From a School-Leaving Project to a Startup with 3D-Printed Blasters – Šimon Stupka (Printkeep Blasters)
From a school-leaving project to a working product and a thriving community. Šimon Stupka from Printkeep has turned his passion for technology and design into a world of functional, customisable 3D models that combine fun, sport and making things yourself. See how his idea works and how you can build it at home.
The video recording is in Czech.What are blasters and why have they won over the 3D printing community?
Printkeep blasters are mechanical air-powered guns firing foam darts that anyone can print, assemble them and customise. You can shoot at targets with them or join one of the tournaments similar to airsoft or paintball that are gradually taking off in the Czech Republic. But it is not just about movement and action – the key element is the creative process itself. The 3D-printable files are freely available to download on Printables.com and on the Printkeep website you can order a kit with special parts, fasteners and assembly instructions.
From a school project to a working product
It all started as a school-leaving project. Šimon designed his first simple blaster, which soon attracted attention, first among colleagues at Prusa Research, later among the first customers and community members. Today Printkeep offers complete hardware kits for two types of blasters, clear instructions and other accessories such as foam darts and magazines.
Making things as part of the game
Each blaster is a kit for hand assembly. It is this combination of engineering, creativity and playfulness that makes the project an ideal entry point into the world of DIY. Users can modify their models as needed, adding ergonomic features, their own colour schemes or other accessories as their imagination dictates.
A community that inspires and supports
Printkeep is built on openness and sharing. The designs are freely available, sharing experience is a normal part of how the community works, and its members support each other – whether with technical advice or by taking part in sports-oriented meetups. The goal is to encourage creativity, learn from each other and together push the boundaries of what can be made at home.
Šimon spoke at Meet the Makers 23
Šimon presented the Printkeep blasters on 18 June 2025 at PrusaLab at Meet the Makers 23 together with two other open-source projects – the puppet game Kenka Puppetgame and the platform for making your own running shoes Open Footwear. You can find recordings of all three presentations in the article about Meet the Makers 23.
We hold Meet the Makers regularly, and each evening is devoted to a different interesting topic and projects from our creative community. Follow our blog and social media, or subscribe to PrusaLab news at the bottom of the page – so you never miss any inspiration.
