used STL files sites for both free and paid for 3D models.
90 day trial
store-us.carveco.com/products...
Carveco Maker link and 5% discount code is JAMESDEANDESIGNS
store-us.carveco.com/?ref=JDD...
Blog - jamesdeandesigns.com/2022/10/...
www.thingiverse.com/
free-stl.ru/
CNC files 4 all / 745975939325362
cults3d.com/
touchterrain.geol.iastate.edu/
www.yeggi.com/
www.stlfinder.com/
Intro: 00:00
End: 10:35
I have recently set up a Patreon page to help keep making tutorials and keep my KZbin channel moving forward.
/ jamesdeandesigns
If you want to help but do not want to become a Patreon, you con contribute directly:
www.paypal.me/jamesdeandesigns
Some product links I use are affiliate links. This means they do not cost you any more but I might make a small commission in return which helps towards making these videos.

[@UrbanTreats]

Hey James, thanks. I didn't know some of those sites the russian one is amazing, cant wait to start carving next weekend :)

[@chefmadewoodwork]

Incredibly valuable video here James. Cheers friend 🍻

[@peterplantec7911]

Another exceptional presentation. I’m 80 nd about to acquire my first Cnc milling machine. This is all very helpful.

[@ryanbento1565]

Its a great feeling the first time you hit that go button, it feels like a whole other part of the universe opens for you to explore and play in

[@warrenking1815]

Thanks for the information James I will be checking this out

[@chris_fous]

you are the best!! i strugle to find how to use my cnc long time and finaly i do baby steps into my CNC. Thank you!!!

[@rushharley4898]

THANK YOU JD!

[@Tignoso79]

Nice video, James! I’ve especially appreciated you’ve pointed out the few legal/commercial aspects about dealing with these files once in one’s own hand. Unfortunately, there’s quite a confusion out there, many people are still convinced they can do anything they want with an .stl just because “it’s freely available on the internet” or ‘cause “I’ve bought it and now it’s mine”. As a 3D modeller, I can honestly say in many cases there could be nothing further from reality… Keep it up 👍

[@JamesDeanDesigns]

Exactly. People look for any excuse to make it work in their eyes, or anything they think is a loophole. I've argued with people before because they believe once they carve it into something it becomes their intellectual property 🙈

[@Hinkleshop]

Great info James!

[@richardsandford1607]

Great video, thank you!

[@JamesDeanDesigns]

Thank you for the support as always Richard 👍

[@erniegray3500]

Another informative video I enjoy them all

[@JamesDeanDesigns]

Thank you :)

[@billnj4923]

Thanks for the response, I don't have a machine yet but after looking at your videos( the best I've seen so far) I have been looking at the Fox Alien Masuter Pro but waiting for a good sale. I am in my 70's not looking to start a business just want to make things for kids and grandkids. Your site and response has been very helpful.

[@JamesDeanDesigns]

Glad to help

[@zoltankabodi3377]

Köszönjük!

[@zoltankabodi3377]

Örömmel! Nagyon hasznosak számomra a videóid! Köszönöm!

[@johnchapman1231]

i used it as its free .never had any issues

[@stanstocker8858]

The "M" in source descriptions for terrain data is meters of resolution. Interesting video, Thanks!

[@JamesDeanDesigns]

I was guessing that but thank you for confirming 👍

[@jonflanagin6682]

In the 90s VW went through the bug industry and letters suing anyone using the VW logo.

[@reapersritehand]

I recently got a cnc/3d printer/laser burner haven't used it yet, thanks for the video I noticed it's hard to find cnc stls(?) Or information with out paying, is there a way to invert/reverse the stl? So instead of making a relief it'd be more like making a mold or cast

[@starhawke380]

What kind of wood do you recommend for a 3d carving like this? Ive been experimenting (Just got my 3018 running) and only have Maple and cedar on hand. The carving process is leaving a lot of fiber sticking up on the edges of the work. Im also getting a lot of blowout when I try to leave part of the carving raised up above the bottom level.

[@ericeinsmann5559]

Great info! I have saved this for later reference.. Thanks!

