Multitool.org Forum
Non Tool Forum => Gadget Freak and EDC Forum => Topic started by: Grant Lamontagne on March 29, 2023, 12:38:14 PM
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Yeah, I know it's EDC, short for Every Day Carry, but in this case, it's not.
If you are even remotely familiar with 3D printing you know of sites like Thingiverse, Printable and the like. On these sites you find a myriad of different things you can print, including various tools and EDC items.
In this thread I'm going to explore some of them and see if they are any good.
So far I have printed two such items, one of which I broke almost instantly and will try again with before reporting on it.
The other is this watch stand, which is probably the first of many given the sheer number of watches I have. :facepalm:
I believe this is the STL i used- I'll be sure to be more diligent in posting the associated links in th future.
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:5072578
The white residue is remnants of stick glue from the bed, and will clean off easily, but this is what it looks like straight out of the printer.
I really wanted a watch stand for my Solar G Shock (https://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,83161.0.html) to ensure that it stayed fully charged, and I think this stand would work really well.
Overall the stand is an okay design, if a bit simple. If it had been my design (and I'm not much of a designer) I'd have skeletonized it a lot more to conserve filament and sped up the print time.
That having been said, it is a nice and easy to use stand, and seems quite stable and printed well. In the end, it will do the job nicely.
Def
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For anyone interested, I am using an XYZPrinting Mini W+, which is an entry level, user friendly and inexpensive printer with a print volume of 5.9 x 5.9 x 5.9 inches and PLA plastic for the print.
I'll clean this print up a bit later and post actual finished photos of it then.
If anyone has any questions or suggestions for printed items you would like to see tested, feel free to let me know!
3DC is here to stay!
Def
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Very cool! I have wanted a 3D printer myself and may try to get one sooner rather than later :ahhh :like:
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This is my third one, and I've given the other two away. My recommendation is to get one with auto bed leveling. That is the #1 issue I have had with them was spending a while leveling the bed and then it still messing up due to the heated bed expanding and going out of whack again.
I tried another watch stand last night- it's much lighter and smaller than yesterday's one, and there are things I like and dislike about it.
Def
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It uses a lot less filament and prints faster since there's less volume than yesterday's model, but it doesn't seem to fit the watch quite as well.
Still, it works well, and being a lighter design it fits the Luminox Blackout (https://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,72302.0.html) nicely, since it too is a very light watch, thanks to its carbon fiber case.
Here is the stl:
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4936351
I'd definitely print/use this one again, even though it seems a bit too small for big, chunky watches. It will hold them well enough, and I don't feel like it is going to fail or anything- it's just an aesthetician thing. Putting a 45mm tuna can type watch on this would make it seem out of place.
Otherwise, it's a nice little stand.
Def
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You could use a cut-out of MTo's logo. It would save filament and look even cooler.
:pok: :pok:
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It's on the list, I just need to get a bit better with design software to get there. :D
Def
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It's on the list, I just need to get a bit better with design software to get there. :D
Def
:popcorn: :popcorn:
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Another enabler.
As soon as you start printing some of them tools and EDC items I'm gonna want one too. I've just got so much stuff, now, that the Boss Lady is starting to protest.
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Last night I decided to get a bit ambitious and print a Surge Sheath- specifically this horizontal one:
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3531449
a bit of a caveat here- I don't like hard wallets and I don't like hard sheaths.
That said, I love many tools that I thought were idiotic at first, and I am happy to change my mind about things. I am wrong often, and I'm okay with that.
So, going into this with an open mind, I fired up ye olde 3D printer and banged this one out. The printer did a great job on this one, and the print came out absolutely perfect. I was really impressed with this one and I was really starting to look forward to carrying and using this one.
My first test was a bit of a fail though- I tried quickly found the loop on the print was a bit too small for my belt. :facepalm:
No worries, I have thinner/smaller belts so this isn't a deal breaker.
Def
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I had read in the description of this STL (and the other Surge sheath I was looking at, also by the same designer) that the sheath was designed with the older Surge in mind, so I dug out my original Surge to see how it fit. Frankly, it looked pretty small for the Surge, so I decided to try the Wave first. The Wave was a bit loose (as expected) but not as loose as I'd think it should be for a much smaller tool in a sheath designed for a Surge.
