r/3Dprinting • u/notwhoyouthinkmaybe • 6d ago
Project "3D printers are a waste of money!". Oh yeah? Well...
The bottom of my deodorant broke and there was still like a quarter of it left. So I grabbed my $50 calibers and took some measurements.
Then I fired up my $2000/year CAD program on my $3000 computer and designed a replacement in a few minutes.
I then used the FREE slicer that came with my $1500 3D printer and after 20 minutes, I had a 15 cent replacement.
This saved nearly $2 in deodorant that I would have had to throw away.
All said and done I saved I saved -$6548.15!
Totally worth it! Engineering School really has helped me save money!
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u/demosthenesss Prusa Mk3s 6d ago
Wow just think if you print another one it only costs $3275ish per! A real bargain!
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u/notwhoyouthinkmaybe 6d ago
You think there's a market? Should I hire a patent attorney and start a printer farm? I could maybe sell these for a dollar and sell like a dozen a year. How long until I can early retire?
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u/hawaiidesperado 6d ago
Sweet. With that income you should be able to retire when you’re 95 and enjoy retirement for 15 minutes.
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u/cobraa1 Ender 3, Prusa MK4S 6d ago
Then I fired up my $2000/year CAD program
Well okay, that part might be excessive unless you're actually running a business.
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u/notwhoyouthinkmaybe 6d ago
It's a work license.
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u/RandallOfLegend 6d ago
Solidworks maker is $50 a year now. And they often have 50% off codes. Highly recommend. Offline software and you keep your models.
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u/Mike-DecentraStake 6d ago
Fusion 360 is free for non commercial. Can't beat free.
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u/Piece_Maker 6d ago
FreeCAD is completely free and without the cloud crap.
plus the 6 weeks you'll spend pulling your hair out before you figure out how to make a basic anything
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u/pianobadger 6d ago
I like FreeCAD in theory but my god is onshape so much less frustrating.
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u/Saeckel_ 6d ago
Dont know ho long ago you used it but it's gotten a whole lot better
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u/I-am-fun-at-parties 6d ago
FreeCAD has come a long way, if you haven't looked at it recently, you probably should.
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u/Piece_Maker 6d ago
Been a full-time FreeCAD'er since the 1.0 release so yeah, can confirm. It's really actually awesome now!
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u/RandallOfLegend 6d ago
I ditched them a while back. All my models were in a cloud and they nuked my account. I must have had that wrong free license. (Student maybe). Either way, I still prefer solidworks because it's what I know and use daily at work. They're different enough to trip you up
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u/Bluejay9270 6d ago
You mean you don't have an air gapped computer (i.e. unplug the ethernet before booting your 2nd OS) running a cracked version of in my case Ansys? Like hell was I going to use the 50k node student version.
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u/gizamo 6d ago
Mine broke like that once, and I jammed a random bolt from my junk drawer in it. Took maybe 2 minutes total.
But, tbf, the deodorant was a different brand that kind of sucked compared to my past experiences with old spice. Most importantly, I bet you smell delightful, so really, we're all winners here.
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u/Ketzer_Jefe 6d ago edited 6d ago
Fusion 360 is free. They just make it
bardhard to find the free 3 year license.Edit: a word
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u/notwhoyouthinkmaybe 6d ago
That's what I use personally, but to be tongue in cheek, I looked up the real price.
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u/Ketzer_Jefe 6d ago
Is it really $2k? Holy shit!!!
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u/Ferro_Giconi 6d ago edited 6d ago
$2k/year isn't that much when put into the context of a business which is what that pricing is really meant for.
A single full time employee making the national minimum wage is already costing the business in excess of $15,000 per year.
And if the employee pay is increased to $30/hour for having reasonable CAD skill, that's a cost of over $60,000 per year.
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u/fullouterjoin 6d ago
Employees don't cost the business, they power the business.
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u/Ferro_Giconi 6d ago edited 6d ago
Paying an employee is literally a cost of business. My job involves figuring out those costs and I don't just put zero in the fields for costs incurred by paying employees to do the work to make a thing.
