[HN Gopher] A 3D-printed ethernet RJ45 clip to secure/repair/fix... ___________________________________________________________________ A 3D-printed ethernet RJ45 clip to secure/repair/fix broken tab Author : mmastrac Score : 394 points Date : 2022-11-24 16:12 UTC (6 hours ago) (HTM) web link (www.thingiverse.com) (TXT) w3m dump (www.thingiverse.com) | jccalhoun wrote: | If modern laptops even have ether net ports, they seem to the | kind with the little spring loaded flap because the laptop is too | thin for a normal ether net port. So I'm surprised they haven't | made a slim lightning connector type ether net port. | rnhmjoj wrote: | I had the same thought some time ago and went looking for | alternatives to the 5P5C connector. It turns out they exist and | are used in industrial applications, like the "ix Industrial" | [1], precisely because how fragile the standard connector is. | Unfortunately there's no standard and the designs are | proprietary. | | [1]: https://softei.com/wp- | content/uploads/2020/03/Hirose_10-03-2... | MartijnBraam wrote: | Or... snip off the connector and crimp a new one on. | djfobbz wrote: | This is a very good design! Great job and thank you for sharing. | Happy thanksgiving everyone! | oso2k wrote: | This one is fine. But I had better luck on my booted CAT6A cables | with this other design. The longer one is what I used and even | then, I had to shave the nose a mm or two. | | https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2009495 | FounderBurr wrote: | Copying is not designing | jameshart wrote: | Looks like a poor match for FDM printing. There's no orientation | where the layers won't leave some part of this component very | weak. In any orientation, it requires support material; in the | suggested print orientation, it requires _internal_ support | material, which will leave rough surfaces on areas of the part | that have to interface and fit with the ethernet jack. | | Essentially doesn't really look like a 3D-printing project so | much as an injection moulded part design. | travisporter wrote: | What about sla? | longtimelistnr wrote: | Sla should be fine. However I do believe this part can be | redesigned to become fdm friendly | stevenhuang wrote: | FDM prints are usually stronger than SLA prints. | | Not sure why you think an FDM printer can't print this | component with sufficient strength, it'll be plenty strong | enough. | stevenhuang wrote: | > Printing the tab from the base to the tip in X-Y axis makes | it stronger and more flexible since its printed in one | continued string. | | The component won't be undergoing any stress at all, and for a | continual print like above it will be plenty strong for the | application. | markandrewj wrote: | The best option is probably re-crimping the cable, but in a pinch | you can make an extra clip with spare zip ties also. | | https://www.cabletiesplus.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/0... | thesaintlives wrote: | Brilliant! I have a servo cable that needs this. | moffkalast wrote: | That's fantastic, just about every one of these cables I have | eventually ends up tabless. They're just built so flimsily that | breaking them is a complete inevitability if you need to plug | them in more than once, they're like a 5 time use cable. | | Comparing it to other types of connectors, RJ45 is probably one | of the worst ones out there (at least VGA has screws that don't | break), but it's also as prevalent as USB-A so I wonder if | anything will ever replace it. | 3np wrote: | The worst in my book is micro-HDMI. So many broken connectors, | adapters, and cables... | | Even before USB-C became an option, mini-HDMI is just a | different league of reliable without being that much bigger. | | A broken RJ-45 is still usable and fixable. A broken micro-HDMI | makes you feel lucky it was the cable and not the device that | goes in the bin this time. But only after hours wasted on | fiddling with it because the closest shop carrying them | wouldn't arrive until after the weekend. | bbarnett wrote: | _They 're just built so flimsily that breaking them is a | complete inevitability if you need to plug them in more than | once, they're like a 5 time use cable._ | | Erm? You must be exaggerating a bit, I use cables/connectors | hundreds of times with zero isses. | | Misuse / mistakes happen, yes. But? | moffkalast wrote: | Naturally it's an exaggeration, but it really depends on how | careful you are, quality of the cable, and quality of the | port. Laptops, especially, I've found absolutely eat the tabs | since you move them around and often have collapsible ports. | somat wrote: | So the 8 pin modular connector(rj-45) may not be the best | connector in the world(the 8088 sas connector is a serious | contender for that honor), but it does one thing better than any | most connectors, it is designed to be field terminated, and as | such is easy to fix. the crimping dies are ubiquitous, the | process is simple. because of this single fact, I think it is | better than just about any other connector in widespread use. | because you can fix the infernal thing. | | As such the article left me a bit confused, why not just cut off | the end and putting a new plug on? with an 8 pin connector this | is very easy. But I am in the industry and tend to have a crimper | close to hand. perhaps some are not as fortunate. | Smoosh wrote: | > the best connector