Introduction: Design a Cookie Cutter Using Inkscape & OpenScad for 3D Printing

By TheMakerStation
About: Founding board member of theMakerStation, a new makerspace in Marietta, GA

A simple way to create custom cookie cutters. This is a simplified compilation of various information scattered across the interwebz.

The simplest method of all is to just print a design with zero infill... although this does not generate a "true" cookie cutter.

The method in this instructable generates a "true" cutter with a flange and side walls that are tapered from the base up to the tip resulting in more of a cutting edge and making it easier to remove the cookie dough from the cutter with minimal distortion or damage to the cut dough.

Step 1: Draw in Inkscape & Add Nodes

  1. Draw your shape in Inkscape
    1. For gears, use the Menu Option > Extensions > Render > Gear
  2. Add Nodes... OpenSCAD can only render and process straight lines... so add a bunch of nodes so that curves get approximated appropriately
    1. Click on the "Edit Paths by Nodes" button, and then click on the drawing, node boxes will appear
    2. Select the entire drawing by dragging a selection box around it, the nodes will turn blue
      • *Note: do a quick visual to make sure you selected all the nodes and didn't miss any around the edges
    3. Click on the "Add Nodes" button, at least twice, or until sufficient nodes appear so that each segment is fairly short
    4. Click on the "Make selected segments lines" button
      • *Note: Don't forget this step! If you forget, OpenSCAD will not render any curved segments

Step 2: Save As .DXF File

  1. Save as .dxf file option = Desktop Plotting Cutter (R13)(*.dxf)
    • * NOTE: Be sure to also save a copy as .svg if you want a copy that can be modified in the future

Step 3: OpenSCAD Cookie Cutter Script

  1. Modify the attached cookiecutter.scad file to point to your .dxf file
    1. Shown as highlighted line 38
  2. Make sure sure that script and .dxf file are in the same folder location
    • *Note: the cookiecutter.scad file won't work if it is not in the same folder as your .dxf file

  3. Click the render button /F6

  4. Export the .stl file that can be used for 3D printing
    • Menu > File > Export > Export as STL...

Attachments

Step 4: Optional - Add Reinforcements or Features

  1. Add features using OpenSCAD or TinkerCAD or any CAD program at your descretion.

For my Gear Cookie cutter, I needed to connect the gear outer diameter to the inner bore. Since I don't know how to modify the cookie cutter script to add connectors without it generating cutting edges to connectors, I found it faster to add connectors using TinkerCAD. (www.tinkercad.com)

My goal is to get cookies baked not getting hung up with the CAD tools or elegant script.

Step 5: References