I love my 3D printer, had it about a year and I keep coming up with stuff to print. Turns out I have a lot of bits for my coffee too. Here's a list of stuff I've found or designed and printed: * Funnel for manual grinders * Funnel for with storage bottles * Holder for storage bottles * Distribution tools * Portafilter holder for wall * Tamper holder for wall * Portafilter support for weighing/tamping * Foot for my Feld2 to stop it falling over! * Various other bits Some stuff gets used all the time, other bits probably a waste of time, but the brilliant thing is that they're really cheap to make and relatively quick (compared to buying something and waiting for it to be delivered). [URL=https://i.imgur.com/8Rkijor.jpg][IMG]https://i.imgur.com/8Rkijor.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

I can see your next project, a split plug for the cable…to press into that hole 😉 [upl-image-preview url=//i.imgur.com/7fYF9yD.png]

@"DavecUK"#p6309 actually that's a good idea!

I agree @"Jordash"#356, 3D printers are very useful. The only coffee related item I’m still using is a dosing ring that locks onto the lugs so you don’t need magnets (https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3807340). My original pid was in a 3D printed case too.

My drip tray is 3d printed, though not by myself!

What I want to know is, what do you feed the printer to tell it what to print? A hand drawing, a CAD drawing, what about sizes and dimensions? For example, what was it you fed the printer to make say your portafilter wall holder? I ask this, because I know it isn't as simple as just buying a 3D printer…is it? Which means having one and actually making anything from it, is way above my brain's pay grade.

I got this 3D printed WDT Tool from Etsy. Works great and looks better than needles stuck in a wine cork. [URL=https://i.imgur.com/zfoajMG.png][IMG]https://i.imgur.com/zfoajMG.png[/IMG][/URL]

@"drdre89"#p6602 It does, how much did it set you back?

@"Pompeyexile"#p6601 The general process is: - Create or download a 3D, to scale, CAD model (usual format is .stl) - Run .stl through a slicer program - This converts the 3D model into layer by layer instructions for the printer to follow (known as a gcode) - Load the gcode file into the printer and print it You are right that if you get a 3D printer you should teach yourself how to model. You can not bother, but then you’re limited to only being able to print what others design. The beauty of having a 3D printer is being able to quickly create something custom just for your needs. For example it wouldn’t take long to design a plug for the hole that @"DavecUK"#1 highlighted in @"Jordash"#356 pictures at the start of this thread. Total cost to print would be a few pence (the most common plastic for 3D printing is PLA, which costs around £20 per kg). Doing CAD models for these sort of structural things isn’t as hard as you’d think. I use Openscad, which works by adding together and subtracting shapes. For example, to design the plug for @"Jordash"#356 hole can be as simple as adding together two cylinders (one the size of the hole and one a few mm bigger to act as the cap and stop it being pushed through), and then subtract another cylinder for the wire. It’s a bit more complicated if you want rounded edges, but certainly not impossible.

@"drdre89"#p6602 meanwhile, I'm awaiting delivery of this: B Blesiya Needle Coffee Tamper Distributor Espresso Stirrer Stirring Tool, Made of 304 Stainless Steel - Black https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09KTSCV8K/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_i_DYMBTN0DMQDB7BPJ9ABH

Hornbyben…You lost me after the line 'the general process is:' and as for adding this and subtracting that and if you want round edges it's even more complicated, just for a small thing to plug a hole with a cable running through it…How the hell did someone ever manage to print a working gun for chuff sake!!!? I marvel at people like you who are so technically savvy. As for me, maths and sciencey stuff are complete enigmas to me. Even this thing I am communicating to you on now frustrates the hell out of me, because I can see no rhym or reason why it sometimes just stops doing something that it has done without issue for months, and I have to contact one helpdesk or another to sort it out. But, ask me to bake a cake…I'm your man.

Who else uses 3D printed Coffee Accessories?

thusband

Thanks @hornbyben, I briefly looked at Openscad before Tinkercad but computer programming isn’t my forte so I passed on it but your recommendation had me looking at their tutorial and the programming language actually makes some sense so I’m going to look a bit harder.

hornbyben

thusband There’s definitely a bit of a learning curve, but then it’s very efficient. I think the thing I like the best is the precision, versus moving something but hand with the mouse.

DavecUK

Pompeyexile Now that is the sort of thing I understand. It’s a bit like (choc=200g, cocao powder=100g, castor sugar=200g) would give you a cake that’s Mmmmmmmmmmmmm….Lush!