in the world(the 8088 sas connector is a | serious contender for that honor) | | Overly complex. BNC bayonet FTW! It's main fault is the lack of | good strain relief. | chrisdalke wrote: | Your comment is right above someone saying RJ-45 may be the | worst connector! That's just the internet I guess. | | I think both opinions are right. If you're a professional | working in the field, RJ-45/8P8C is awesome because you can do | large runs of cable and crimp on connectors after which is a | lifesaver. The longevity of the connector is less important | than ease of installation/replacement. I've done a little work | with marine ethernet and CAN which uses M8/M12 circular | connectors and those are pretty painful in contrast. | | For consumers, it's exactly the opposite. They're unlikely to | have the tools to crimp connectors. Most cables off Amazon come | with lots of plastic that makes the cables rigid so it's a pain | to route and use in a home. | anordal wrote: | Yes, field termination is mostly for permanent installations, | but luckily, there are also proper "industrial" connectors | that are field terminable. Such as Harting's PreLink M12 | connector: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35DKv6bhadI | | When I say "industrial", I mean for home use, of course. | There is obviously a lot of potential for a more robust yet | cost effective and practical connector for home use. Field | termination being no excuse. First off, even metal 8P8C | connectors have plastic tabs. If single-pair ethernet ever | takes off, the "industrial" M8 push-pull connector seems a | good one. | | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethernet_over_twisted_pair#Con. | .. | JoBrad wrote: | The adapter actually looks easier to use than the tab on some | Ethernet cables. | puffoflogic wrote: | The pictured cable has that built-up end which is supposed to | prevent cable strain; re-terminating requires discarding it. | somat wrote: | I am not sure how important the strain relief is, I never | bother, but if you really want strain relief there are | connectors with it. sometimes they have a metal band you have | to crimp around the cable. | akira2501 wrote: | The strain relief is for machine made cables where they | glue or melt the relief into the plastic plug. Almost all | manual crimp connectors have a strain relief built into | them that's meant to grab the jacket and hold the cable | right at the entry to the plug. | | All my RJ45 and RJ45-EZ connectors in my bag have this | locking strain relief tab at the back. | madaxe_again wrote: | I mean, sure, but reterminating with a new, not broken RJ45 only | takes 30 seconds, and they cost peanuts. | justsomehnguy wrote: | I mean, sure, but reterminating with a new, not broken patch | cable only takes 30 seconds, and they cost peanuts. | | But sarcasm aside, you don't want to reterminate a pre-made | patch cable. Under a very strange Universe fluctuations where | you don't have a spare patch cord, spare 8p8c jack with a | crimper _but_ you do have a 3D printer with a plastic loaded | and ready to print.... | michael1999 wrote: | How do you re-terminate stranded cable? I struggle to terminate | solid-core in less that 5 minutes. | silversmith wrote: | Not much to it. Every individual wire is wrapped up, and | stays that way. You just need the stranded cable caps with | teeth that pierce through the individual wire wrapping when | you crimp down on them. Keystones are a pain tho, nobody | seems to make them for stranded cable. But you can terminate | the cable coming out the wall with a standard cap, and shove | a connector where a keystone would go in the socket. | | All those things I learned after accidentally buying tons of | stranded cable for re-wiring my house :) | klyrs wrote: | It's quite a process, apparently. Amusingly, their "all-in- | one" tool doesn't do it all. | | https://www.truecable.com/blogs/cable-academy/how-to- | termina... | supermatt wrote: | OH MY! Pass-through RJ45... Why havent I seen these before. | Arghhh. Im going to have to order some now. | CodeWriter23 wrote: | Yeah, I thought "what kind of newfangled abomination is | this" earlier this year, grumbling it was all that was | available at Home Depot at that moment. Pleasantly | surprised upon using one though, what a great time saver. | Mikealcl wrote: | Easier than you think but one of those things easier to show | than do. Muscle memory skill. | dekhn wrote: | What do you mean stranded? If you mean standard ethernet | cable, it's 8 solid wires. Putting a keystone block takes | about 1-2 minutes (with a tool). I spend more time figuring | out which wire goes where than the actual retermination. | danuker wrote: | Stranded as in each wire being made up of smaller wires. | | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wire#Stranded | | These are typical in pre-capped wires. While they allow | more flexibility of the wire, their ends are hard (if not | impossible) to change. | dekhn wrote: | I've never seen stranded wire in an ethernet cable, but I | see it's a thing. I occasionally turn my male-male | ethernet into male-female with a keystone block and never | see stranded. | | I dabble in electronics and I eliminate stranded wire | whenever I find it. Some people love it but I find it | really inconvenient. | burntwater wrote: | Solid Ethernet cabling should generally only be used on | permanent building