Jacob Mostoller has two passions that, at first glance, don’t have much to do with each other.

A mechanical engineer by training, Mostoller spends much of his workday as a ringtail cat. To fans of the  Texas Stars, Mostoller is better known as  Ringo the Ringtail, the self-proclaimed furriest and funniest mascot in hockey and two-time Best Mascot in the AHL.

Meanwhile, as founder of Engineered 2 Entertain, Mostoller leverages his knowledge of 3D printing to help other mascots celebrate their teams, and themselves, in a super-sized way. He’s made a name for himself, designing, printing and selling jumbo-sized props like sunglasses, headphones and jewelry.

“The inspiration hit me like a brick wall in June 2016,” Mostoller says. “I worked within the sports community during a time when Cleveland, Ohio was the epicenter of the sports world, and as an engineer I recognized an opportunity."

Mostoller found his calling as a professional sports mascot while attending Cleveland State University, where he brought the Vikings’ mascot, Magnus, to life for years. Three weeks after he graduated with his mechanical engineering degree, the Cleveland Cavaliers won the NBA Championship and the city was swept up by euphoric celebrations.

“I thought what better way for sports mascots to celebrate the spoils of victory than to wear their very own jumbo-sized championship rings. And what better way to make it in only a few short days than to 3D print it,” he says.

Mostoller made his first three rings at the Cleveland Public Library with a MakerGear M2. Those first rings were an instant hit and helped launch Mostoller’s company, Engineered 2 Entertain. Over the years, he has made mascot props for countless customers including the Philadelphia Eagles, the Chicago White Sox and the Mascot Hall of Fame.

Most recently, Mostoller worked with the Toronto Raptors in recreating their 2019 NBA Championship ring. It was presented to their mascot, The Raptor, at the team’s official ring ceremony at the beginning of the season.

Due to the complexity of the ring, Mostoller split it into parts and ran multiple printers to meet the opening night deadline. He used his MakerGear M3-ID to make the ring’s body and the top band with the players’ numbers. He also printed a wooden case with Hatchbox wood filament and PLA on his M2.

“The Raptors requested three identical rings,” Mostoller says.

“The M3-ID duplication mode helped recreate the base of the rings in half the time it would normally take.

The intricate details of the rim with the numbers required dissolvable PVA supports, so it was great to have the M3’s independent dual heads.

All of the pieces were finished in only a few days, and the rest of the work was sanding, painting and adding the Swarovski crystals.”

Mostoller says his MakerGear 3D printers have had a tremendous impact on his business. He has been able to count on high-quality, precision prints every time.

“When I first got into 3D printing, I made the mistake of buying cheap. I was constantly plagued by inconsistent print quality and having to make repairs,” he says. It was not until I came across MakerGear that my company was able to reach new heights.”