My 3DC

[Grant Lamontagne]

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.   

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 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

[Grant Lamontagne]

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

[Poncho65]

Very cool! I have wanted a 3D printer myself and may try to get one sooner rather than later

[Grant Lamontagne]

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

[Grant Lamontagne]

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 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

[pfrsantos]

You could use a cut-out of MTo's logo. It would save filament and look even cooler.

 

[Grant Lamontagne]

It's on the list, I just need to get a bit better with design software to get there. 

Def

[pfrsantos]

It's on the list, I just need to get a bit better with design software to get there. 

Def

[PitCarver]

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.

[Grant Lamontagne]

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.   

No worries, I have thinner/smaller belts so this isn't a deal breaker.

Def

[Grant Lamontagne]

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. 

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

[Grant Lamontagne]

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

[Grant Lamontagne]

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 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

[Grant Lamontagne]

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! 

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 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

[Poncho65]

Learned some good lessons with those sheaths designs

I like the different designs

I may have some design files somewhere of a bit holder that fit inside a Zippo need to see if ai can find them and send them if you want

[Grant Lamontagne]

Sure, I'm game!   

Def

[Poncho65]

Found them and emailed them to your gmail

[Grant Lamontagne]

Got them safe and sound.  I will look into them today, and see if I can dig up a Zippo somewhere too!

Def

[Poncho65]

The guy who sent then designed it and had it in a Zippo

It looked really awesome

It is probably for the LM flat bits I forgot to mention that

[Grant Lamontagne]

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. 

Def

[Grant Lamontagne]

Oops, forgot the pics!   

Def

[Poncho65]

Good idea with that holder

[Grant Lamontagne]

Good idea with that holder

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

[Poncho65]

You could definitely make it blend in on a pack

[Grant Lamontagne]

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!   

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

[Grant Lamontagne]

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

[Grant Lamontagne]

And, unlike the Gerber and Surge sheaths, this one is labeled to remind you of what it's for! 

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.   

Def

[Grant Lamontagne]

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.

 

Def

[Poncho65]

 

[Grant Lamontagne]

I know it was probably culturally inappropriate of me to do that, but in my defense, it's damn funny!

Def