It didn't fit.
I could only get the Surge in about halfway before it jammed up good.
Trying to put the original Surge in all the way resulted in the sheath breaking. :facepalm:
But, maybe I got it wrong- maybe the designer thought he had an older Surge and maybe it would fit the newer one instead. So, fitting the sheath back together I grabbed the MTO Million Post BO Surge and tried that.
Def
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Much like the original Surge, inserting the New Surge caused breakage, first in the same position as the original, and then it snapped the little hook off the backside that the base of the handle is supposed to nestle into.
This week I may try increasing it by 5-10% and reprinting, but doing it straight up, this one just doesn't work.
Def
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I wasn't quite ready to give up on the Surge sheath fail, but I wanted to try something different, so I decided to give the Gerber Belt Clip Holster (https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3125916) a shot instead.
Because of the way this one was designed, I needed to add supports, which is basically a thin structure to support bits that stick out that can't be properly printed without something to print on- for example, if you wanted to print a capital letter T, you would need to print supports on either side of the vertical line to support printing the horizontal line.
This means the project uses more filament and takes more time, but as it ensures a better completed project, it's worth it.
I took some pictures during the print so you can see the inner support structure, and the outer "wings" of the sheath. Note that it is also being printed upside down, as that's where the flattest surface is.
Def
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You will also notice the crosshatch pattern inside the structure. This is to reduce weight, the amount of filament used, and the print time- if one wanted more strength, they could increase the infill percent and use more material, but again, I am starting all of this with recommended settings. I have lots of time to fool around with it later! :D
This one printed at least as perfectly as the Surge sheath, and I as very pleased with the result.
My first test after removing all of the support structures was the belt test, and, unlike the Surge sheath above, this one passed. Not by much mind you, but then I wouldn't want it any looser. It fits well on my belt, as if it was made specifically for it. Apparently the designer wears the same kind of belts I do.
I then grabbed the Multitool.org edition Gerber Pro Scout (https://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,66990.0.html) and was happy to see that, while snug, the ProScout fit in it nicely. I like that it's snug, but at no point did it feel like it was stressing any part.
This is a very well designed sheath, and I'm looking forward to putting a bit of mileage on it. I wore it to the grocery store and it was a bit more comfortable than I imagined it would be.
I'd absolutely print this one again, at least at this point. But, we will see how it manages in actual use. I don't know how easy it is going to be to draw the MP600 when I need it.
One quick note- this won't fit a MultiPlier.
Def
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Learned some good lessons with those sheaths designs :salute:
I like the different designs :tu:
I may have some design files somewhere of a bit holder that fit inside a Zippo :think: need to see if ai can find them and send them if you want :cheers:
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Sure, I'm game! :tu:
Def
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Found them and emailed them to your gmail :cheers:
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Got them safe and sound. I will look into them today, and see if I can dig up a Zippo somewhere too!
Def
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The guy who sent then designed it and had it in a Zippo :cheers:
It looked really awesome :like:
It is probably for the LM flat bits :think: I forgot to mention that :ahhh :D
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It may look a bit ugly at first, but with some sanding to get the glue stick residue off it, I think this Apple AirTag MOLLE attachment is quite handy.
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:5496065
It actually has two pieces- the main body as shown in the pics, and a retention ring that keeps the AirTag in it.
The retention ring doesn't seem to actually fit, but that's okay as the AirTag snaps in quite solidly and the strap holders are so tight that the holder won't come loose from the strap without a fight.
If you decide to print this one, don't bother with the retention ring. :D
Def
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Oops, forgot the pics! :facepalm:
Def
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Good idea with that holder :salute: :like:
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Good idea with that holder :salute: :like:
I like it because you really can't see that there is a tracker hidden inside. My thought is that if i cleaned it up and put a sticker or something on it then no one would think there was an AirTag inside it at all- it would just look like a fancy decorative thing.
I'd thought of also getting a military rank pin or something and mounting it on there, which would encourage the "nothing to see here, just a fancy bauble" type mentality.