cable that never move. Stranded should | be used on patch cables and cables that get moved around. | Beyond being more difficult to handle, regular movement | will break solid copper, often leading to intermittent | connectivity. | Akronymus wrote: | Stranded ones are very common in patch cables. | wrigby wrote: | Cable bought on long spools to install permanently is | usually solid, while patch cables are usually stranded. | Most of the time, you'll end up buying pre-terminated | stranded cable, and all the cable you terminate yourself | will be solid. | CodeWriter23 wrote: | You have to use an RJ-45 for stranded cable, not solid. | somat wrote: | The trick is the jack, you need the plug for stranded cable. | and don't try to use stranded plugs on solid core, as I found | out the hard way it is nothing but pain. | pxx wrote: | 30 seconds? I can hardly even get the wires in the right order | in that amount of time and don't get me started on shielded | connectors... | CodeWriter23 wrote: | I hardly think this add-on clip is an appropriate fix for | applications requiring shielded connectors. | pantalaimon wrote: | Eh maybe if you are used to doing it. I always fail miserably | and the cable gets ever shorter. | mastax wrote: | I don't have problems with RJ45 tabs breaking off. I do have two | problems with the connectors: | | 1. Sometimes the connectors don't latch properly in the port and | fall right out. I try to bend the tab out further to help it | latch but it never stays. | | 2. Some patch cables have rubber over moulding that covers the | latch that's so stiff that I have trouble getting it to release. | Who even wants the latches to be covered? One of my cables has a | thin rubber tab over the clip that stops it from snagging on | things, I guess, but doesn't inhibit unlatching. But it seems | that the most popular over moulding is the terrible one. | travisporter wrote: | To counter your experience tho, the clip helps with cable from | coming out of my router, the rubber helps with the tab breaking | when it caches on another cable. | asddubs wrote: | well, clearly the latches are covered so it doesn't break off | because something gets caught behind it | iLoveOncall wrote: | I have printed this very model and it wasn't compatible with any | of the cables I tried. It's also extremely weak and will break | very easily (they all broke within a minute of trying to install | them). | | It's less than 10 min of print time so it's worth trying, but | expect it to fail. | actionfromafar wrote: | I'm starting to think I have dreamt this but... wasn't there an | IBM Ethernet cable with instead of the little tab ending in ... | nothing, it was a little bridge that went back down, so nothing | to hook/snag on. But it didn't look quite like the 3D printed one | here, but it was symmetrical looking, like a tiny tiny arch | bridge. | | Oh, and it was made of springy metal, in this maybe dream. | opan wrote: | Unsure if IBM is involved, but there is the "industrial | ethernet" connector that's different. | | Tried to find it and found a few variants, but the one I had in | mind is the "ix industrial ethernet" that's used by the MNT | Pocket Reform. | JoBrad wrote: | Pretty sure I've seen a version of this cable that had a solid | tab that bent in the middle. I have no idea what the brand/name | is, and just spent way too long looking for it. It wasn't | metal, but sounds like a plastic version of what you're talking | about. I remember really liking them. | | Edit: I think this is it. https://linkup.one/linkup-snagless- | rj45-cat6-stp-connectors-... | enriquto wrote: | Heh. The first thing I do with a new ethernet cable is to break | the clip, laptop side. It's orders of magnitude better to have an | occasional disconnection than to trip with the cable and make the | laptop fall from the table. | | I did not invent this. I've seen legendary graybeards do it. I | see it as a rite of maturity, like cyclists who discard the caps | of their presta valves. | liotier wrote: | Send DM - I have a carton of broken RJ-45 cables to sell you ! | hollerith wrote: | There are no DMs on this site. | Firmwarrior wrote: | you just hunt the guy down IRL based on his writing | patterns or any personally identifiable info he let slip | over the years, then leave a scrap of paper with the DM in | his real-life mailbox | VincentEvans wrote: | What are those for? My laptop has internet, but I don't need to | plug it anywhere for it to work. Is this for computers like | they had in the really old movies like Back to the Future? | AdamTReineke wrote: | I'm convinced that a wired connection is better for video | calls. Just like headphones. I'm my opinion, those two things | are table stakes for a good remote work experience for your | coworkers. | bombcar wrote: | Yep my wired is 10Gb and it is better than wireless. | Mogzol wrote: | I was convinced of that until I was forced to stop using a | wired connection (moved to a room that didn't have | ethernet). I'm on wifi now and notice literally no | difference compared to when I was on ethernet. As long as | you've got a decent router/AP, modern wifi is really not | bad. I get a consistent 400-500 Mb/s up and down with no | hiccups. On my wifi 6 devices I get closer to a Gb/s. | ornornor wrote: | It's not only throughput. Wifi is more susceptible to | jitter as well. But yeah in some cases wifi works well, | whereas