Adjustable wrenches are a trendy way to show what 3-D printers are capable of, so we see them frequently. The worm screw is simple enough to be easily printed, but complicated enough to be impressive, especially when printed as one working unit. But how to make it really impressive? Make it huge.

Thanks to Objet's recently released 1000 3-D printer (based on the Connex line), with a platform that measures an monstrous 3' 3" by 2' 7", creative and content manager Sam Green was able to print — over the course of several days — this elephant femur-sized wrench.

Objet's print system surrounds the object being printed with a soft support material that needs to be manually removed after printing to release the finished piece. Because of the girth it produces, the Connex 1000 uses a removable platform that slides onto a wheeled dolly, positioning it to be precisely placed into their industrial pressure-washing booth. For supersize prints (it holds 238 lb. of material) this is a safer bet than having an intern heave an expensive object from machine to machine.

With its massive capabilities, you could use the Connex 1000 for full-size prototypes of industrial projects. Or, you could use it to print really big wrenches.

Now, to fix that really big tricycle that's been sitting in our yard.

Hat tip: 3ders.org