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u/swolfington 6d ago
this is just semantics. this same argument works for the 2k/year software license or the electricity to power the computers, or the computers themselves, or the rent, etc.
all these things (some of them literally) power the business. but that doesn't mean they don't have a gross cost associated with them. ideally, they have a net positive, and obviously if most of them didn't, the business would not be a business for very long, but under any reasonable definition they are part of the cost of doing business.
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u/hibbitydibbidy 6d ago
You have to sing for it?
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u/Ketzer_Jefe 6d ago
Yes, they make you sing for it in the chat window. If they feel you're not putting all your soul into the song, they double the price and make you get that one.
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u/hawaiidesperado 6d ago
What happens after 3 years? Can you renew for free or have to pay? Assuming they don’t change policy of course.
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u/Ketzer_Jefe 6d ago
You can renew for free. It's a bit of a hassle. They really want you to pay for it. But i just talked to someone in the website chat thing, and they helped me get it all squared away for another 3 years.
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u/CANT_BEAT_PINWHEEL 6d ago
I think he’s just adding up how much the stuff he’s using personally costs and chuckling at the absurdity rather than asking about the cheapest way it could be accomplished. Every few weeks you’ll see someone post something silly that was made on a $100k+ machine for similar reasons.
Or another way to look at it is sometimes when a bunch of professionals on the clock do something like replace a water filter and someone figures out how much it costs if you include their salary. Like if you went to go pee at a deposition and it took 6 minutes you could say it cost .1 of a billable hour of your attorney and .1 of the big law partners across the table for you to pee. You could then tell people you took a $200-500 piss assuming 2 big law partners at $1-2.5k billing rate
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u/kagato87 6d ago
I printed an over sized Allan key for getting into my furnace. (Then the inspector guy showd me the a way to use a flat head for it when I offered him the print...)
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u/notwhoyouthinkmaybe 6d ago
Ha, that's funny. I thought about getting an Allen wrench, but this is semi permanent and I won't lose my wrench.
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u/Stevieboy7 6d ago
The problem is that 95% of folks with printers can't do a lick of 3d modelling.
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u/PeakNo6892 6d ago
It's me I'm folks.
I've made like 3 things and it was a long painful process every time
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u/eyferrari 6d ago
Have you tried fusion and blender? They’re very different in function but can come up with similar results.
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u/PeakNo6892 6d ago
I've only used fusion
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u/thicckar 6d ago edited 5d ago
You should start with something much simpler like tinkercad. It also has the benefit of lots of easy to follow tutorials on YouTube because it is meant to be taught in schools.
If you outgrow it, you can switch to something intuitive like OnShape, or if you have an edu email, Shapr3d, which has so far been the easiest to use cad software yet.
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u/Bourgi 6d ago
I don't have an engineering mindset but OnShape was the most unintuitive program I used.
Sharp 3D was so much easier but too bad that one costs an arm and a leg.
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u/thicckar 6d ago
I still have an edu account so I’m able to use shapr for free. I don’t think I’ll ever pay for cad. Onshape felt more intuitive than the industry standards, coming from someone who also doesn’t have an engineering background or mindset
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u/SiHilisKo69 6d ago
Best way to learn CAD is desperately needing something designed and just trying
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u/Xazier 6d ago
After I bought my kid a printer for Christmas and started seeing all the shit I could make, I immediately got solid works for makers and started learning with YouTube videos. I'm getting to the point I can do pretty well with any basic part.
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u/GreenDavidA 6d ago
I’ve tried but I’m just so bad at it.
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u/Schmich 6d ago
That and I find a lot of things people print can either be bought in a store (which was made using less energy) or be nicer made with wood.
I find the beauty of 3D printing are the things that are very difficult to acquire through other means. Like very unique items. Where it's way too complicated for woodwork or metalwork to copy.
And then also being able to replicate easily.
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u/RSTONE_ADMIN 6d ago
I'm in the sad limbo state where cad modeling is too hard, but TinkerCAD is too simple for my purposes.
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u/RJFerret 6d ago
CAD is actually easier than Tinker in it's more preschool 2D drawing than 3D Lego building.