wired always works well. And if wired doesn't | work then your internet connection is bad and wifi won't | help either. | mig39 wrote: | This is the best troll comment ever :-) Look at the replies | taking you seriously :-) Including me. | | When you have a lot of wireless devices, for every one you | take off wireless, you have less radio traffic, less | interference, and everyone else has a better connection :-) | | In my network, unless something _has_ to be wireless, I run a | cable :-) | Smoosh wrote: | Same with me re wired whenever possible. | | Especially for things like streaming boxes which want a | good connection and use high bandwidth. | | I save the wifi for things that really need it, and they | should be faster as a result. | russdill wrote: | There's a large number of reasons, reliability, bandwidth, | latency, security, but really with the rise of thunderbolt | and USB c docks there's no longer a need to plug a laptop | directly into Ethernet. | TacticalCoder wrote: | > but really with the rise of thunderbolt and USB c docks | there's no longer a need to plug a laptop directly into | Ethernet. | | Especially when the laptop does _not_ have an Ethernet | port. For me it 's USB-C to Ethernet adapter when my laptop | is in my office room, and pathetic WiFi elsewhere. | | I take it I should try one of these USB-C to USB-C magnetic | things (a la Magsafe): don't know if they're any good. | comboy wrote: | Guys, VincentEvans has almost 10 years old account, I doubt | he needs these explanations. I've never seen such joke | being misinterpreted on HN. Heartwarming patience for | youngsters though. | Firmwarrior wrote: | Cables are so that you don't lag in the middle of an | important boss encounter at work or play when someone turns | on the microwave | bornfreddy wrote: | Off topic, but if your microwave does that, it is time to | either fix or retire it. | ornornor wrote: | Why? Do you mean because it leaks microwaves? I believe | that's an urban legend as you'd notice very quickly. | | Microwaves always kill wifi for me if they're in the path | between device and AP. | bagels wrote: | What's an urban legend? That your kitchen microwave leaks | rf? I'd be surprised if any of them somehow didn't. It | takes a tremendous effort to stop all rf leaks in a | device. | myself248 wrote: | This happened to a coworker of mine. He was having | sporadic wifi trouble, always in the evening but not | every evening. Plugging in wired would always solve it, | so it was definitely a wireless problem. | | I handed him one of my old Ubiquiti M-series APs, the | ones with the spectrum analyzer function built in. Showed | him how to use it on his laptop, how to turn in a circle | and estimate the azimuth of the source, etc. He went home | that evening and as soon as his connection dropped, he | fired up the analyzer. Very quickly localized the source | to the driveway side of the house.... to the neighbor's | kitchen. | | At that point he called me for advice, and I said to | knock on the neighbor's door, because this is really | unsafe. He put me on speakerphone and I was able to tell | them what we found, and they cut me off, saying they knew | the door seal was damaged -- it got torn a few weeks | prior when someone caught something in the door -- they | just had no idea it was a big deal. (It's normal to feel | a warm draft near the corner of the unit since the fan | exhaust blows out down there, so the warm-sunshine | feeling wasn't distinct enough to alarm anyone.) | | They replaced the microwave the next day and the problem | went away. | newaccount74 wrote: | Ethernet has more bandwidth and lower ping than Wifi. And is | mostly immune to interference. If you have a lot of devices | on Wifi, it helps to put your main devices on Ethernet. | pletnes wrote: | Often true, but since many a corporation now prioritizes | wifi or stops deploying ethernet to avoid the cost, AND | wifi keeps getting better, the lines have crossed for me. | Oh and I need a USB-C to ethernet dongle. Oh, and a cable. | TL;DR for me, wifi now beats ethernet at work. | celtain wrote: | Thanks to USB-C I just keep my Ethernet cable plugged | into my monitor (via a USB dongle), and now when I plug | in my external display I not only get power but also | wired networking. | brian-armstrong wrote: | Your company comes to your home to deploy internet for | you? Fancy! | funhatch wrote: | What's a laptop, grandad? I can code on my tablet /s | dmd wrote: | I learned recently that most high school students around | here (fairly affluent Boston suburb) write papers - even | long 10+ page ones - on their phones. | munk-a wrote: | What's a tablet grandpa? I code in Roblox /s | [deleted] | lm28469 wrote: | Not all networks are wireless enabled | phyzome wrote: | I can't relate to this at all! If I have a broken clip, I can't | get the plug to stay in for more than about 5 minutes. And I | never route the ethernet cord somewhere where I'll trip on | it... | aulin wrote: | what's this thing about presta caps? cyclist for 10+ years, | never heard about it | ruiseal wrote: | The caps on presta valves aren't necessary as there's no way | for dirt to get into the valve stem (unlike Schrader valves | which can get clogged). The caps are useful for transporting | the tube though to prevent the valve from puncturing | anything. | | Wheel reflectors are also pretty useless so you can remove | those too. Plus you save some weight. | ornornor wrote: | > Wheel reflectors are also pretty useless | | Never understood that. More visibility = potentially | slightly less likely to get hit by a distracted driver so | why remove the shiny reflectors spinning on your wheels? | | And what's a 20g saving per wheel when we carry so much | more extra weight on our bodies. | ilikejam wrote: | These... | | https://reflectivesupplies.co.uk/products/salzmann-3m-scotc | h... | | are better than plastic plate reflectors in every way. | askvictor wrote: | Interesting. Though I'd argue that if the valve gets dirt | on it, then eventually, when you unscrew it, some of that | dirt will get deeper (particularly if you're completely | flat and there's no pressure to push it out), and perhaps | stop if from sealing perfectly. But I try to keep gear | running for a very long time; this approach might be from | cyclist who replace things a lot more often? | | And yes, wheel reflectors are utterly useless. | adrianmonk wrote: | Seems like laptop ethernet jacks should be built to do this. | | Grip the tab, but lightly, so that a small force will pull it | out. | renewiltord wrote: | The valve cap thing is really funny. It's funny. I upgraded to | a nice aero bike with Dura Ace everything, and then promptly | got in an unrelated motorcycle accident and gained 25 lbs. | | My weight gain is some multiple of how much I saved. Those | Zipps have been outdone by my own gluttony. But one day I shall | make the valve caps matter! | myself248 wrote: | Can also just buy a bag of 'em: | https://www.techtoolsupply.com/RJ-45-Quick-Plug-Easy-Repair-... | | I'm still working my way through the 50-count bag I bought in | 2018; evidently I don't actually encounter that many broken | cables, they just exert an outsized effect on my psyche when I | do. | dheera wrote: | But do you want it delivered in 2 days or 30 minutes? | mad182 wrote: | I just cut off the broken connector and put on a new one in 2 | minutes... | opan wrote: | I actually thought the 2 days was for the 3d printer on first | read. Are they not incredibly slow these days? | Mogzol wrote: | They're slow, but this part is also very small. 30 minutes | is a pretty good estimate. | kotaKat wrote: | The 2 days of waiting beats the 6 hours I'll spend cursing | why the 3d printer isn't printing "just right" later today to | be able to wait 30 minutes for it to finally print out a | handful of them. | fnordpiglet wrote: | Clearly not written by an engineer. | kotaKat wrote: | Nah, I have too many other ADHD projects on my brain to | try to suddenly squeeze in "figure out the 3D printer | again" ;) | bombcar wrote: | A true engineer orders the part and then immediately | starts trying to build it. | fnordpiglet wrote: | Fair point. | myself248 wrote: | Well, well, well, if it isn't my unauthorized biography! | windexh8er wrote: | I'm legit confused as to why this is a thing. Crimping ends is | dead simple with pass-thru style RJ-45 tools. I don't think I'd | trust these "repair" connectors for anything important. | | For price comparison a pack of EZ RJ-45 (Cat6 rated) is around | $20 and a pass thru crimper is about the same. Even cheaper if | you go old school. | runjake wrote: | Because recrimping is a pain, and this fix is quick and cheap | and they stay secured well. | | But yeah, pass-through RJ-45 is great. | gambiting wrote: | I don't own a crimping tool or spare connectors. I do however | own a 3D printer and lots of spools that sit around doing | nothing. This is probably the coolest thing I've found to 3D | print in a while, I'm very excited to try it. | pmontra wrote: | I crimped Cat6 cables recently and found out that it's not as | easy as crimping Cat5 years ago. Maybe it's the older me but | I ended up with a lot of failed cables to redo. Eventually | the price per working cable is not that good. Next time I | bought tool less Cat6 plugs and sockets. Not only they are | faster to work with but they are fool proof. Not a single | faulty cable. They cost more per piece but for people like me | they end up being cheaper. | kadoban wrote: | I feel like you were probably just rusty if you haven't | done it for a while. I barely know what I'm doing, don't do | it often enough to really get good, don't have great tools, | and I still get 80-90% success rate. | anarazel wrote: | I have had decent success using self crimped cables for | 1gbit, but for 10gbit my success rate is way lower. Which | makes sense, but has made me more hesitant to crimp | myself. | kadoban wrote: | Yeah that's a good point, 10g is likely harder. | eurasiantiger wrote: | The connector stays the same, only the latch clip is | replaced. Add a drop of elastic superglue if in doubt. | jibe wrote: | Is there a specific crimper you recommend? | roperj wrote: | The Klein VDV226-110 | subhro wrote: | I prefer https://www.truecable.com/products/all-in-one- | crimp-and-term... and pretty much every single one of their | tools. | myself248 wrote: | Oh niiiiiiiiice. That looks like it fixes every single | complaint I've had about similar tools. | | I hope the ratchet is good; I just had the ratchet blow | out on that Klein that everyone recommends, and I went | back to my trusty Ideal Telemaster. | tunap wrote: | Klein hand tools. Full stop. | | Below is my favorite. Caveat, it takes some getting | accustomed to if you're used to the standard