Since I have bought my table I have only printed little trinkets and toys

Since I have bought my table I have only printed little trinkets and toys for my daughter and my wife keeps askin “can’t u make somethin useful with that expensive toy machine” so I was just curious what are the most useful things you guys have printed? Very excited to hear about ur prints :slight_smile: thanks

I printed a pen holder for my Wacom Bamboo Drawing Tablet, and I also printed a coin operated bottle opener.

The things I use the most are my key holder and bug trapper. My favorite useful thing is my microscope, but I also use a printed whistle and buckle clip. Only the bug catcher is my design, everything else I found on thingiverse.

print the screwless gear heart for your wife, and thenn afterwards figure out things that are broken around the house that needs parts. The more expensive the part the better! :slight_smile:

We use the replicator 2x at work for numerous prototypes and fixtures. We test handles, brackets, bumpers. But when my wife asked me the same question, I just say that I enjoy it, just as a woman enjoys a fancy purse. :wink:

My wife has placed a veto on any more plastic trinkets/vases around the house. And she is right. I was so happy about printing useless junk that I would never have bought at a flee market for 25c. Now that I’m limited to useful stuff, the only thing I have left to print is another printer.

A few things ive done so far:
Print custom lab equipment for my girlfriend (mit lab researcher) eg gel boat, hand powered centrifuge, pcr tube holders

  • printed a 3 part mould for a medical device company for heart insertion prototype.
  • custom clamps and holders around the house
  • tablet and phone stands
  • replaced a broken critical part on a tripod camera stand
  • stupid amount of 3d printer parts plus 8 printed part set.
  • a dildo (gift to a friend lol)

I really suggest against printing dildos (or food related items). A 3d print is extremely porous at the microscopic level and that’s a great place for bacteria and fungus to live.

@Shachar_Weis haha nothing to worry, well aware of the dangers of 3d printed parts with food related items. It was a running joke between me and a friend. He now displays it on his work desk. Someone on makexyz asked me to print a hookah part and had to give him a fair warning that its not exactly food safe.

Let this be a PSA.

If you print in ABS and do an acetone dip, won’t that close up any of the gaps and smooth the surface?

@Mutant_Garage even if you were able to seal the surface with the acetone dip/vapor, abs alone isnt “FDA” food safe. Bunch of unknown additives in the filament. Besides, if you told someone that this printed cup was treated with acetone, most likely they wouldnt use it anymore.

Safest thing to do is apply some sort of pottery glaze or epoxy to create a smooth, watertight surface. I havent ventured that far yet but maybe someone else has.

I printed a cup and used food-safe shellac ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shellac ) to seal/ water-proof it. You might be able to find it at your local hardware store.