Def
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You could definitely make it blend in on a pack :tu: :like:
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I have been printing a bunch of things lately- I've tried a couple of whistles, but so far none that actually make noise, another watch stand (a duplicate of the second, smaller stand because I am running out of filament) and I am printing some glasses holders for my Dad since he keeps misplacing his glasses.
I have more filament on order, so with any luck I will have a more photogenic color soon! :D
Meanwhile, I was so disappointed in the Surge sheath and so thrilled with the MP600 sheath that I decided to try one for the Wave.
I picked this one for really no other reason than it came up first in the search: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1682943
It printed beautifully, with no issues, and if I'm honest, I really like the texture of 3D prints, especially for things like this. The PLA plastic is slick, but at least the ridges from hundreds of layers of plastic provides a nice texture for grip.
I don't have any pics of the Wave in the sheath right now, but I have test fitted it and it fits very nicely. I held it upside down and shook the crap out of it, and at no point did I feel like the Wave was going to come out. Yet, when I wear it on my belt and want to draw it, it comes out very easily. It also returns to the sheath very nicely.
The only issue I have, and this is with all plastic sheaths, not just this one- is that if you whack your fingers on it, it hurts.
Also, depending on what you drive and where you wear it, the hard sheath can dig into your hip or back when sitting in a chair or a car.
And, as this one has a closed belt loop (which just barely fit my belt) there's no easy way to take it off without risking a 3 Stooges moment.
Again, these are generic problems with any hard sheath and shouldn't take away from this one- as far as hard sheaths go, this one is actually pretty sweet, and I would absolutely print it again.
I'll get more pics today- I promise!
Def
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As promised, here are some photos, and I apologize for the one photo where I obviously haven't been keeping up with my Buns of Steel VHS.
It fits this 2004 Wave beautifully, but I haven't tried it with an Original Wave or Wave + yet. I can't imagine there would be too much of a difference.
Def
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And, unlike the Gerber and Surge sheaths, this one is labeled to remind you of what it's for! :D
Since I am already posting photos, I might as well also show the first glasses holder I printed for my Dad. That STL comes in three sizes- the big one is too big for my machine, the medium size just fits and no more, and this is the small one. In case it isn't obvious, the glasses sit on the nose with the folded legs going into the slot in the middle. When he is wearing the glasses he looks an awful lot like Elton John!
I'll print a few more for him, so that he has one in all the obvious spots in his house, and then maybe he will put them in the holders rather than just putting them down in any old place and not being able to find them again. :facepalm:
Def
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I decided to have a bit of fun with the glasses holder guy.
Megan pointed out that I used two different googly eyes (I hadn't noticed when I pulled them out of the package!) and I think its hilarious and I'm just going to run with it.
:D
Def
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:rofl: :like: :like:
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I know it was probably culturally inappropriate of me to do that, but in my defense, it's damn funny!
Def
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I've been making a lot of spaghetti monsters lately, but I think I am getting it back on track.
Last night I made a grappling hook for one of my drones, just in case I ever get another one of my drones stuck somewhere!
This morning I fired up the machine again to try making a sheath for the Skeletool, you know, because the Skeletool already has a pocket clip and a carabiner and that's not nearly enough ways to carry it! :ahhh
This one worked out well, and fits the Skeletool very nicely. As a bonus, it is also big enough to fit on my belt, and so that makes it far superior to the Surge sheath I tried earlier!
I'm not sure this is how I would choose to carry the Skeletool, but if one wanted a hard sheath for it, they could do worse than this one.
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2222815
That said, this was a bit of a messy design, requiring several supports that I'm pretty sure wouldn't have been necessary if the designer had put even a little thought into it. For one, the belt loop is squared, stuck to the back, and raised enough that it needed a support that was almost 1/4" high. If it had been angled out form the body of the sheath rather than 90 degrees, it wouldn't have needed a support. Additionally, the model was oriented sideways, which would have required even more supports. If you try this one, make sure to reorient it first.
I also find the edges/corners a bit on the sharp side, so it may have been nice if they'd been rounded off a bit.
Def
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Very cool. I have thought about getting a 3D printer.
I know our local library has one that patrons can use. I plan on finding out the rules so I can experiment on it, before purchasing my own.