Unless I’m making it….

hornbyben

Pompeyexile I assume anyone can learn anything, if you prepared to keep trying and don’t put too much pressure on yourself. As a kid you keep trying, whereas as an adult if you don’t pick it up as quickly as you like you just assume you can’t and give up.

Having said that more time spent on cakes might give a better return for your time

Jordash

Yeah, so I’m a Mechanical Engineer by profession. I been 3d modelling as a job for over a decade. Outside of work I use Fusion 360, there is a bit of a learning curve, but it’s hugely powerful and legitimately free for personal use.

Anyone looking into it should find some tutorials on YouTube there’s loads of good ones.

Jordash

hornbyben I reckon I need to print on of these and try it out.

hornbyben

Jordash It works surprisingly well, and doesn’t rest inside the portafilter like some of the designs. The only annoying bit was digging out the support filament, as there isn’t a way to print without it.

spasypaddy

i had a friend print me a wdt tool and a holder. i then bought a 3d printed dosing ring with magnets off ebay for a few quid.

this is such a great innovation and when i have the space i think i’ll buy a 3d printer

thusband

Yeah, they’re a lot of fun. I think the real fun begins when you learn to design your own stuff (I’ve just started that). Something from nothing.

I remember twenty years ago I saw a 3D printer in a machine shop. It was huge.

dutchy101

I receive notifications from Indegogo for kickstarter projects after backing the Skuma water project and I was sent information about this 3D Printer project. I couldn’t believe how cheap the printer was. Looks like quite a fun 3D printer for home use / good for kids.

thusband

@dutchy101 how cheap is the printer? It really looks cheap. I’d be leery. That kid’s toy was multiple colors which would be very hard to do on that printer I bet.

Someday, though, they’ll be as common as a tablet computer. Everyone will have one on their counter to print stuff they need.

DavecUK

thusband All looks a bit too good to be true to me.

dutchy101

The price on the Indegogo site is about £75 - so pretty cheap

dutchy101

Quite possibly. I haven’t ordered one, but remember being surprised at how cheap it was at the time I saw it

hornbyben

It’s certainly cheap, but a couple of things jump out that would make me think twice:

0.7mm nozzle. They tout this as a positive as it makes the printing fast, but the down side they don’t mention is that the flip side is resolution. It means you can’t print a line less than 0.7mm wide.
Very small bed size. The max size you can print is 80×80×80. I think this would be pretty limiting. For comparison a 200×200×200 print size is not unusual. You might think you never print anything big, but once you have one you start seeing opportunities. The lamp shades in the hall and kitchen are 3D printed. This easily lets you have a very modern look for pennies.
It looks like it’s exclusively app controlled to work. This concerns me, especially for a new company. Without maintenance an app vanishes, and then you’re left with a useless piece of hardware. Apps also cost money to maintain, and at some point they will come looking for revenue. Perhaps a charge, or they discontinue support. It’s a fact of life that if you own something app controlled or that relies on the cloud it has a definite shelf life.
A lot of 3D printers go onto crowd funding sites and don’t make it

That doesn’t mean it would suit a particular persons use case, and it’s certainly cheap, but I’d make sure I was comfortable with those limitations.

Jordash

At the minute the sweet spot for a ‘cheap’ printer is about £200 (such as the Creality Ender 3), that’s what I’ve got. In reality if you get into printing, you’ll spend far more on filament than £200 in a year. But I agree 80 × 80 × 80 is pretty limiting. I’ve seen some very good small printers with a 120 × 120 × 120 volume and that would probably suit 80% on my printing, but every now and again I find myself wanting larger than the 220 × 220 × 250 I have at the moment.

SiblingChris

I use a dosing funnel designed to fit my eureka zenith 65e grinder, it’s a simple thing but does save a lot on spillage, and by a lot I don’t really mean so much the amount of coffee but the time and hassle of keep cleaning it up. https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4773071

thusband

@SiblingChris I’m still trying to find the perfect funnel for my Niche. I have several that are close but no cigar. I think the answer is to design my own but I’m not there yet as far as Fusion 360 goes and Tinkercad might not have the capability. I’m not sure yet, though, as I’m still learning my way around.

SiblingChris

thusband .. Well I was lucky to find what I needed on thingiverse . I don’t even own a 3d printer! Had my nephew download and print it for me 🙂

https://www.thingiverse.com/search?q=Niche+funnel&type=things&sort=relevant

thusband

Thanks @SiblingChris. I haven’t seen a few of those. Others I’ve tried. I use a Decent portafilter holder and it throws most funnels off. I’ll give a few of the ones I haven’t tried a whirl.

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