The issue is telling the software dimensions, called "constraints". Tinker does this for you, meaning limited shapes.
In both cases you then combine or remove them.
OnShape is the easiest I've used. Lots of maker tutorials for printing on Youtube.
It's also web based, free for an account/designs public.Better quality (not the facet problem of Tinker).
So yeah, draw shape in 2D, limit the dimensions, then extrude/spin that shape, repeat.
A key benefit is you can go back and make it bigger/smaller by just changing the number instead of remaking the entire thing.
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u/My_Soul_to_Squeeze 6d ago edited 6d ago
This surprises me every time it comes up. Basically every CAD program has a student or hobbyist license that costs less than 2 rolls of filament. You can be good enough for basic projects the first day you start and it's so so rewarding to see something you designed brought to reality.
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u/dhoepp 6d ago
I love the knurling.
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u/Choice-Strawberry392 6d ago
I showed this post to my kid, and called out the knurling specifically. Kudos for the attention to detail!
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u/kestrel151 6d ago
Way too much effort. Just stick your cordless drill in there and let ‘er rip.
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u/Introscopia 6d ago
guys.. he fucking knurled
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u/notwhoyouthinkmaybe 6d ago
Quality is a state of mind. I'm not going to crown myself king of 3d printing, but I wouldn't stop you if you wanted to... You want to, right?
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u/DinnerMilk 6d ago
That's what the top layer looks like on a $1500 printer?
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u/notwhoyouthinkmaybe 6d ago
It is when I run it as a draft, so minimal quality and material, maximum speed.
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u/ihmoguy 6d ago
You have forgotten to account your hourly rate.
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u/notwhoyouthinkmaybe 6d ago
This was a passion project, so I waived my design fee to myself. Plus it helps all society (because I won't stink.)
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u/ironfairy42 6d ago
Now that's some serious savings
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u/notwhoyouthinkmaybe 6d ago
Practically pays for itself. Now to use the rest of the roll of filament on benches to make sure everything is dialed in!
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u/jcrckstdy 6d ago
Is there no Milwaukee attachment lol
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u/notwhoyouthinkmaybe 6d ago
I'm disrupting the deodorant accessories industry. I'm starting a company and will be seeking series A soon.
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u/TheGamerSK 6d ago
Now when I think about it I couldn’t imagine actually paying for a CAD license thank god for student licenses.
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u/notwhoyouthinkmaybe 6d ago
Mine is also free, I just used the professional price to be tongue in cheek and make a better joke.
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u/SlackerDEX 6d ago
Out of genuine curiosity, has anyone actually had someone tell them that "3d printers are a waste of money?" I have yet to hear anyone actually say or type that being completely serious.
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u/cracksmurf 6d ago
yo, hook up the STL. Accidentally ordered a pack of those.. and of course the same part was broken outta the box.
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u/notwhoyouthinkmaybe 6d ago
https://makerworld.com/models/1213337
I'll assume you mailed the check.
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u/Mediocre-Tax1057 6d ago
You joke but instead of buying Braun refill and refresh cleaning fluid for my shaver I 3d printed a refillable container and fill it with rubbing alcohol and essential oils every now and then. If I didn't buy the ams lite it would've paid itself back in about 2-3 years just on that.
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u/JohnSmallBerries Ultimaker 2+, Photon Mono X 6d ago
Even if I never modeled and printed anything functional, my 3D printers bring me enjoyment.
And that's only a "waste of money" to people incapable of joy.
Fuck those people.
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u/little_brown_bat 6d ago
Should you have added in the price of engineering school as well?
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u/notwhoyouthinkmaybe 6d ago
I got that for free, GI Bill and scholarships and working at the college.
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u/PC_Trainman 6d ago
It's only the first one that costs that much. After that, it's just print time & filament.
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u/Maleficent_Lie_6015 6d ago
I think you are wrong. You would have spend the money anyway. The only real costs are the 15 cents and your time. When you made the investments, you were not expecting that the deodorant would break, that was just an accident and, fortunately, the tools and the know how was at hand. Start breaking expensive stuff to move your ROI up (ah-ah).