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I think you will find they have become remarkably affordable. There is one model at a large, blue electronics chain that is available for less than $100, and at that price there's really not much stopping anyone from giving it a shot.
Def
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Just to update this a bit- the Wave sheath fits the 2004 Wave (Second Generation) and the Wave + but not the original Wave.
Def
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Some time ago a coworker asked me if she designed a candle mold, could I print it for her. I asked what kind of candle mold she wanted and she said one that would make these candles for a UCO candle holder.
After a quick search on Thingiverse I found that someone had already designed these molds so she didn't have to. It blew her mind that this kind of thing existed!
I printed off a mold for her and asked her to let me know if it worked. She just sent me an email thanking me for the mold, and that it worked so well she wants me to print a few more for her so she can make three candles at a time.
This is the joy of a ,3D printer- spending a few hundred dollars to save the cost of buying a $15 item. :rofl:
Unfortunately I printed them in almost the exact same yellow as the beeswax she was using, but you should be able to figure out which is which!
Def
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One more pic.
Def
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I've got a little bit of a milestone for myself today- I have finally designed something from scratch that I then managed to successfully print.
I wanted a small holder for a Tile Sticker to put on my dog's harness.
(https://forum.multitool.org/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=90557.0;attach=549694;fs=101543)
As my dog is VERY tiny (he's filled out to about 13 pounds) I wanted a smaller Tile than the Mate he was wearing, so I got a sticker. I'll have some comments on that in the url=https://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,90573.0.html]Tracker Thread[/url] shortly, but, like the Airtag, there's really no direct way to attach it to his harness, so I decided to make one in Fusion 360.
I'm not overly skilled in Fusion 360, so it probably took me a lot longer to do it than it would for someone who knew what they were doing, but I'm proud of myself nonetheless.
Also, the final product really won't work as I didn't take into account the small button on the side of the Tile Sticker. :facepalm:
So some redesign will be necessary, but that doesn't take away the cool feeling I have from making something completely from scratch.
Hey, I know it's a little thing, but I'm counting it as a win anyway.
Def
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Third and final (for now) version!
I'm pretty darned happy with this newfound superpower of creating something from nothing! :D
Def
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Nice, I have one that the kid gave me like two Xmas ago, we tried for like two weeks to get that thing going and just never printed anything, some how the onboard comp got cleaned out and he even tried to reprogram it but we just never got anywhere, so it sits in the attic doing nothing..
JR
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Nice one - and big step.
Making the model yourself certainly gives options and freedom to make you want. :cheers:
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It was a really great feeling, even if I had to make three different versions until I found one that actually worked the way I wanted it to!
That having been said, there are a few changes I would make to this version too, in case I feel up to going to Version 4. :facepalm:
I also think I may try doing a version of AirTags too, which will be much the same thing, but with a slightly bigger... circular.... thing.
As it is now, the strap holders are a bit wide for my dog's harness, but they are perfectly sized for MOLLE webbing. I wonder what could have influenced that particular measurement.... :whistle:
All in all, I am sure many of you design much more complex items than this every day, but for a complete amateur I am taking it as a win!
Def
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I am now also experiencing 3D Printer anxiety.
Last night I started printing a hexagonal shelf (https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2486729) that I thought may be neat for displaying SAKs and/or multitools, but it was going to take 12 hours and 40 minutes to print.
It looked good when I went to bed last night.
It looked good when I got up this morning,
It looked good when I left for work.
It should have finished about an hour after I left and I am really anxious to see how it came out, or if it turned into a dreaded spaghetti monster after I left. I have made many of those already, and it's not fun. :facepalm:
My first Tile holder above failed miserably- the first pic I posted of it was actually the second one I made.
Def
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All in all, I am sure many of you design much more complex items than this every day, but for a complete amateur I am taking it as a win!
It is definitely a win. And like most things the more you make the more you learn. You're on your way! :cheers:
I've actually done relatively little design work the last year. (The main prototypes have been contraptions to avoid schools and packs of fish and make them swim through one by one in an orderly fashion regardless of species, size and general misbehaviour. With size differences being 100:1 that isn't as easy it sounds. Many small will go in the same opening as one big fish, some will stop and block, others will return back the wrong way... Herding sheep is easier!)
