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).

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.

    Pompeyexile 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 highlighted in @Jordash 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 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 meanwhile, I’m awaiting delivery of this:

      B Blesiya Needle Coffee Tamper Distributor Espresso Stirrer Stirring Tool, Made of 304 Stainless Steel - Black

        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.

          I just got my Prusa Mini+ 3D printer a few weeks ago and love it. Now I’m trying to learn a CAD program. I have Fusion 360 but find it’s a little more than I can handle right now so I’m learning Tinkercad which is a lot simpler. Basically adding and subtracting shapes.

          I’ve downloaded and printed several portafilter funnels that should work with my Niche, 58mm Lelit portafilter and the Decent portafilter stand on the Niche but so far none do the job. I think the only solution is modifying or designing my own funnel. I did print out a little stand for the metal cup that fits over the socket screw in the base.

          Fun stuff. 3D printing has come a long way.

          You’ve made a lot of cool stuff. Well done!

          Pompeyexile luckily cakes are definitely more important in life than 3D printing 🤣

          @thusband, I definitely recommend giving Openscad (http://openscad.org/) a go. It’s completely open source and very powerful. It works like a programming language, where you write what you want, e.g. cylinder(r=5,h=10); would give you a cylinder with a radius of 5mm and height of 10mm. This takes a bit of getting used, but makes it very easy to be precise. You can also reuse code, for example if you need countersunk screw holes you can make a model of a screw and the keep subtracting this from what your designing to leave the holes.

              hornbyben cylinder(r=5,h=10); would give you a cylinder with a radius of 5mm and height of 10mm.

              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!

              I will take a look at openscad.org because whilst I am 63 and thick as pudding when it comes to technical stuff, I do believe you can teach an old dog new tricks.

                  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.

                    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.

                      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….

                      Contact me

                        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

                          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.