plier | style(They make those, too). | | edit:plier handle style, not wrench | | https://www.kleintools.com/catalog/cable-tools/ratcheting- | ca... | repiret wrote: | I've got that tool and I couldn't be happier with it. | Works good, does RJ11, supports pass-through RJ45, has | the color coding on it so I don't have to look it up. Not | too pricy too. | joshu wrote: | Another vote for exactly this. It's great. Get the | passthrough connectors | Damogran6 wrote: | But then how do you justify your 3d printer? | | (Kidding, I already know you justify them by printing bottlecap | openers.) | code_biologist wrote: | I've recently been printing a lot of terrain STLs for | miniature games (MyMiniFactory or patreons are great) using a | 0.25mm nozzle on my FDM printer, then airbrushing to paint | them quickly. It's a far more satisfying justification than | just printing random brackets and boxes! | specproc wrote: | Yeah, this. Such a cool and interesting scene. | ornornor wrote: | Speak for yourself! I get the most enjoyment and | satisfaction out of printing spare parts to fix things I | own but for which parts are unavailable or prohibitively | expensive; or to design add-ons to make the things I | already own work better for me. | | To me it's the opposite: printing dust-gathering figurines | and other baubles with a 3D printer seems rather | unappealing. | | To each their own! | ninth_ant wrote: | For folks who actively play games with minis (as is the | case with the person you replied to), a 3D printer is an | excellent addition to the hobby. | gerdesj wrote: | I like both! | | I printed a set of new hinges for a large outdoor plastic | storage unit. It has my lawn mower, strimmer etc in it. | It would have been skipped years ago because the doors | kept falling in or out. Bit embarrassed that we bought | the bloody thing in the first place but printing new | hinges has avoided landfill and a replacement. The new | hinges have lasted four years and counting. SW UK, local | unofficial temp range -5C to 35C in that time, so not too | nasty. The PLA has discoloured a bit due to UV but not | gone brittle. | | I also have some little tanks on my desk and a dragon. | There's some phenomenal models on Thingie. | rainbowzootsuit wrote: | I've been enjoying gridfinity to keep the print head warm on | long cold nights. | | https://old.reddit.com/r/gridfinity | blamazon wrote: | For the unfamiliar, gridfinity is a project kicked off by | Zack Freedman, who makes awesome YouTube videos with his | life partner: | | https://youtu.be/ra_9zU-mnl8 | | (Yes, that is a monocular HUD on his face, it's his | teleprompter. There are a bunch of videos on the channel | chronicling the various iterations of it) | PostOnce wrote: | A 3D printer has taught me mechanical engineering like my | computer taught me programming | GeorgeTirebiter wrote: | Although this seems to me like saying "learning BASIC has | taught me Computer Science" -- yes, the principles of MechE | can be learned by study + some actual 3D printed models. | But to truly grok MechE, you need mastery of some CAD | program (OpenSCAD is my choice, but I also use FreeCAD), | and the ability to fabricate in some other materials | (metals) using subtractive methods. Plus, you know, a | little math here and there... | | I like your reasoning tho; I got mine when it was on sale, | and just before the pandemic - so I have plenty of | learnings about PLA, ABS, PETG, temperatures, glue or not, | surface, and most of all -- plenty of piles of material | creating 'modern art' rather than my planned masterpieces. | '-) | shepherdjerred wrote: | I think you took this the opposite way. My interpretation | was that using a computer (web browsing, editing word | documents, whatever) doesn't teach you CS. In the same | way, using a 3D printer doesn't (by itself) teach ME. | GeorgeTirebiter wrote: | Well-put. | | Perhaps, distilled, it's this: having a 3D printer, by | itself, won't turn you into a MechE. But, if you do have | a 3D printer, you can learn the basics of ME and try out | some practical ideas with real parts. | | I specifically got my 3D printer to make gears. I do have | a Sherline mill, as well as a 12" (Chinese) lathe; so I | do have the specific tools to create involute gears out | of metals. However, since I planned on doing so many | different gears, as I wasn't really sure what I needed, | AND the fact that with subtractive manufacturing, if you | make certain mistakes, you throw the whole piece away and | start over -- 3D printing makes creating new parts as | trivial as starting it up again. The other total win of | 3D is e.g. Thingverse where you can d/l a design -- it's | the closest thing we have to Star Trek's replicator. | | Lastly, Michael Faraday wrote an entire book on candles. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Chemical_History_of_a_C | and... So much can be learned from little! | [deleted] | VBprogrammer wrote: | Definitely made learning a bit of CAD more interesting when | you can actually apply it to real life. | matthewmacleod wrote: | Obviously you use it to print 3D printer parts. | dustymcp wrote: | Is 3d printers as annoying as their 2d cousins ? | kristopolous wrote: | I just got nightmares about trying to interface one | through CUPS | GeorgeTirebiter wrote: | Funny thing, except for the occasional 3D print that | becomes a pile of plastic, they're pretty good. Keep it | clean, level, change the nozzle occasionally, use good | quality material, and it's pretty good. | | For 2D printers: they are just money pits due to the | toner costs; and do everything they can to make sure you | buy Their toner. Buy a name-brand color laser, use it | sparingly, and it's a wonderful way to have the | occasional color picture, graph, or research report | w/color diagrams. (I have a Brother, which I like.) | wccrawford wrote: | It certainly depends on your printer. Some are incredibly | reliable, and some are known for being crap. | | Of course, you can upgrade them, but if you have an off- | brand printer it can be hard to find good upgrades to fix | the problems. | | I started off with a clone of a decent printer, but the | clones are iffy. I lucked out and got a good one! The | next one I bought from that brand was _crap_. | | I recently printed a Voron v0.1 and it's been decent so | far, and I'm working on some upgrades. Luckily it's | really popular and there are lots of known upgrades. The | kit was more expensive than my other 2 printers combined, | and it's a _lot_ smaller... But I 'm planning on using it | to completely retrofit at least one of the other 2 now. | myself248 wrote: | Not hardly. | | They have problems, but they're usually easily solved, | and you'll never fight with drivers. | | Furthermore, the cheapest 3D printers are _made_ to use | with generic supplies, it's not like the "give away the | inkjet, sell the ink" model you see with 2D printers. | They're almost universally based around open-source | software and mostly-open hardware now, so there's a | thriving ecosystem of mods and upgrades, which can be | bewildering but you don't need any of that at all to get | started. | | The problem is that they're mindblowingly slow. A typical | 3D print might run 5 or 10 hours, to make a functional | object like a desk pen organizer. And because parts of | the thing get hot, you don't want to leave it unattended | -- fires are rare but they can happen. So, you have to | plan your prints around your life, or vice-versa. | | Mercifully, the default mode of operation is just to read | files from an SD card that you sneakernet over to the | thing. That gets annoying if you're doing a lot of small | prints and tweaking things (and there are network options | for that, or direct USB connection), but it's a godsend | when your printjob is longer than your workstation's | typical uptime... | Ptchd wrote: | I justify the 3d-printer for printing prototypes.... of | course they aren't ideal for production... | | At less then $200, it is well worth it. | the_cat_kittles wrote: | exactly what i use it for- prototypes, one off jigs and | such, spacers etc. its so useful for stuff that needs a | certain awkward geometry and fairly high dimensional | accuracy. i just dont see myself ever using it for | production parts, though i do have a 6 ft auger i printed | which has moved tons of material by now with no problems | Ptchd wrote: | It's perfect for iterating/debugging designs... | | I think you should tell more about the 6ft auger though! | :) | capableweb wrote: | I like the design in the submission more, as it doesn't seem | like it'll break as easy as the one you linked. Those you | linked have that "open backside flap" that breaks so easily | when you're pulling cables around and it gets stuck on | something, quickly breaking off. While the submission one has | both sides closed, so pulling a cable means it won't get stuck | anywhere, much preferred. | mmastrac wrote: | I had no idea this existed and I think I need to buy a bag. | marcosdumay wrote: | And to carry a few around at my pockets everywhere. | actionfromafar wrote: | I just had the (to others obvious I'm sure) ultimate idea | endgame - we will all have a mini 3D printer in our | pockets, with a library of handy things. | mcbits wrote: | It's a 1 cent item being sold for 22 cents, probably at least | 30 cents with shipping. The 3D printer can't compete with the 1 | cent but can compete with the 30 cents and definitely with the | $15 if you really only need one clip and the "spare parts I may | never use" drawer/closet/room is full. | latchkey wrote: | I might just have to buy a 3d printer now. | Filligree wrote: | If you're serious about that, then please consider the Bambu | Labs P1P, X1, or any of the Prusa printers. | | There are cheaper ones, but they're all terrible. Personally, I | think the X1 is the best. Prusa's printers are good, but a | little dated. | dawnerd wrote: | I dunno if I would call cheaper ones terrible. My 99 dollar | Ender 3 Pro with a couple mods does extremely well | considering the price. The detail you can get out of it is | more than enough for what I've needed it for. I'd highly | suggest trying the cheaper ones out first, especially if you | live near a microcenter. | grepLeigh wrote: | I think the amount of modding/tuning required to achieve | good results with a low-end printer is a turn-off for most | people. Imagine if you had to spend 40-100 hours modding | your microwave before you could start cooking quick | weeknight meals - that amount of effort isn't worth the | trade-off unless you're a modding enthusiast. | | I second the recommendations for Prusa and Bambu Labs. My | Prusas are especially reliable for daily tasks, and started | my obsession with 3D printing a few years back. If you have | an open