[@blackhat8941]

Great video, thank you for the links ! What do you recommend as free software for 3D CNC ?

[@JamesDeanDesigns]

I believe Fusion360 and Kirimoto are probably your only options

[@blackhat8941]

I will try them Thanks

[@prestonbowden]

Blender is another

[@sewdw6735]

Hi, could you share the link to turtle file from begining of your video?

[@anastasiyanetesanna3285]

can i export files for cnc router for 3d printing?

[@eagle2D2]

Sounds like the safest bet would be Etsy

[@JamesDeanDesigns]

Yes and no. Etsy is filled with stolen files and they do nothing about it. You have no cover or protection from them. At best you can ask for a refund but even that's difficult with digital files. At least places like Yeggi and Thingiverse, files usually come directly from the creator.

[@ronin2167]

I want to learn how to create the files on my own. What's the best software to use for this to learn?

[@JamesDeanDesigns]

Different software depend on what you want to achieve. For example you can create 3D reliefs in Carveco Maker+ but it's quite basic in comparison to something like Blender which is very powerful and free

[@ronin2167]

@@JamesDeanDesigns So you suggest Blender as the software of choice to do 3d face carvings from a photo?

[@billnj4923]

Are there any free ( after the trial time ) programs that will handle 3d files.

[@JamesDeanDesigns]

Best one is Fusion360 which is free for personal use. Very powerful software but also more complex to learn

[@Fireslayershfd]

I have contacted Harley Davidson about using their logo and they will not let anyone use it. They are really jerks about it

[@maccaslasher]

the russian site has some amazing models but after 2hours of trying to become a member i gave up. couldnt find anywhere to log in. shame its not in english

[@jeffverdin6105]

I’m surprised you would bother with the cncfiles4all group. Most them are all stolen files.

[@JamesDeanDesigns]

Its a tricky one and I debated not including it. At least they openly state the files are sourced from elsewhere and do not charge for them and some of the files are taken from free sources anyway. Where as something like Etsy is clearly profiting from it's users selling stolen files, not all of them but ultimately makes it very difficult to find the original artist.

[@jeffverdin6105]

@@JamesDeanDesigns 3Dwave is also one of the better websites out there for base relief models. It’s definitely hard to come up with a list though. People just tend to hoard gigabytes of free files they’ll never use anyways. I use to be that person. Lol now it’s about quality models

[@michaelkeymont501]

It’s hard to believe such a list was made without mentioning CGTrader. There are always free models to be found, and the ones that are paid for are top notch quality, made by serious modelers who design specifically for CNC. When I first started using it, I was a little skeptical of the payment system - I forget why - but I’ve since bought many models and have never had any issues. The thing that will be annoying for folks looking for only CNC models is that the site is not focused on that audience. There will be hundreds of thousands of models that are targeted towards the animation, video game and 3D printing markets too. Many of those models aren’t suited for CNC, but the search tools make it possible to largely filter a lot of that stuff out. They also have a system where the more you buy, the more credits you build up that result in discounts on future purchases.

[@JamesDeanDesigns]

Its a decent site and it is mentioned in my list on the blog but being a member of lots of CNC groups I can genuinely say it rarely gets mentioned in those. And I think that's partly because even on their own homepage they really don't cater for CNC. Also pretty pricey from what I've seen. They have the same models for 5x or 10x more than I can see on other sites.

[@michaelkeymont501]

@@JamesDeanDesigns I can’t comment on social media activity. I don’t have time for social media, personally - I do this full time for a living, and I’ve made more money using models on CGTrader than any other source, bar none. The fact that it is less known that the sites you listed, and mentioned less in CNC groups, is precisely why I bothered to comment about it. BTW, they have the same models priced higher than those other sites because those other sites steal those models from the actual creators, which you talked about, and sell them cheaper. That’s theft, and if you want to support that, that’s on you. That’s why on CGT, the licensing is so clearly spelled out by each of the creators, while on those other sites you have to give the disclaimer to not use your primary e-mail address, due to how shady they are…………..

[@JamesDeanDesigns]

@@michaelkeymont501 thats useful to know. My issue with all of this is trying to figure out where the original source came from 👍