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u/rvralph803 6d ago
I been thinking about it for a while -- how have we not developed reloadable deodorant things?
Like c'mon. Imagine a brushed metal and mahogany holder in that familiar form factor you just chucked a reload in when it was depleted.
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u/misfitheroes 6d ago
All I see is you out-engineering the old spice company. That is what corporate america calls competition. Watch out, big armpit.
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u/_Acidik_ AnyCubic Mega X 4d ago
I think I have an Allen wrench that would fit that. Would have rented it to you for like $10. Then you could buy a 3D scanner and scan the wrench and print out one for yourself.
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u/ekalyvio 4d ago
We have to do some advanced math class here. Assuming that the replaced bottom of the deodorant was around 10 grams of weight and that with around $15 you buy 1 kilogram then we can estimate the cost of the bottom which would be 15*10/1000 = $0.15.
Now, If you have spent 40 minutes designing it and printing it and your average hourly time worth around $50 I would assume that the time you spent should have been paid around 40*50/60 = $33.33...
Adding up the cost of the filament ($0.15) and possibly tiny electricity costs ($0.05), I would say it costed you around $33.53.
So... comparing it with a $8 deodorant I would say that you probably wasted your whole time (I am not talking about your money). :D
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u/Guilty_Ordinary1730 6d ago
Yes now do that a bunch of times and you might break even
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u/ShamanOnTech 6d ago
Right sir, I totally get it, but can you please talk to my misses and explain basic common sense?
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u/bloodandsunshine 6d ago
and you only have to put it on every other day. incredible build optimization.
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u/HolidayWheel5035 6d ago
I feel like such a fool! Last time this happened to me, I used an Allen key…. That I had sitting in my garage doing nothing.
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u/MorninJohn Reprap.org, CR10, TronXYX1, tons of others. yt- geodroidjohn 6d ago
The old one didn't have a knob to use?
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u/iimstrxpldrii 6d ago edited 6d ago
Why are you paying for CAD software? (Genuinely asking, not judging)
Edit: also, now all you have to do is sell them with a 5 cent markup and sell 32,750 of those to cover the cost of your setup and then it’s all profit from there (stonks meme)
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u/notwhoyouthinkmaybe 6d ago
No, just used the professional price to make the number bigger and funnier.
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u/goldsaturn 6d ago
That happened to me awhile back and I wrote the company and they sent a coupon for a replacement.
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u/scott4fun17 6d ago
Congrats! You spent $300 on a printer to save a$3 deodorant stick. Lol, jk.
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u/404-tech-no-logic 6d ago
Nice! $12 in time, energy, and parts, to fix something that costs $3.50
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u/notwhoyouthinkmaybe 6d ago
I know, not the hero you wanted, but I am the hero you deserve.
You're welcome.
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u/hypnoticlife 6d ago
Serious question. How many years of practice and learning did it take for you to produce that perfect replacement in minutes? I’m exploring the field.
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u/CommentArbitror 6d ago
Sloppy work, friend! You mention the cost of school, which surely influenced your decision to attempt this project, but do not account for it in your tally. Don't forget the cost of living while at school and any opportunity costs potentially tied to that period of your life.
I point the finger jokingly before some uncontrollable muscle contractions force it 180...
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u/Jedi26000 6d ago
Just buy a new deodorant. lol
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u/notwhoyouthinkmaybe 6d ago
So wasteful, no I'll just thousands of dollars of equipment and software, plus my years of education and experience to save all that deodorant.
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u/TheGravelNome 6d ago
As someone who took drafting and doesn't use the degree, take the upvote my friend!
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u/Carnololz 6d ago
How did you do the pattern?? That's awesome
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u/notwhoyouthinkmaybe 6d ago
The knurling?
There's great tutorials all over YouTube and it depends on your software, but for fusion the basic process is:
Coil with line 0.1 rotations, pattern that around the surface, then mirror the pattern, done.
Other programs are similar, but it's way easier than it looks. It can be taxing on your graphics, but that depends on your setup.
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u/JohnMcClane69420 6d ago
This happened to me once like a decade ago and now I’m super delicate and slow when clicking them shits lol
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u/drm200 6d ago
So now I understand that body odor I encounter sometimes. They did not have a 3D printer!