I never tried Fusion 360 but many seem to use that. And for most stuff most solid modellers are very much alike.
Edit: My cure for 3D printing anxiety was DLP resin printing. That replaced result anxiety with chemical smells and what not. I've been banned from use in the house! :twak:
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My machine uses only PLA and I don't find it has a smell, at least not one that I notice.
This isn't actually a 3DC since I don't often carry plants with me, but this was my most intense build to date- the software estimated it would take 14 hours to print, but in the end it worked out to just over 22 hours, probably due to all the supports. I don't know that the supports were 100% necessary, but I included them anyway. I figured with such a heavy build I didn't want to take any chances.
Here is the original file: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2049003
Unfortunately my machine isn't that big, so I had to scale it down a bit. :facepalm:
Still, my thought is to put cat grass or similar in it, which will make it look like it has a green mohawk. :D
Def
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That is a long print. I've seen some jars with holes in the sides which are used for growing strawberries indoors. So maybe some strawberries out the eyes and nose for good measure?
Some years ago I made copies of old skeleton keys still used in some doors around here. The most work was measuring the skeleton part of the keys. They got printed as two halves that got glued together. That worked surprisingly well.
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Yeah, I am not in a hurry to do another print that long. I find the longer they take the more my anxiety of a blob or spaghetti monster grows! :ahhh
Def
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Not sure if anyone's done one of these so I hope y'all don't mind me trying to contribute.
https://www.printables.com/model/824674-multitoolorg-logo
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Very cool!
I will have to give it a shot! :tu:
Def
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Again, not a 3DC type print, but definitely another long one. This one has been printing since 8pm last night, and it's currently around 9am now. It's still going. :ahhh
And this is only half the print- there's still a base that needs to be printed, but my printer wasn't big enough to print both at the same time. :facepalm:
And, this has been reduced to 80% of the original size, again because my printer is too small.
But, given the texture and color of the filament I have been using lately, how could I not print this? My lack of faith would be disturbing.....
Any guesses?
Def
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I guess Darth Wader for anything bust like and black...?
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That's so cool :like:
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I guess Darth Wader for anything bust like and black...?
The Force is strong with this one!
Def
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That looks real good! I'm printing some dividers for my wife's bathroom drawers. Basically nothing exciting.
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As I understand it, that's what a 3D printer is for. Using a $300 machine to make the odd $5 part! :D
The base for Darth Vader went a lot faster. I'll post a pic shortly, but first I have to file down the connection point as it doesn't quite fit. That's what I get for scaling it down to fit my machine I guess!
Def
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As I understand it, that's what a 3D printer is for. Using a $300 machine to make the odd $5 part! :D
You forgot to include the $50 work :D
I used to have a prototype workshop for machinery, and every now and then someone "civilian" would drop in and ask to have some part made. The conversation usually went like this: "Surely you can make this? For some reason is silly expensive from the dealer or manufacturer". So many belived that we would be able to beat a manufacturer, who has specially made setups for mass manufacture and quality control, at the price for a single part. Totally disregarding work with replicating/ 3D CAD, the work setting up fixtures and machinery tools for the part, programming the machine(s), and then finishing and quality control...
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Yeah, I had been looking at a machine a while back that I thought would (might) work for that kind of thing. It was a 3D scanner and printer all in one. I figured, put the old part in, scan it, pull it out and the machine prints out a duplicate.
But, since chances are the part you want to replicate is broken, that would involve some work on the computer to "repair" the part or the machine would just print another broken one!
Neat idea, but limited use, at least at this point I think. Still, it's getting us closer and closer to Star Trek replicators!
Here is the finished print of Darth Vader. It came out pretty good I think- now I just need to decide if I want to paint the switches on his chest or not.
Def
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That looks pretty good! :like:
I've mostly used mine to print brackets for cables, drawer dividers, and party favors for the kids' birthdays. My daughter wanted a dino themed party last year.
(https://i.imgur.com/pQMbmle.jpg)
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Those are great!
I'm trying not to print too many decorative type things as I have too much useless crap around the house already. I'm trying to stick to useful things, but the color of this particular filament pretty much begged for a Darth Vader print.
Def
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Another victim of the dark force! It works in mysterious ways. :D