In our latest Behind The Designs spotlight, we sit down with Chuck Stover, the creative force behind Made By Wombat. Known for his incredibly intricate metal dice and innovative mechanical designs, Chuck has been at the forefront of 3D printing for over 15 years. Today, we discuss his journey from a 10-year-old RPG fan to a successful designer leveraging the Thangs platform to sell both digital files and premium physical prints.

From Concept to 3D Model

Chuck’s 3D printing journey began in 2009. Inspired by a forum post about making miniatures, he realized that 3D printing was the perfect medium to satisfy his lifelong obsession with tabletop RPGs. After collecting dice for nearly 40 years, he decided to stop just collecting them and start creating them. Today, his work ranges from high-detail brass dice to experimental interlocking chain meshes, all designed with a simple philosophy: “Make things that make my friends say, ‘Wow, neat!’”

“Thangs is the first site I have used that has a satisfying interface for selling both files and physical prints. I have worked through a few other sites that had a strong interface for one or the other, but not both.”

The Creative Process

Q: How would you describe the type of designs you create and sell?

“Most of my designs are dice. My early designs were for stainless steel, but my newer pieces are mostly designed for cast metals. They print beautifully in resin at 100% scale, but they also scale up incredibly well for other types of printing. Beyond dice, I love experimenting with interlocking chain meshes or mechanical assemblies — the kind of things that really push what 3D printing can do.”

Q: What initially sparked your interest in dice?

“I found a used AD&D Fiend Folio at a bookstore when I was 10, and I was instantly hooked on tabletop RPGs. They require dice, and I have been collecting them for almost 40 years now. They’re just neat — there’s something satisfying about the geometry and the feel of them.”

Q: What kind of problem do you love solving most when you’re designing?

“When designing a set of dice, the aesthetics might work great for a d20 but be unworkable on a d4. Solving for all six standard die shapes so they feel like a cohesive set is very satisfying when it all works out.”

Designing for Detail

Chuck’s work truly shines when it’s translated into physical form, particularly through the Thangs Print-on-Demand service. While his designs work well in resin, he’s found a “level up” in quality by using cast metals.

“Cast brass and bronze are my favorite metals offered on the platform for my dice designs,” Chuck explains. “The dice always look great upon arrival, they are relatively affordable, and there are plenty of interesting post-processing techniques available. I feel like my dice look several orders of magnitude better in brass or bronze than they do in plastic.”

One of his proudest creations isn’t a die at all, but a functional accessory: the HairRing. “It’s a design I use every day. I get lots of comments on it when I’m out and about, and it was totally worth the five design iterations it took to get it functioning perfectly.”

Inspiring the Next Generation

For designers just starting out, Chuck offers a reminder of the power of human imagination. While technology and AI continue to evolve, he believes the “human element” — the ability to imagine things that don’t yet exist — is the ultimate competitive advantage. His advice? Focus on creating the things you want to see in the real world.

Where to Find Made By Wombat

Check out Made By Wombat on Thangs, or follow them on Instagram, Facebook & their website.