weekend coming up, the self-assembly Prusa kit is a | delightful example of excellent technical documentation. | newaccount74 wrote: | I recently bought a Prusa Mini+ (self assembly kit) and | it is truly a fantastic product. The documentation is | phenomenal. The step-by-step guide makes it very easy to | assemble, and the best part is that when you are done you | know every part and understand where to open it if eg. | the filament gets stuck somewhere. | roboben wrote: | X1 means Artillery Sidewinder X1? | Filligree wrote: | Bambu Labs X1 | silversmith wrote: | Sure, if you are very serious about it. But anecdotally, a | lot of folks buy 3d printers only for them to gather dust. | Unless you are really up there on income, get something | cheaper to start. Ender 3, while being _objectively_ worse, | can be had for peanuts compared to Bambu Labs printers. I | have one sitting in the room next door, bought on a whim | after noticing a very good deal. While I would love a better | one, it has taught me what at-home 3d printing can be used | for, and what are the main features to look for in the next | upgrade. And the limits of applicability I 've run into have | thus far been mainly down to materials and my design | capabilities, and better hardware won't solve those. | chrisdalke wrote: | 3D printers have exited the hype cycle and now are in two | categories: | | People who bought them as a cool consumer gadget similar to | VR. These printers are gathering dust because there | ultimately isn't that much interesting plastic junk to | print. | | Silently churning out hundreds of rapid prototypes a month | for engineers & makers. In my circle it's just become an | assumption that you have 2-3 printers running when | prototyping a project. 3D printers have just become a | background tool rather than something that you actively | tinker with + improve. I got mine down to decent print | quality and haven't upgraded it in years, but print daily! | grepLeigh wrote: | I make monitoring/automation software for 3D printers, and | I'm thinking about adding a "make something every day" | achievement to help with this. I'm collecting | handy/functional prints (like the OP) to make it easy to | achieve. | | It takes a lot of activation AND creative energy to figure | out something useful/functional to print, then execute on | your vision. | silversmith wrote: | Please consider "make something every week" instead. With | how long it takes to think up and design truly useful | prints, especially if you have a day job that does not | involve CAD... "something every day" will mean "something | off of the popular page on thingiverse every day, then | into the bin next day" for many would-be achievement | hunters. | grepLeigh wrote: | That's a much better idea, thank you! | chubbnix wrote: | Given the lifespan of plastic products I don't think it's | so bad that people let their printers sit unused for | extended periods of time. If you don't have a | useful/desired object to print I would rather they not | make a plastic object that will last hundreds of years | and cannot be currently recycled except by doing it | yourself. I would be concerned that achievement hunters | would in fact be motivated by your idea and will be | printing benchies or other useless objects they don't | actually want to keep the streak up. Maybe instead you | could make a handy way for the users to list their print | wishlist so they could keep it running with stuff they | need/want instead of the ritual. | makapuf wrote: | I print PLA and I don't think those are very durable. | Sure, ABS is. That's why I think for the kind of widgets | were printing, i think it's best to use flimsy PLA. | grepLeigh wrote: | Thanks for the comment. I hadn't considered that people | might print junk just to get an achievement, but that | does seem like an obvious misaligned incentive now. | | Maybe it'd be better to collect models that solve a | specific problem, like "kitchen drawer organizer set" or | "cable management kit." I want the game-ification to help | provide activation energy needed to do something creative | and get into the habit of using the 3D printer to solve | household problems. This has certainly helped my house | buy less plastic crap shipped from overseas. For example, | I need a new dog poop bag dispenser for my curb - instead | of buying one, I'm going to 3D print one. =) | | If I do launch something like this, I'll make sure the | naming is "Make Something Useful" or "Make Something | Functional." | VBprogrammer wrote: | I've just remembered that while having our second child the nurse | couldn't get the monitoring in the nursing station due to one of | these clips. The ethernet socket was quite high up the wall so | the weight of the cable was handing from the slightly broken | clip. Thankfully even in my frazzled state I was able to suggest | turning the cable around end for end so that the one with a good | tab was plugged into the wall. | Waterluvian wrote: | There's a joke on Instagram of a lady in the delivery room | giving her partner (an electrician) a stern look because he's | testing the outlets for compliance and discussing why some are | inverted with the ground up. | | I'm picturing you and your partner having a similar scenario | and it's rather amusing. :) ___________________________________________________________________ (page generated 2022-11-24 23:00 UTC)