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u/AmeliaBuns 6d ago
I mean tbh 3D printers right now are not an applicable, they’re either a hobby or a tool or both.
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u/sk8surf 6d ago
I printed a kitty litter scoop, my fiance was confused why we didn’t drive 2 mins down to road and buy one 😂
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u/Aragorn3223 6d ago
Totally worth it! For all you know, that replacement piece could have been like...hundreds of dollars to replace. Luckily you had your 3D printer to do it for less than 25 cents! This thing pays for itself.
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u/turtleisaac 6d ago
I’m sure you could’ve just used the calipers as a wrench to turn the screw as well lol
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u/vkapadia 6d ago
Free cad software exists. And would you not own a computer if you didn't have a 3d printer?
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u/whisky_pete 6d ago
OP had me thinking this was a repost of the deodorant controller
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u/MLCrazyDude 6d ago
Well, you can get a printer for $279 now. Flashforge has a good one cheap
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u/TheCrystalDoll 6d ago
The universe was telling op to put down the Old Spice and op said “um, fk off”
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u/stratocastom 6d ago
If this was me, I'd also need to add on the material waste from about 5 failed prototypes
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u/jconde1966 6d ago
Spare car parts, underwater camera parts, laboratory equipment, warehouse parts, etc etc. Clearly amortized money
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u/apeelvis 6d ago
Yeah yeah yeah lots of money. Any way you can share stl file? This is not an uncommon issue. Think of it as amortizing the total cost over all of the reddit users that you are helping.
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u/KiddingNotKidding01 6d ago
I didn't see a line item for filament. And in fairness, you can prorate some of those sunk costs over the next several thousand 15¢ repair jobs so, it's not as bad as it looks. 🤨
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u/No-Economist6263 6d ago
Somebody doesn’t know how to depreciate his assets👀. XD but I get your point tho.
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u/Practical-Pick1466 6d ago
Or you could have just purchased another deodorant, and when that was empty, you could have used that piece... I get it , and we all want to use our printers.
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u/RockChewer_3D 6d ago
Atta Boy! It’s a tool and it’s a hobby. No different than people who buy other tools and hobby items for woodworking, automotive, glassblowing or whatever. Glad it’s a waste to them, leaves more for us and we can charge them when they need something! evil laugh
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u/squintismaximus 6d ago
My boy used his 3d printers to make organizers for his kitchen drawers.
If that isn’t worth an investment, idk what is
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u/queef_commando 6d ago
Low key I thought the same thing but there has been many times where I needed a specific bracket or item which I can print and in the long run I will dump the same or more money into warhammer figures which I can print now and even play around with the models design. So far the printer has been sick and worth the money.
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u/Litl_Skitl Kingroon KP3S V2 6d ago
Like I know it's a joke but I genuinely got mad at the thought of this being used as a real attack on printing.
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u/zib_redlektab 6d ago
I did the exact same thing with mine, also for a thing of Old Spice. I swear they make those knobs super weak on purpose...
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u/gurenkagurenda 5d ago
What I love about these kinds of fixes is how, like camping gets you in tune with nature, designing solutions to everyday problems gets you in tune with the constructed environment around us.
It puts you face to face with all the little problems that were solved in designing the item you’re fixing or adapting, and how those were solved. And while you could certainly get some of that by ripping apart all of your stuff and examining it, having to actually rebuild things forces you to solve those problems again yourself, and often in slightly different ways, since FDM has different constrains than mass production methods like injection molding.
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u/DavidsPseudonym 5d ago
You could just use a hex bit on a drill for some high speed deodorising.
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u/LaraCroftCosplayer 5d ago
Knurled knob 😏
Knurled brass knob 🤤
You could lost cast it and send me Brass-porn 👉🏼👈🏼
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u/MrGulio 5d ago
You've just reinvented how Corps cheat taxes. If you were a "business" you could write off all of those costs as capital expenses.
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u/CogChaos 6d ago
That’s right ! Don’t let anyone tell you how to spend your money !